The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine what the cream of boxing is.
That’s why Boxing Junkie created its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes: heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.
Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and WBA and WBC bridgeweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight, middleweight includes junior middleweight and so on up to flyweight which includes flyweight junior and strawweight.
In this installment of “Great Eight,” we do three things:
Crowning a new champion in the lightest weight class (although he plans to return to the next division), providing the final roster of the year, and taking a look at possible changes that could be coming.
First, emerging Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez dethroned Sunny Edwards as flyweight champion here, the result of his sensational nine-round demolition of his British rival to become undisputed 112-pound champion on December 16.
However, Rodriguez’s reign is not destined to be long: he is expected to return to 115 pounds, which he had success at last year. That would move him to the bantamweight division for the purposes of the Big Eight, resulting in another move to flyweight.
We’ll see what our pound-for-pound number 11 decides to do and act accordingly.
Meanwhile, we could also see multiple changes in the other seven divisions in 2024. Big Eight champions Tyson Fury (heavyweight), Dmitry Bivol (light heavyweight) and Jermell Charlo (middleweight) could face their demise next year.
And of course, the other champions also have capable rivals who would love to try to take them on. Stay tuned.
Here are the best fighters from the original eight divisions:
HEAVYWEIGHT
Tyson Fury (34-0-1, 24 KOs) – Fury’s reign as the top man here is in jeopardy as he is scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on February 17 in Saudi Arabia. He will have to perform better against Usyk than Francis Ngannou to win.
SEMI-HEAVYWEIGHT
Dmitry Bivol (22-0, 11 KOs) – The 175-pound champion had another strong performance on December 23, eliminating the overmatched Lyndon Arthur. A meeting with Artur Beterbiev for light heavyweight supremacy could be next if Beterbiev beats Callum Smith on January 13.
MIDDLEWEIGHT
Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) – The 154-pounder came up short against 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez, but he is still the best at 160 and 154. He wants to fight pound for pound and against the king of the welterweight, Terence. Crawford, who with a victory would take Charlo’s place in this division.
WELTERWEIGHT
Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) – Crawford, after his epic beatdown of Errol Spence Jr., could be prepared to move up to 154 to challenge champion Charlo, which would create an opening here. Only the talented Jaron Ennis would appear to be a genuine threat at 147.
LIGHT
Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) – “Tank” remains the most complete fighter at 135 and 130, but boxing wizards Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko might have a say in who reigns supreme in the Big Eight before he everything is said and done. Now we need to see these fundamental confrontations.
FEATHERWEIGHT
Naoya Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) – Inoue turned in another dominant performance against Marlon Tapales on December 26, stopping the Filipino in the 10th round to become undisputed champion in a second weight class. Can anyone compete with him? Murodjon Akhmadaliev might have the best chance.
BANTAMWEIGHT
Juan Francisco Estrada (44-3, 28 KOs) – The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer from Mexico did not fight this year, but will presumably be back working soon. “Bam” Rodriguez called him out for what could turn out to be a passing of the torch showdown. Will he bite?
FLYWEIGHT
Jesse “Bam” Rodríguez (19-0, 12 KOs) – Rodriguez replaces Edwards as champion here after leaving no doubt as to who is the best 112-pound fighter in the world. However, he has said that he plans to move up to junior bantamweight. We’ll wait until he schedules a fight to eliminate him.
