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35 Best Boxers That Are Terrorizing Everyone in 2023

Originally published by Ian S on April 2023 and updated by Vanessa M in March 2024

Boxing has been a household sport for a while now, loved by millions of fans all over the world. Since its inception, the boxing scene has produced some of the best fighters to ever compete. When boxing first gained popularity, it quickly lost it before regaining it in the 18th century in England. Due to the exhibition of boxers whose in-ring prowess and agility demonstrated to be advanced beyond their time, this reemergence occurred. Since then, boxers have worked arduously to improve their abilities with the single goal of reaching the pinnacle of their profession and defeating every opponent they face, and this has inspired many more to work even harder.

Even though the year is still in its first quarter, 2023 is not different from previous ones in that active boxers have been on the move and causing havoc across the roster. The boxing sport, as we all know, requires both physical and mental strength, stamina, and technique, and these boxers have displayed nothing less than pure brutality and ferocity in the ring. Each of them has distinguished themselves in the ring by showcasing a distinct fighting style. As we near the second half of 2023, let us find out the 35 best boxers that are terrorizing everyone in 2023.

1. Canelo ?lvarez

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Canelo is without a doubt the finest pound-for-pound fighter of the contemporary period, equipped with extraordinary punching power that makes him a perfect knockout machine. Santos Saúl “Canelo” ?lvarez Barragán is a professional boxer from Mexico. He has won many world championships in four weight classes ranging from light middleweight to light heavyweight, including three unified titles and two lineal titles.

?lvarez is the first and only boxer in history to be an undisputed super middleweight champion, having held the WBA (Super), WBC, and Ring magazine belts since 2020, as well as the IBF and WBO titles since 2021. On May 6, Alvarez returns for a second matchup against mandatory super middleweight championship challenger John Ryder. The match will take place in Alvarez’s native Jalisco, Mexico. This comes a few months after defeating rival Gennady Golovkin in his trilogy fight in September 2022. Let us wait for another masterclass from this superstar.

Read More: Top 10 Fun Facts about Canelo ?lvarez

2. Gervonta Davis

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Gervonta Davis is a professional boxer who hails from the USA. He has held the WBA (Regular) lightweight title since 2019; the IBF super featherweight title in 2017; the WBA (Super) super featherweight title twice between 2018 and 2021; and the WBA (Regular) super lightweight title in 2021. Gervonta’s in-ring skill and movement are well-known, and his punches come in useful when attacking. He is scheduled to meet Ryan Garcia on April 22, 2023, in what has been dubbed the “first super fight of 2023.” Ryan should keep an eye out for “Tank,” who will be out for wrath.

3. Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford has won world titles in three weight classes, including the WBO welterweight crown, which he has held since 2018. From 2014 to 2015, he held the WBO and Ring magazine lightweight titles, and from 2015 to 2017, he held the combined WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and Ring light welterweight titles. He was the first undisputed light welterweight champion since Kostya Tszyu in 2004.

Crawford is also the first male boxer since Jermain Taylor in 2005 to hold all four major world titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO), and is one of only nine male boxers in history to do so as of March 2023. He doesn’t have a fight scheduled now but for a long time, pundits have been requesting a fight with Unified Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr who seems to have been dodging Terence for some time now.

Related: 15 Best Pound-For-Pound Boxers 

4. Errol Spence Jr.

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Errol Spence Jr. is a professional boxer from the United States who is a unified welterweight world champion, having held the IBF title since 2017, the WBC title since 2019, and the WBA (Super) title since 2022. Errol Spence established himself as one of the best welterweight fighters of his time. He has a strong record in the division as seen by the titles he presently holds. There have been reports that he will meet Terence on June 17, 2023, which we are all hoping will come true.

5. Naoya Inoue

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Naoya Inoue is a Japanese professional boxer who has won championships in three different weight classes. He was the former undisputed bantamweight world champion and held the titles of WBA (Super), IBF, Ring magazine, WBC and WBO from 2022 to January 2023. Between 2018 and 2019, he held the WBA (Regular) bantamweight championship, the WBO junior-bantamweight title, and the WBC light-flyweight title.

With an 88% knockout percentage, Inoue, also known as “The Monster,” is renowned for his timing, speed, punching force, and body-punching ability.  At 118 pounds, the Japanese bantamweight ploughed through every obstacle in his way and won all four championships in the division in three years.

