In a sport such as boxing, where top stars only compete but twice per calendar year, the subjectivity of something like a pound-for-pound ranking can be drastically affected by one performance.
So, how much should fans and critics panic over the current state of Gervonta “Tank” Davis?
The WBA lightweight champion was lucky to exit the ring last Saturday in Brooklyn, New York, with his world title still around his waist following a disputed majority draw against former amateur rival and 130-pound titleholder Lamont Roach Jr. The controversy of the fight was drastically dialed up when referee Steve Willis failed to take Davis’ voluntary knee in Round 9 as a knockdown, which would’ve given Roach the victory.
Davis, 30, had talked more about retirement entering the fight than who his future opponents might be, which came across as a bit of a warning sign. It never stopped oddsmakers, however, from installing him as an overwhelming betting favorite against an opponent in Roach who bulked up considerably after moving up in weight and showed both a next-level chin and confidence as he traded shots evenly over the second half.
Why Gervonta Davis’ controversial knee against Lamont Roach was a symptom of bigger problems for ‘Tank’
Brian Campbell
It’s not as if Davis didn’t enter the fight in great shape. He also had an argument for winning the fight (separate from the knockdown controversy) due to the fact that so many of the early rounds proved uneventful with low output as Roach attempted to force Davis out of a counterpunching role so that he would take the lead.
The one thing Davis’ performance did illustrate, however, was the prospective dangers of his overall low output and patented slow starts. It’s one thing to “download info” before picking your opponents apart and finishing them, which Davis has had an entertaining habit of doing over his run to global stardom. But it’s a luxury that can quickly become an overwhelming weight to carry when your opponent enters as determined as Roach was.
While Davis definitely picked up the pace in the second half and attempted to walk Roach down, there appeared to be a slight lack of urgency when it mattered most. Was Davis simply frustrated by Roach’s refusal to succumb to his power or did “Tank” show something worse: a visible disinterest in leaving nothing to chance in support of protecting his unbeaten record?
Either way, Davis is going to need to take a hard look into the mirror before a training camp for the rematch can take place. He also needs to sort out issues in his corner after Barry Hunter was brought in to replace Calvin Ford as head trainer and Davis was caught on video yelling at Ford, his longtime coach and father figure, between rounds.
All great fighters must make the necessary adjustments to evolve their game amid the effects of everything from aging to the competition catching up. While not everyone at 135 pounds could survive Davis’ power long enough to produce the same exact performance that Roach did last weekend, a new blueprint of sorts has been created as to how to give the diminutive Davis fits.
Make no mistake, their inevitable rematch just might become the most important bout of Davis’ career, offering an opportunity to restore his elite name and prevent further movement off of the P4P top 10.
Using a criteria that takes into account everything from accomplishments to current form, let’s take a closer look at the top fighters inside the ring. Below is the latest Pound for Pound rankings update after Davis’ draw in February.
Pound-for-Pound Rankings
1. Oleksandr Usyk
Undisputed heavyweight champion (23-0, 14 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 1
Usyk’s professional run has been as decorated as it has been perfect. The former undisputed cruiserweight champ, who reached similar status as a four-belt champion at heavyweight in his split-decision win over Tyson Fury in May, was even better in their December rematch. Usyk solidified himself as one of the best boxers in division history by efficiently outworking Fury, despite giving up 55 pounds, to claim a unanimous decision.
2. Naoya Inoue
Undisputed junior featherweight champion (26-0, 24 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 2
The four-division champion, who has reached undisputed status in two different weight classes, continued his legendary takeover of the sport in January when he finished late replacement Ye Joon Kim in four rounds in Tokyo. “The Monster” is expected to return to fight in the U.S. in May before making his Saudi Arabia debut later this year.
3. Dmitry Bivol
Undisputed light heavyweight champion (24-1, 12 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 3
Despite coming up just short against Artur Beterbiev via majority decision in their undisputed clash in October, Bivol turned the tables four months later in their February rematch. Saying he needed to simply “do more,” Bivol did just that by rallying in the second half and holding off Beterbiev in Round 12. A trilogy fight appears to be next.
4. Terence Crawford
WBA junior middleweight champion (40-0, 29 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 4
In his long-awaited return from his dismantling of Errol Spence Jr. last summer, Crawford moved up to 154 pounds to narrowly hold off WBA champion Israel Madrimov. Up next, Crawford is rumored to be entering the toughest test of his pro career against unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez this September in Las Vegas.
5. Artur Beterbiev
Light heavyweight (21-1, 20 KOs) | Previous ranking: 5
Four months after narrowly defeating Dmitry Bivol to become the first four-belt undisputed champion in 175-pound history, Beterbiev came up just short in their February rematch via majority decision. At 40, Beterbiev still showed enough of a motor to surge in Round 12 to cut Bivol, but he will need to wait for redemption in a trilogy bout expected for later this year.
6. Canelo Alvarez
Unified super middleweight champion (62-2-2, 38 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 6
The former P4P king is still a unified champion at 168 pounds and he proved just that by scoring decision wins in 2024 over Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga. That doesn’t mean Alvarez hasn’t stopped receiving criticism for avoiding David Benavidez. After signing a four-fight deal with Saudi Arabia, which includes a Terence Crawford clash in September, Alvarez returns in an undisputed clash against unheralded IBF titleholder William Scull in May.
7. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez
Flyweight, junior bantamweight titleholder (20-0, 13 KOs) | Previous ranking: 8
The 24-year-old phenom from San Antonio landed just shy of 50% of his power shots to dismantle 115-pound titleholder Juan Francisco Estrada in July. Rodriguez returned in November to defend his junior bantamweight title by stopping Pedro Guevara in Philadelphia.
8. David Benavidez
Interim light heavyweight titleholder (29-0, 24 KOs) | Previous ranking: No. 10
Frustrated with waiting around for his shot at undisputed 168-pound king Canelo Alvarez, “El Monstro” moved up in weight to outclass former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk last year and unbeaten David Morrell Jr. in January. Benavidez was slated to face the winner of Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol II for the undisputed title but now must wait for their trilogy.
9. Junto Nakatani
WBC bantamweight champion (30-0, 23 KOs) | Previous ranking: 10
A two-division titleholder, the native of Japan has become a breakout star after moving up to 118 pounds and scoring four title wins with four knockouts. Nakatani made the third defense of his WBC title in February when he needed just three rounds to finish 28-0 David Cuellar. Superfights against Naoya Inoue or Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez could be in the exciting southpaw’s future.
10. Gervonta Davis
WBA lightweight champion (30-0-1, 28 KOs) | Previous ranking: 7
A noticeably flat performance against former amateur rival and 130-pound titleholder Lamont Roach Jr. in March saw Davis lucky to settle for a disputed draw thanks to a blown knockdown call. Davis owns an immediate rematch clause and indicated after the fight it could come as early as May. Until then, “Tank” needs to come to terms with recent retirement talk to reactivate the competitive fire within him.
Dropped out: None
Honorable mention: Shakur Stevenson, Tyson Fury, Teofimo Lopez Jr., Vasiliy Lomachenko, Keyshawn Davis
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