World’s top 15 pound-for-pound fighters going into 2022 – including four Brits

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Four Brits feature on the world's top 15 pound-for-pound boxing rankings heading into the year of fighting in 2022.

It is Canelo Alvarez who tops the list, though, after he became the first undisputed super middleweight champion in history with victory over Caleb Plant last November.

The BoxRec computer-calculated system has the 57-1-2 Mexican way out in front on 683.9 points, with him not having been defeated since his bout with Floyd Mayweather in 2013.

That is over 200 points more than second-placed American Terence Crawford, who has 451.4 to his name.

The WBO welterweight champion is unbeaten in his 38 fights to date.

Following Crawford is another man yet to taste defeat in the form of heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk.

The Ukrainian's phenomenal step up from cruiserweight, peaking with his comprehensive win over Anthony Joshua in September 2021, sees him sat on 428.2.

That is just enough to edge out fellow champ Tyson Fury (423.7), who finally saw the back of Deontay Wilder with his second straight win over the Bronze Bomber in October.

Who will be number one by the end of 2022? Give your prediction in the comments section.

There is then a big drop to AJ in fifth, who's score took a significant hit when he lost his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles.

His 306.4 points still see the second-highest Brit comfortably ahead of Latvia's Mairis Briedis on 261.3 in sixth.

Despite suffering another knock on his now 42-2-1 record, Wilder follows in seventh (211.8) and is marginally above Callum Smith (211.2).

The Liverpudlian was victorious in his light-heavyweight debut last year on the AJ vs Usyk undercard, having lost his super-middleweight belts to Canelo in 2020.

The final Brit on the list is 10th-placed Scot Josh Taylor with 199.9 points.

In 2021 he became the undisputed light-welterweight champion by defeating Jose Ramirez in America.

Dillian Whyte, who is the mandatory challenger for Fury's next defence, narrowly misses out in 16th place.

The BoxRec top 15 pound-for-pound rankings in full (as of the time of writing):

1. Canelo Alvarez

2. Terence Crawford

3. Oleksandr Usyk

4. Tyson Fury

5. Anthony Joshua

6. Mairis Briedis

7. Deontay Wilder

8. Callum Smith

9. Yordenis Ugas

10. Josh Taylor

11. Keith Thurman

12. Artur Beterbiev

13. Juan Francisco Estrada

14. Oscar Valdez

15. Regis Prograis

  • Boxing
  • Canelo Alvarez
  • Tyson Fury
  • Anthony Joshua
  • Deontay Wilder
  • Callum Smith

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