B/R Boxing Pound-for-Pound Rankings for August 2025
It's been quite a boxing summer.
A fight for an undisputed heavyweight championship in London. An outdoor event at the national tennis center in New York. And the return of a 46-year-old Hall of Famer at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Those of us in the squared-circle wing at B/R combat headquarters have been here for it and used the noteworthy series of shows to compile the latest in a series of monthly pound-for-pound rankings, this time for August.
We consulted the usual collection of respected sources—The Ring, Boxing Scene, etc.—alongside our collective eye test to come up with the 10 fighters who represent the best of the best in the game entering summer's final full month.
Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought in the app comments.
10. Teofimo Lopez
1 of 10
Weight Class: 140 pounds
Major Titles Held: WBO
It's another month on the rankings margins for the 28-year-old Lopez, a two-division claimant last active in May when he outpointed Arnold Barboza Jr. in New York.
The "Takeover" doesn't have an official next fight on the books, but he's long been linked to one duel with fellow two-division king Devin Haney and, more recently, another as an online war of words has intensified with lightweight champ Shakur Stevenson.
Stay tuned.
9. David Benavidez
2 of 10
Weight Class: 175 pounds
Major Titles Held: WBC
It was a long time between belts for the 28-year-old "Mexican Monster," who'd last reigned at 168 pounds in 2020 before elevating to full-fledged status at 175 in April.
He's missed out (so far) on a long-chased fight with Canelo Alvarez but will return to the ring to defend against fifth-ranked Anthony Yarde in November as part of Turki Al-Sheikh's push to make big fights and bring them to Saudi Arabia.
8. Shakur Stevenson
3 of 10
Weight Class: 135 pounds
Major Titles Held: WBC
There wasn't an elite fighter more in need of perception change than Stevenson, who got it with a clinically punishing beating of William Zepeda last month.
It was a third decision in four title fights at 135 for our list's third straight 28-year-old, but his willingness to stay in the pocket to both display defense and enable offense earned rave reviews from previously reticent fans.
“Sometimes it takes the right opponent to bring out the best in a superstar fighter and Zepeda appeared to be the ideal opposite number,” blow-by-blow man Jim Lampley said. “But at the end of the day, class tells.”
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7. Junto Nakatani
4 of 10
Weight Class: 118 pounds
Major Titles Held: IBF/WBC
Just when you thought that every elite fighter these days had to be 28 years old, up pops Nakatani, the Japanese superstar who won't be 28 until January.
He'll arrive at that birthday having already won belts at three weights and defended the WBC bantamweight strap four times while running his record to 31-0 with 24 KOs, including five in a row since the start of 2024.
A would-be duel with fellow Asian icon Naoya Inoue is whetting global boxing appetites for 2026.
6. Jesse Rodriguez
5 of 10
Weight Class: 115 pounds
Major Titles Held: WBC/WBO
The most recent member of the sport's unified champions club, Rodriguez added the WBO title at 115 pounds to the WBC claim he's had since last summer with a 10th-round TKO of Phumelele Cafu two weeks ago in suburban Dallas.
It's the second weight class in which two belts have been placed on the mantel for "Bam," a 25-year-old who'd previously copped the IBF and WBO belts at 112.
Next up? We'll continue to bang the drum for Rodriguez to jump Nakatani and get to the front of the line for a sure-fire banger against Inoue.
5. Canelo Alvarez
6 of 10
Weight Class: 168 pounds
Major Titles Held: IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO
It's another month near the mountaintop for the suddenly grizzled Mexican star, who's held a championship of one form or another at one weight or another in every year since 2018.
He's the undisputed four-belt king at 168 pounds these days and will defend that status against ambitious 154-pounder Terence Crawford in a generational clash next month in Las Vegas.
"This is so huge for boxing," Alvarez said. "I'm glad to be involved with these kinds of fights that so many people can see."
4. Dmitry Bivol
7 of 10
Weight Class: 175 pounds
Major Titles Held: IBF/WBA/WBO
He's not quite an undisputed champion anymore thanks to boxing's never-ending political story, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone to suggest Bivol, a 34-year-old Russian, is anything less than a truly elite fighter.
He'd been a WBA champion of one strain or another for several years before adding the IBF, WBC and WBO belts to his collection with a majority decision win over Artur Beterbiev in their rematch in February.
A third fight is being talked about for Saudi Arabia or Russia, but has yet to be made official with a contract signing or a press conference face-off.
3. Terence Crawford
8 of 10
Weight Class: 154 pounds
Major Titles Held: WBA
Champion at 135 pounds. Undisputed champion at 140 pounds. And an undisputed champion with a high-profile victim, previously unbeaten fellow claimant Errol Spence Jr., at 147 pounds.
It's hard to imagine adding much to a resume that already includes those claims and a current one at 154, but that's precisely what Crawford is planning to do when he meets Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium on September 13.
"I'm a fan of Canelo," Crawford told Bleacher Report. "He's a great fighter, but I feel like I'm better. I feel like I'm gonna show it. It's gonna be a good fight. It's not going to be easy. But I think when it when it's all said and done, my hand will be raised."
2. Naoya Inoue
9 of 10
Weight Class: 122 pounds
Major Titles Held: IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO
The second of (spoiler alert) three undisputed champions on our list, Inoue is another fighter who's been a long-term claimant across multiple weight classes.
He won his first title in his sixth pro fight 11 years ago and hasn't skipped a beat, climbing from 108 pounds to 122 pounds while running the record to 30-0 with 27 KOs as a still-menacing 32-year-old.
A showdown with once-beaten top WBA contender Murodjon Akhmadaliev comes next month in Japan, but it's the aforementioned fantasy showdowns with Nakatani and Rodriguez that'll provide a real chance to reach No. 1 on the list.
1. Oleksandr Usyk
10 of 10
Weight Class: Heavyweight
Major Titles Held: IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO
You know you've crossed over when the discussions go from whether you're among the best fighters in the game today to whether you're one of the best of all time.
That's where Usyk is these days at heavyweight, where he became a four-belt king again with a five-round blowout of Daniel Dubois last month in London.
The latest claim follows a similar undisputed run at cruiserweight from 2016 to 2018, and, at age 38, Usyk is insisting he's got one more fight in him before a ride off into the competitive sunset.
The would-be opponents are lining up for the opportunity, including the likes of two-time victim Tyson Fury, young contender Moses Itauma, mandatory contender Joseph Parker and, yes, even the ever-present Jake Paul.
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