ESPN Boxing Rankings: Usyk Hits No. 1 as Ennis and Ortiz Jr. Enter Top 10

Oleksandr Usyk claims the No. 1 spot in the ESPN boxing rankings following Terence Crawford’s retirement, while Jaron Ennis debuts at No. 8.

Oleksandr Usyk ascended to the No. 1 spot in the ESPN boxing rankings on February 25, 2026, following Terence Crawford’s retirement. The 38-year-old Ukrainian southpaw maintains a 24-0 record with 15 KOs after a fifth-round stoppage of Daniel Dubois on July 19, 2025. Usyk has now logged two victories each against Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Dubois. While a Deontay Wilder clash was scrapped in favor of a Wilder-Derek Chisora bout, the unified champion is weighing a summer fight against Andy Ruiz Jr. or a mandatory defense versus WBC interim titlist Agit Kabayel.

Jaron "Boots" Ennis entered the pound-for-pound list at No. 8. Boasting a 35-0 resume with 31 KOs, Ennis claimed the WBA interim junior middleweight crown by knocking out Uisma Lima in the opening round of their October 2025 encounter. Vergil Ortiz Jr. follows at No. 10, improving to 24-0 with 22 KOs after a second-round TKO of Erickson Lubin in November to secure the WBC interim 154-pound belt. Both Americans replaced Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, who were dropped due to inactivity following their February 22, 2025, rematch.

Inoue and Rodriguez Secure Top Five Positions

Naoya Inoue holds the No. 2 position with 32 wins and 27 knockouts. The undisputed junior featherweight king concluded a four-fight 2025 campaign on December 27 by outpointing David Picasso over 12 rounds. "The Monster" is slated to meet Junto Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome on May 2. Nakatani, the No. 6-ranked unified bantamweight champion, holds a 32-0 record but saw his stock dip after a narrow, disputed points victory over Sebastian Hernandez in December.

Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez sits at No. 3 at age 25. The unified junior bantamweight titleholder moved to 23-0 with 16 KOs by stopping the previously unbeaten Fernando Martinez in the 10th round on November 22, 2025. That win added the WBA strap to his mantle. Rodriguez garnered one second-place vote and nine third-place nods from a 16-member panel featuring Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, and Bernardo Osuna.

Stevenson and Benavidez Climb the Pound-for-Pound List

Shakur Stevenson reached No. 4 after capturing a major world title in his fourth division. The 28-year-old (25-0, 11 KOs) dominated Teofimo Lopez Jr. on January 31, winning nearly every minute of their 12-round championship bout. He collected five third-place and nine fourth-place votes. David Benavidez trails at No. 5 with 31 wins and 25 KOs. After a seventh-round TKO of Anthony Yarde in November, "The Mexican Monster" will move to cruiserweight to challenge Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez on May 2 in Las Vegas.

Devin Haney debuted at No. 7. The 27-year-old WBO welterweight champion rose to 33-0 (1 NC) with 15 KOs by outboxing Brian Norman Jr. over 12 frames on November 22, 2025. Meanwhile, Canelo Alvarez returned to No. 9 by default. Despite losing a 12-round verdict to Terence Crawford on September 13, 2025, the 63-3-2 veteran remains in the top 10 while recovering from elbow surgery.

Voting Distribution and Notable Omissions

The rankings utilize a descending point system where a top vote equals 10 points. Usyk paced the field with 13 first-place votes, while Inoue took the remaining three. Ryan Garcia failed to crack the top 10 despite a dominant win over WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on February 21, receiving only two points. Other vote-getters included Jai Opetaia (9), Oscar Collazo (7), and Rafael Espinoza (5).

Legal disputes currently cloud the schedules for Ennis and Ortiz Jr., including the latter's conflict with Golden Boy Promotions. These hurdles have delayed a potential head-to-head clash between the two interim 154-pound champions as the 2026 season unfolds.

What to Watch Next

This BOXING storyline will continue to develop in the coming days. Keep an eye on ESPN boxing rankings updates as the situation evolves. Upcoming fixtures and roster decisions could shift the narrative significantly.