Having previously been considered as the pound-for-pound king, Canelo Alvarez is on a quest to prove that he remains amongst the elite, and the four-division world champion has revealed his top five active pound-for-pound fighters.

Many fight fans considered Canelo to be the pound-for-pound number one between 2019 and 2022, as he continued his long unbeaten streak since a 2013 loss to Floyd Mayweather and progressed through the weight divisions.

In November 2019, Alvarez dethroned WBO light-heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev to claim world honours in a fourth division, before moving back down to super-middleweight and capturing all four 168lb titles in an 11-month spell to become boxing’s first undisputed super-middleweight champion.

Canelo has since suffered defeats to both Dmitry Bivol and Terence Crawford and the 36-year-old now finds himself without a belt, but he is set for a world title challenge at the end of the month, when he heads to Saudi Arabia and attempts to dethrone Christian Mbilli.

Speaking to DAZN Boxingahead of that title bid, Canelo revealed his current top five boxers in the sport, noticeably opting not to include himself.

“My top five pound-for-pound fighters are [Oleksandr] Usyk, [Naoya] Inoue, Bivol, Shakur [Stevenson] and Gervonta [Davis].”

Canelo’s selections may come as no surprise, with Usyk and Inoue viewed as the top two fighters on most people’s pound-for-pound lists.

Bivol currently holds three of the four world titles at light heavyweight, making the next defence of those belts against Callum Smith in December, while Stevenson looks poised for a showdown with Devin Haney later this year.

As for Davis, he may be the surprise inclusion in Canelo’s list, with ‘Tank’ having not competed since March 2025 when he was held to a controversial draw with Lamont Roach.

As 2027 approaches, one of the most in-demand fights in the sport is an undisputed super-bantamweight title showdown between pound-for-pound king Naoya Inoue and three-weight world champion Jesse Rodriguez, but it now appears as though the proposed event is in serious jeopardy.

Inoue has taken some well-deserved time off following on from his career-best win over Junto Nakatani back in May, but ‘The Monster’ is keen to return to action in spring 2027, for an outing that many presumed would be against Rodriguez.

Meanwhile, ‘Bam’ has moved up to bantamweight and captured the WBA world title, but his trainer Robert Garcia made it clear that he wants another fight at 118lbs before moving up again and challenging for Inoue’s 122lb crown.

As of yet, there is no confirmed fight date for a mooted meeting between Rodriguez and fellow bantamweight titleholder Christian Medina (WBO), but the duo are expected to collide in either December or January, despite Inoue threatening to move on from Rodriguez if the American is not ready to fight him in March.

Still, just days ago, ‘The Monster’ revealed that he is indeed preparing for a meeting with the 26-year-old southpaw, as per Source of Boxing.

🚨 Naoya Inoue says he’s preparing with Bam Rodriguez in mind for his next fight 👀

“Yes, I’m preparing with Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in mind.” pic.twitter.com/dqu2VtCKNP

— Source of Boxing (@Sourceofboxing) October 10, 2026

“Yes, I’m preparing with Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in mind.”

However, Inoue has now said on X that he is unwilling to sit around and wait for Rodriguez, instead stating that he has begun to prepare for a move into the featherweight division. This comment was perhaps motivated by Garcia recently suggesting April or May for the fight.

I don’t want to wait around for Bam, so I’ll start preparing to move to featherweight 👆🏼

— Naoya Inoue (@naoyainoue_410) October 13, 2026

“I’m not going to sit around waiting for Bam, so I’m starting prep for featherweight too.”

In terms of which of the 126lb champions Inoue could face on his divisional debut, New York’s Bruce Carrington (WBC) would make the most sense for a stateside appearance, whilst Inoue has also previously mentioned IBF titleholder Angelo Leo as an option.

Another option could come this Saturday, as fellow Japanese featherweight title hopeful Tomoki Kameda challenges for Brandon Figueroa’s WBA crownso should he be successful, a tantalising all-Japanese featherweight world title affair may become Inoue’s most obvious route to the throne.

Since his latest comments, ‘Bam’s promoter Eddie Hearn has taken to social media to respond, saying they are still willing and ready to make the fight happen.

Agit Kabayel is expected to make short work of Nelson Hysa when he defends his WBC heavyweight title on November 28, with Bernd Boente exclusively telling World Boxing News that he expects the German champion to win within five rounds.

Kabayel has become one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the world, with his relentless pressure and body punching proving too much for some of the division’s biggest names.

Hysa brings an unbeaten record and considerable knockout power to Düsseldorf, but the 42-year-old has never faced an opponent of Kabayel’s quality.

Boente believes the challenger has a dangerous weapon of his own, although he expects Kabayel to take control from the opening bell.

Boente Predicts Five-Round Finish

Asked whether Hysa’s punching power has been overrated, Boente warned against dismissing the Albanian’s right hand.

“Agit is a classic pressure fighter and will put Hysa under pressure right from the start. Hysa certainly possesses a dangerous right hand that Agit needs to watch out for, especially when Hysa counters,” Boente told WBN.

“However, Hysa hasn’t fought any top-tier opponents yet, so it’s hard to say for sure how things will go, but I’m predicting Agit wins within five rounds.”

Kabayel has already stopped Arslanbek MakhmudovFrank Sanchez and Zhilei Zhang on his way to becoming world champion.

Those victories established him among the heavyweight elite, while Hysa must now prove that his knockout record can stand up against a fighter operating at the highest level.

Hysa’s Financial Demands

The fight was not agreed without difficulties, with both sides involved in a public exchange before negotiations were completed.

Asked whether the disagreement had simply been an attempt to generate publicity, Boente pointed to money as the main issue.

“I think it came down to finances, as always. I heard Hysa wanted too much and his demands weren’t met. He initially turned it down, but then presumably realized that, at 42, he wouldn’t get many more chances to compete in a World Championship.”

The agreement gives Hysa an opportunity to become world champion at an age when most heavyweights are approaching the end of their careers.

It also gives Kabayel the chance to make the first defense of the full WBC championship he inherited following Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to vacate in June.

35,000 Tickets Sold

Questions have been raised over whether Hysa is a big enough name for a major stadium defense, but Boente believes the occasion itself is attracting supporters.

“Queensberry has already sold over 35,000 tickets in days. Ultimately, most spectators come for the event—for a heavyweight world title fight in a stadium. That is something truly special, and many people simply want to be there!

“When the Klitschkos boxed in German stadiums, they sold out—regardless of whether the opponent was Mormeck or Haye.”

Boente is also a DAZN DACH heavyweight pundit and will provide analysis for Daniel Dubois vs. Fabio Wardley this weekend.

The November 28 event at Düsseldorf’s Merkur Spiel-Arena marks another major step in the revival of heavyweight boxing in Germany.

Kabayel has already ended the country’s 94-year wait for a recognized heavyweight world champion, becoming the first since Max Schmeling in 1932.

Now comes his first defense, with a large home crowd expected to back the unbeaten champion.

Hysa has the power to make things interesting, but Boente believes Kabayel’s pressure will be the difference.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

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