In a boxing landscape obsessed with undisputed champions, numerous fighters have entered the pound-for-pound conversation by claiming all four major belts in their respective weight classes. Now, Teofimo Lopez has shared his pick for the sport’s current best.
Since the four-belt era began in the early 2000s, only 11 men have achieved undisputed status, with nine fighters accomplishing the feat since May 2021—and four times in 2025 alone. However, in recent years, Terence Crawford, Oleksandr Usyk, and Naoya Inoue have stood out by becoming undisputed champions in multiple weight divisions.
With Crawford now retired, many boxing fans are divided over whether Usyk or Inoue deserves the top pound-for-pound spot, though contenders like Shakur Stevenson and David Benavidez are closing in. After watching Inoue stop Junto Nakatani in his seventh defense of the undisputed super-bantamweight crown last weekend, Lopez told Inside the Ring that he believes the Japanese star deserves the top ranking.
“They started very slow in the beginning, feeling each other out, but overall, as the rounds went on, I think Inoue closed it out in the championship rounds like a champ does,” Lopez said. “The number of title defenses he has and everything he has accomplished—I think he’s number one pound-for-pound, in my opinion.”
Inoue could win over even more fans if he faces pound-for-pound rival Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, who moves up to bantamweight next month. Lopez, whose own top-10 pound-for-pound argument was weakened by a one-sided loss to Shakur Stevenson earlier this year, is expected to strengthen his case by moving up to welterweight, where he aims to become a three-weight world champion.