Inoue won the WBC championship by thrashing Nonito Donaire in their rematch in 2022. It is now confirmed that he will face Stephen Fulton Jr. on Sunday, May 7, in Yokohama, Japan, in what has long been reported and debated.

6. Dmitry Bivol

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Since 2017, Russian professional boxer Dmitry Bivol has held the WBA light heavyweight title. He is one of the top boxers in the competition right now. In Canelo’s second match at light heavyweight in his career, Bivol beat Alvarez by a unanimous decision on May 7, 2022. He is set to meet Canelo for a rematch with Canelo within the year.

7. Devin Haney

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American professional boxer Devin Haney is the reigning undisputed lightweight champion. He has held the WBC championship since 2019 and the titles of the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and Ring since 2022. On October 16, 2022, at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia, Haney beat George Kambosos Jr. by a unanimous decision to win the undisputed lightweight title. Haney took control right away, controlling the tempo and using his superior jab. To retain his title, he is going to battle against Vasiliy Lomachenko.

8. Oleksandr Usyk

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The unified WBA (Super), IBF, and WBO heavyweight belts have been held by Oleksandr Usyk since 2021. He has also held the Ring magazine heavyweight title since 2022 after defeating Anthony Joshua in 2021. From 2018 to 2019, he was the undisputed cruiserweight champion, becoming the first boxer in that weight class to hold all four major world titles. Usyk became one of only three boxers to unify the cruiserweight and heavyweight world championships with his win over Anthony Joshua in 2021.

His fight with Tyson Fury to unify the heavyweight titles has always been a topic of discussion. This was evident in the preliminary negotiations for a title fight with Fury. Usyk made it clear that he would only consent to a 70-30 purse split in Fury’s favour if Fury agreed to donate $1 million to Ukraine. Let us wait and see if we will have the bout this year. 

9. Tyson Fury

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Since defeating Deontay Wilder in 2020, English professional boxer Tyson Fury has held the title of WBC heavyweight champion. He previously held the unified WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring magazine championships after upsetting Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.

Fury is generally regarded by media sources as the lineal heavyweight champion after his victory over Wilder made him the third heavyweight, after Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali, to hold The Ring magazine title twice. On December 3, 2022, he faced Derek Chisora, whom he beat by TKO in the tenth round. Although there have been discussions about a fight between Fury and Usyk to unify the heavyweight championship, no date has been decided upon. 

10. Jermell Charlo

Current undisputed light middleweight world champion Jermell Charlo has held the WBC title since 2019 (and previously from 2016 to 2018), the WBA (Super), IBF and Ring magazine titles since 2020, and the WBO title since 2022. On May 14, 2022, he stopped Brian Casta?o in the tenth round of their battle. The fight between him and Tim Tszyu was scheduled for January 28, 2023, but it was postponed due to Charlo’s injury. 

11. Shakur Stevenson

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Shakur Stevenson is a professional boxer from the United States who previously held the world championships in two weight divisions. From 2019 to 2020, he held the WBO featherweight title, from 2021 to 2022 the WBO super featherweight title, and in 2022 the WBC and The Ring super featherweight titles. The next matchup is Shakur Stevenson vs. Shuichiro Yoshino on April 8, 2023. The battle will take place in Newark, United States, at the Prudential Center and we will have to wait and see how it plays out on Saturday 8th April.

12. David Benavidez 

Two-time WBC super middleweight champion Anthony Benavidez is an American professional boxer of Mexican and Ecuadorian background. He first held the championship from 2017 to 2018 and then again from 2019 to 2020. Benavidez is the youngest super middleweight championship holder in history, having won his first title at the age of 21 years, 8 months, 3 weeks, and 1 day.

Benavidez is an authentic freak of nature with 23 victories coming by knockout. His last match was on March 25, 2023, against Caleb Plant, whom he defeated by unanimous decision in 12 rounds to retain the WBC interim super middleweight championship.

13. Artur Beterbiev

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Russian-Canadian professional boxer Artur Beterbiev holds the IBF, WBC, and WBO titles from 2017, 2019, and 2022, respectively. He is the current unified light heavyweight champion. He has competed in 19 bouts, winning every one of them by knockout. His last bout was on January 28, 2023, where he fought Anthony Yarde, whom he TKO’d in the eighth round to end the fight.

