Canelo knocked down a peg in P4P rankings

Canelo Alvarez, once the untouchable face of boxing, seems to have taken a serious step down in the sport’s unofficial pecking order: the pound-for-pound list. In a landscape where fighters are pitted against each other across different weight classes, comparing them becomes more of a guessing game than an exact science. But there’s no denying the power it holds when it comes to reputation. And right now, that reputation has shifted away from Canelo.

Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, two names that have been circling the top for a while, have officially surpassed Canelo on Ring Magazine’s updated P4P rankings. It’s a bit surprising, given Bivol’s recent loss to Beterbiev, but the pundits clearly see something in that defeat - a kind of moral victory, maybe, or simply recognition of the caliber of fighter Bivol is. Either way, both men have leapfrogged the Mexican icon, with Beterbiev sitting pretty after his 12-round majority decision win over Bivol.

The truth is, Canelo’s been losing ground since his own loss to Bivol back in 2022. That fight started the gradual erosion of his P4P standing, and things haven’t looked up since. His recent choices in opponents haven’t helped either. Edgar Berlanga and Jaime Munguia, while solid fighters, just aren’t the kind of top-tier names that keep you at the top of these rankings.

It’s hard to deny that the shift reflects more than just one fighter’s decline. The competition is as fierce as ever. Beterbiev’s power and grit have earned him a place among the best, and Bivol’s skillset, even in defeat, keeps him relevant. Both are now seen as the cream of the light heavyweight crop. But it’s not just them. Ring’s top ten is full of names vying for a place in history.

Oleksandr Usyk holds the top spot, and for good reason. His clean sweep of the heavyweight division, including his back-to-back victories over Anthony Joshua, has cemented his legacy. Naoya Inoue sits at number two, though some question his recent opposition. Many think Inoue needs to move up to featherweight to truly challenge himself again.

Terence Crawford’s placement at number three is another contentious one. He’s been criticized for inactivity and a less-than-stellar performance in his last fight against Israil Madrimov. Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol round out the top five, with Canelo now sitting behind them at number six.

Canelo’s fall, in many ways, symbolizes a changing of the guard. There’s no denying he’s still one of the most skilled fighters of his generation, but as the boxing world evolves, staying at the top becomes more difficult. And right now, the spotlight belongs to fighters like Usyk, Inoue, Crawford, Beterbiev, and Bivol, all of whom have done enough - whether through sheer dominance or hanging tough in defeat - to claim their places above him.

The rest of the list includes rising stars and hard-hitters, like Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, Gervonta Davis, and Devin Haney, all eager to make their mark. The rankings are fluid, as always. But for now, it seems Canelo’s reign as the undisputed king of the P4P rankings has come to an end. Whether he can climb back to the top depends on who he faces next, and what kind of statement he can make inside the ring.

Boxing’s landscape is shifting, and the fighters at the top now are writing their own stories. Whether Canelo’s story still has a few more chapters at the very top remains to be seen.