Who are the pound-for-pound greatest boxers of the last 25 years?
With the new Millennium officially now 25 years old, boxing is finally in what seems to be a healthy position.
Thanks to the influx of cash from Saudi-based backer Turki Alalshikh, the biggest fights in each division are starting to be made and the best are consistently fighting the best.
As a result, answering the question as to who the very boxers are in every generation is becoming less opaque. Yet experts at OLBG still tasked Artificial Intelligence engine ChatGPT with the question, ‘Who are the best pound-for-pound boxers since the start of the 21st century?’
The top 10 list can be found below, with no place for British boxers such as Joe Calzaghe or Lennox Lewis, and a plethora of current superstars.
1. Floyd Mayweather Jr. 50-0 (27 KOs)
o 5-division world champion (Super Featherweight to Light Middleweight).
o Wins over Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Álvarez, and Oscar De La Hoya.
o Known for his impeccable defence and ring IQ.
o Multiple-time PPV king, redefining financial success in boxing.
2. Manny Pacquiao 62-8-2 (39 KOs)
o 8-division world champion (Flyweight to Super Welterweight).
o Wins over Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, and Keith Thurman.
o Known for his ferocious speed, power, and longevity.
o Fought across four decades, remaining elite into his 40s.
3. Canelo Álvarez 60-2-2 (39 KOs)
o 4-division world champion (Super Welterweight to Light Heavyweight).
o Wins over Gennadiy Golovkin, Sergey Kovalev, and Caleb Plant.
o Undisputed Super Middleweight champion.
o Dominance and ability to adapt styles make him a generational talent.
4. Bernard Hopkins 55-8-2 (32 KOs)
o Long-reigning Middleweight champion (20 defences).
o Oldest world champion in boxing history (49 years).
o Wins over Félix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, and Antonio Tarver.
o Renowned for his technical mastery and longevity.
5. Oleksandr Usyk 21-0 (14 KOs)
o Undisputed Cruiserweight champion.
o Unified Heavyweight champion with wins over Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.
o Exceptional footwork, adaptability, and technical brilliance.
6. Vasiliy Lomachenko 20-3 (11 KOs)
o 3-division world champion.
o Fastest fighter to win titles in 3 weight classes (12 fights).
o Known for his unique footwork, angles, and boxing IQ.
o Wins over Gary Russell Jr., Jorge Linares, and Guillermo Rigondeaux.
7. Terence Crawford 41-0 (32 KOs)
o Undisputed in two divisions (Light Welterweight and Welterweight).
o Wins over Errol Spence Jr., Shawn Porter, and Viktor Postol.
o Known for his switch-hitting ability, power, and adaptability.
o Dominated across three weight classes (Lightweight to Welterweight).
8. Naoya Inoue 26-0 (23 KOs)
o 4-division world champion (Light Flyweight to Super Bantamweight).
o Undisputed Bantamweight champion.
o Wins over Nonito Donaire (twice) and Stephen Fulton.
o Known as “The Monster” for his devastating punching power and efficiency.
9. Andre Ward 32-0 (16 KOs)
o Unified Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight champion.
o Wins over Carl Froch, Sergey Kovalev, and Mikkel Kessler.
o Unbeaten in his career, praised for his versatility and grit.
o Retired as a P4P #1 boxer.
10. Gennadiy Golovkin (GGG) 42-2-1 (37 KOs)
o Long-reigning Middleweight champion (20 defences).
o Feared for his power and relentless style.
o Memorable trilogy against Canelo Álvarez.
o Wins over David Lemieux and Kell Brook.