By Charles Crimes: Boxing always has rankings that are constantly moving due to activity and inactivity alike. The pound-for-pound list as of late has been a rotation of the usual suspects and most popular boxers at various weight classes. This list is meant to highlight some of the younger guys. The boxers that will be in the forefront of the sport in a few years to come.
Honorable Mention:Demetrius Andrade, Terence Crawford (Too old for the list),Omar Figueroa
10. Anthony Joshua: Joshua is big strong and is an incredible athlete. Like many Heavyweights these days, Joshua was a late start to boxing at 18, but with the skill set that he currently posses few would know that he as only been boxing for seven years. Detractors would say Joshua has yet to be challenged and has rarely been tested in his 10 fight with 10KO career, but what I see is a young fighter that sits down on his punches. He shows exceptional footwork for his size and mostly importantly has a very high ring IQ for his experience level. I expect Joshua to be a dominate force in the Heavyweight division in the near future.
9. Julian Williams : Williams like the previous entry is also untested but at 24 he fights like a veteran. Williams goes to the body very good and is not afraid to use his footwork. He has a unique ability to make the necessary adjustments to different styles. His only flaw is dealing with timing with faster opponents which over time can be developed.
8. Jermell Charlo: Not to be confused with his twin brother Jermall, Jermell is a young LION. He possesses exceptional boxing skills and ring generalship. Jermell may have already been a world champion but has had some unfortunate mishaps on his path to stardom thus far. Once with a scheduled title fight with Carlos Molina who went to jail just before there fight date and most recently with contract disagreements with WBO Jr. MW Champion Demetrius Andrade. Charlo is a force to be reckoned with @ 154 once he has his chance he will shine in his opportunity.
7. Errol Spence: Spence is my favorite young fighter on this list I can not get enough of watching him fight. He is a like a young more “calculated” Aaron Pryor. The kid has exceptional power. He is the best overall “boxer” on the list over time I can see Spence being a P4P force. If given the opportunity Spence can challenge any fighter from 147-160. Spence is a must watch.
6. Keith Thurman: Thurman is box office. He is brash and has a crowd friendly style that produces plenty of knockouts. Thurman along with the aforementioned Spence are the Future at 147 and 154 in my humble opinion. Thurman impresses me with his ability to make adjustments with adversity (See Diego Chaves, Jesus Soto Karass and Leonard Bundu). He is a good athlete, smart and packs power in both hands. Going forward with Thurman his only flaw is he will occasionally jump and loop into his punches instead of sitting down on them. Thurman is a force.
5.Vasyl Lomachenko: He is one of the most rounded boxers in the world. Coming from a legendary amateur back ground with only 4 fights he is already a world champ and considered by many, including myself. To be the best featherweight in the world. Lomachenko has a controversial loss to Orlando Salido who missed weight purposely and repeatedly fought dirty. Lomachenko is the second best “small” boxer in the world next to conscious pick RING, WBO, WBA jr. featherweight titlist Guillermo Rigondeaux.
4.Adrien Broner: Okay, bare with me again Broner is an unusual character, but he kid has heart and he can fight. Broner is box office due to his polarizing personality and flashy boxing skills, not to mention that he is a three division world champion which says a lot. Broner was given his first title but completely outclassed the then lightweight lineal Champ in Antonio Demarco. After being destroyed in a humbling experience to Marcos Maidana, he has rebounded with tough opponents on his trek back. What I respect about Broner is he isn’t a coward he has been very vocal about wanting a rematch against Maidana and wanting the dangerous slugger Lucas Matthysse. Broner has a bright future and if/when he adjust his sometimes poor footwork he can be a force at 140.
3.Léo Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz is really a joy to watch he is a classic Mexican fighter all offense and excitement. Santa Cruz is already on his way to becoming a legendary force. He is a two division world champ and boast 9 title defenses between the two classes which is utterly impressive considering that he turned pro at the tender age of 17 after being a beast as an amateur with a 148-7 record. Santa Cruz should really be tested in the coming months with the likes of Guillermo Rigondeaux, Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg if the fights can be made.
2.Danny García: People may not like this pick but bare with me, I placed Danny here because of what he has done. Over the last year he has lost some luster with his “Super” gift against Mauricio Herrera and bum showcase against Rod Salka. Those fights were equally a travesty. Nonetheless, Garcia boasts unquestionably one of the best resumes in all of boxing not to mention he is constantly counted out against “perceived” better opposition. Garcia, up until the recent fights, came up the hard way and would really fight anyone. Garcia looks to have a better 2015 by unifying against Lamont Peterson and moving up to 147. Danny Garcia has some things to prove after a disappointing 2014 but he rarely disappoints in the ring.
1. Saúl Canelo Álvarez : This really isn’t a debate there is no fighter in boxing who has had a more difficult schedule of fighters since 2013 than Canelo. The caveat is the controversy behind some of those victories despite that Canelo is the embodiment of what you want in a champion boxer he wants all challengers. There is no question that Canelo wants to be be the best and fight the best. Canelo is star in the making despite ones opinion on his controversial decisions including my own. Canelo looks to have a bigger year with some potential big opponents at 154 and 160.
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