14. Vasiliy Lomachenko

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Vasyl Lomachenko is a professional boxer from Ukraine. Lomachenko made his in-ring debut in 2013. He previously held the WBO featherweight championship from 2014 to 2015, the WBO junior lightweight title from 2016 to 2017, and the combined WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and Ring magazine lightweight belts from 2018 and 2020. 

He equals Saensak Muangsurin’s record for earning a world championship in the fewest professional fights, becoming the WBO featherweight champion in his third fight. Except for his debut, all of his professional fights were for world championships. In his second professional bout, he made his first main event appearance. On May 20, 2023, he will square off against Devin Haney for the lightweight titles of the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring.

15. Anthony Joshua

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Along with holding the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO championships twice between 2016 and 2021, Anthony Joshua was the unified heavyweight champion twice. After having his worst loss against Oleksandr Usyk on 20 Aug 2022 where he failed to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and vacant The Ring heavyweight titles, Joshua has redeemed himself by defeating Jermaine Franklin in his bout held on 1 Apr 2023. With his upward trajectory, perhaps he might get to the top where he belongs.

16. Roman Gonzalez

Román González, a professional boxer from Nicaragua, is the first boxer from that country to capture world championships in four weight divisions. From 2008 to 2010, he held the WBA minimumweight championship; from 2011 to 2013, the WBA light flyweight title; from 2014 to 2016, the WBC and The Ring flyweight titles; from 2016 to 2017, the WBC super flyweight title; and from 2020 to 2021, the WBA (Super) super flyweight title.

In a fight against Juan Francisco Estrada on December 3, 2022, he was defeated and was unable to capture the Ring and vacant WBC super flyweight titles. As he looks to redeem himself let us hope we see him in the ring soon.

17. Deontay Wilder

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Deontay Wilder is a professional boxer from the United States who held the WBC heavyweight championship from 2015 to 2020, defending it ten times. Wilder’s victory made him the first American world heavyweight champion since 2007, the longest stretch in boxing history without an American heavyweight champion. Wilder has worked hard to rebuild himself after his loss to Tyson Fury in their trilogy on October 9, 2021, as evidenced by his performance against Robert Helenius, whom he defeated by TKO in the first round on October 15, 2022.

18. George Kambosos Jr.

George Kambosos Jr is a professional boxer from Australia who held the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles from 2021 to June 2022. This happened after he defeated Teofimo Lopez in a split decision on November 27, 2021. He however lost it to Devin Haney on 16 Oct 2022.

19. Gennadiy Golovkin

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Gennadiy Golovkin, also known as “GGG” or “Triple G,” is a Kazakhstani professional boxer who has held numerous middleweight world titles and is a two-time former unified champion. Between 2014 and 2023, he held the WBA (Super), WBC, and IBF titles at various times, and he fought for the undisputed super middleweight title once in 2022.

He was also a two-time IBO middleweight champion, holding the championship twice between 2011 and 2023. His most recent fight was a trilogy against Canelo Alvarez on September 17, 2022, in which he was defeated by a unanimous decision.

20. Josh Taylor

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Josh Taylor is a professional boxer from Scotland who is the WBO and Ring magazine light-welterweight world champion. He has held the Ring championship since 2019, and the WBO title since 2021. Between 2019 and 2022, he held the unified WBA (Super), WBC, and IBF titles. From 2016 to 2017, he was the Commonwealth light-welterweight champion. He will defend his WBO and The Ring light-welterweight championships against Teófimo López on June 10, 2023.

21. Regis Prograis

Regis Prograis is a competitive boxer from the United States who has held the WBC super lightweight championship since 2022, and the WBA super lightweight title before that in 2019. The Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, The Ring magazine, and BoxRec all rate him as the world’s best active super lightweight as of February 2023. On November 26, 2022, he defeated Jose Zepeda by knockout to claim the vacant WBC light welterweight title.

22. Ryan Garcia

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Ryan Garcia is a professional boxer from the United States who held the WBC interim lightweight title in 2021. On July 16, 2022, he defeated Javier Fortuna in a fight that was his last in 2022. On April 22, 2023, he will meet the dreaded Gervonta Davis in a 12-round match.

