By Alex Fesl: The pound-for-pound rankings are a very subjective and biased ranking system. Many of the top fighters on the pound-for-pound lists have arguably questionable resumes full of nameless opponents. Likewise, some of the most popular and well-regarded fighters will also have very questionable resumes. For this article, I will detail some of these overrated fighters and some fighters that are often mislabeled as overrated.
Overrated
Jermall Charlo 32-0(22 KOs): Once one of the most promising middleweight fighters, Jermall’s career is at a complete standstill. He has been sitting on his WBC middleweight belt for almost two years without defending it. The last time we saw Jermall fight was against the very limited but game, Juan Macias Montiel in the summer of 2021. Looking at Jermall’s resume, it’s difficult to pick his most impressive win.
The now 14-4 (10 KOs), Sergiy Derevyanchenko is probably the most skilled fighter Jermall has fought as of now. Currently, Jermall is best known for calling out fighters he never intends on fighting.
David Benavidez 26-0 (23 KOs): Benavidez is one of the most hyped fighters today. Many fans believe he has the power to take out Canelo, Bivol, and Beterbiev. In reality, Benavidez has yet to take on any tough challengers to date. He is slated to take on the crafty Caleb Plant 22-1 (13 KOs) later next month. We will definitely find out if Benevidez is as tough as he is hyped in that fight. So far, Benevidez’s best win is versus former super middleweight champ Anthony Dirrell back in 2019.
Terrence Crawford 39-0 (30 KOs): Crawford is often regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters today. He has definitely had a very impressive career so far, being the former undisputed light welterweight champion and current WBO welterweight champion. Yet, when reviewing his resume, you get a sense that he has feasted on overmatched opponents for quite a while.
During Crawford’s reign as light welterweight king, his best wins were vs. then-undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa and Viktor Postol, respectively. At welterweight, Crawford’s best win was versus a past prime Shawn Porter. A win over unified welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr would certainly bolster Crawford’s position on the pound-for-pound rankings if that ever happens.
Vasiliy Lomachenko 17-2 (11 KOs): Lomachenko’s fans are arguably the most delusional fans in boxing today. They can often be seen in comment sections claiming Lomachenko can defeat anybody in any era. In reality, Lomachenko has had a good professional career, not an all-time great career like his fans claim. He initially rose to fame by being one of the greatest amateur boxers ever, winning multiple Olympic gold medals.
As a pro, Loma has won multiple championships in multiple weight classes, but he lacks a signature victory. Looking over his resume, Loma’s best wins are against a then-undefeated Gary Russell Jr, a much smaller Guillermo Rigondeaux, and the always-tough Jorge Linares. If Loma can defeat Devin Haney in their rumored upcoming fight, then Loma will be elevated, in my view.
Naoya Inoue 24-0 (21 KOs): Inoue is regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter today. Writers and fans usually have him listed as their first or second pick, respectively. Inoue, like many of the previously mentioned fighters, has also had a very impressive career. He is the current undisputed bantamweight champion and as well as a former light flyweight and junior bantamweight champion.
Yet, when you review his resume, Inoue’s most impressive wins are against a past prime Nonito Donaire (twice). Other than Donaire, Inoue has yet to face anyone interesting yet. Inoue is rumored to be moving up to super bantamweight to take on the undefeated unified champ, Stephen Fulton. If Inoue can defeat Fulton impressively, I believe he will be solidified as one the best fighters pound for pound.
Not Overrated
The following boxers are often mentioned as overrated boxers, but I believe they are mischaracterized as overrated.
Gervonta “Tank” Davis 28-0 (26 KOs): Tank is a very polarizing figure in boxing today. He is arguably one of the most exciting and popular fighters currently, but his knucklehead decisions outside the ring turn off a lot of fans.
At the same time, Tank is rarely mentioned as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters. He is more viewed as a popular fighter without a signature win. With that said, it doesn’t really make sense to say Tank is overrated if he is not rated that highly.
Devin Haney 29-0 (15 KOs): Haney represents the opposite of Tank Davis. He stays out of trouble outside the ring, fights in a cautious defensive style, and doesn’t have a strong fan base.
Despite that, Haney has already had a great career in capturing all of the major belts in the lightweight division.
At only 24 years old, Haney still has a lot of career left in him. It is hard to make a case of Haney being overrated when his career is basically just getting started.
Jermell Charlo 35-1-1 (19 KOs): Jermell is currently the undisputed light middleweight champion of the world. To become the undisputed champion, Jermell defeated the tough Brian Carlos Castano by sensational knockout after their first meeting ended in a draw. After that knockout win, Jermell silenced a lot of his doubters that called him overrated. Looking forward, Jermell is slated to take on the winner of Tim Tszyu vs. Tony Harrison sometime this year.
Let me know in the comments if you disagree with my assessment. Who do you think is overrated or not overrated?