On Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Devin Haney claimed the WBO welterweight title by unanimously defeating Brian Norman Jr. This victory marks Haney’s return to ESPN’s men’s pound-for-pound top 10 for the first time in 20 months. Despite initially losing by majority decision to Ryan Garcia in April 2024—a result later overturned due to Garcia’s positive test for a banned substance—Haney had dropped out of the top 10, partly because he was knocked down three times in that bout. Haney expressed his determination to reclaim and dominate the sport moving forward, replacing super middleweight Canelo Alvarez at the No. 10 spot.
In the main event, David Benavidez retained his WBC and WBA “regular” light heavyweight titles by knocking out Anthony Yarde in the seventh round, improving his ranking to seventh. Benavidez rated his own performance as a B+, acknowledging room for improvement despite silencing doubts about his knockout power at 175 pounds. Additionally, Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez unified three junior bantamweight titles by stopping Fernando Martinez in 10 rounds, maintaining his position at fifth.
The ESPN pound-for-pound rankings feature top fighters like Terrence Crawford at No. 1 after his dominant win over Canelo Alvarez, followed by Oleksandr Usyk, Naoya Inoue, Dimitry Bivol, and others. Voting was conducted by a panel of experts including Andreas Hale, Timothy Bradley Jr., Teddy Atlas, and more, who ranked fighters based on recent performances and overall impact.
Each fighter’s recent bouts and future plans are highlighted, showing a dynamic and competitive landscape in the world of boxing with key upcoming matches anticipated in 2025 and 2026.
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Fan Take: Devin Haney’s resurgence and claim to the welterweight crown signal a shifting tide in boxing’s top tiers, thrilling fans who crave intense competition and skillful matchups. This moment not only reenergizes the welterweight division but also sets the stage for exciting cross-division showdowns that could redefine the sport’s hierarchy.