23. Andy Ruiz

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After defeating Anthony Joshua to win the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles in 2019, Andrés Ruiz, a professional boxer from the United States, became the first man of Mexican ancestry to earn a world heavyweight title. He won his last encounter, on September 4, 2022, against the Cuban Luis Ortiz, by a unanimous decision. His next match is yet to be decided as Deontay Wilder Vs Andy Ruiz looks like the perfect bout. Let us wait and see if this will come to happen.

24. Vergil Ortiz Jr.

Since 2021, American professional boxer Vergil Ortiz Jr. has held the WBO International welterweight title. With a knockout-to-win ratio of 100%, Ortiz is renowned for his striking force. Ortiz Jr. is currently rated fourth by BoxRec and TBRB and five by The Ring as the best welterweight in the world. In his 19 fights, he has won every one by knockout. On April 29, 2023, he’ll fight for the WBA (Regular) welterweight championship with Eimantas Stanionis. 

25. Oscar Valdez

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Rafael Valdez, a Mexican professional boxer, has held the world titles at two different weight classes in the past. He held the WBC super featherweight crown from 2021 to 2022 and the WBO featherweight crown from 2016 to 2019. 

Valdez is renowned for his forceful punching, combination punching, and aggressive battling technique. His winning rate by knockout is 77%. His last bout was a loss against Shakur Stevenson on 30 Apr 2022. 

Also Read: 15 Greatest Welterweight Boxers oF All Time

26. Gary Antuanne Russell

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Gary Antuanne Russell, an American professional boxer, currently holds the WBA “regular” featherweight title. The 26-year-old from Capitol Heights, Maryland, has a professional record of 16-0, including 16 knockouts, demonstrating his incredible punching power. Russell won the WBA interim featherweight title in 2022 by knocking out former champion Emanuel Navarrete.

He was later promoted to “regular” champion status in 2023. Antuanne, the younger brother of WBC featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr. has impressive hand speed and athleticism. His performances have established him as one of boxing’s most promising young prospects and future stars.

27. Teofimo Lopez

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Teofimo Lopez, an American professional boxer of Honduran descent, was born on July 30, 1997. Known for his explosive power and dynamic style, Lopez rose to prominence after defeating Vasyl Lomachenko in October 2020 to become the undisputed lightweight champion.

In June 2023, he defeated Josh Taylor via unanimous decision to claim the WBO junior welterweight title. Lopez won the National Golden Gloves for amateur boxing in 2015. He currently holds the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF, and The Ring lightweight titles. His charismatic personality and impressive performances have helped him become a rising star in the sport. 

28. Stephen Fulton

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Stephen Fulton is an American professional boxer who will unify the WBO and WBC super bantamweight titles in 2023. The 28-year-old from Philadelphia has a professional record of 21-0, including 8 knockouts. In 2021, Fulton defeated Angelo Leo to win the WBO super bantamweight title.

In 2023, he defeated former unified champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev by majority decision, claiming the WBC and WBA titles and becoming the unified champion. Fulton, with his slick boxing skills, excellent footwork, and high ring IQ, has emerged as one of the top fighters in the 122-pound division and a rising star in the sport.

29. Juan Francisco Estrada

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Juan Francisco Estrada is a Mexican professional boxer who has dominated the super flyweight division for more than a decade. The 33-year-old from Hermosillo, Sonora, has a professional record of 44-3, including 28 knockouts. Estrada is a two-time unified flyweight champion who has competed in several Fight of the Year bouts against top opponents such as Roman Gonzalez and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.

In 2023, he defeated Argi Cortes and Junto Nakatani to earn the undisputed super flyweight title. Estrada, with his combination punching, relentless pressure, and iron chin, is regarded as one of the most skilled and exciting fighters in the lower-weight division.

30. Emanuel Navarrete

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Emanuel Navarrete, a Mexican professional boxer, currently holds the WBO featherweight title. The 27-year-old from San Juan Zitlaltepec has a professional record of 37-1, including 31 knockouts. Navarrete rose through the ranks at Super Bantamweight, winning the WBO title in 2018 and successfully defending it five times.

In 2022, he moved up to featherweight and won the WBO title by unanimous decision over Liam Wilson. Standing at 5’7″, Navarrete compensates for his lack of height with a high work rate, constant pressure, and heavy hands. His aggressive, crowd-pleasing style has made him a fan favorite, and he unified the featherweight division in 2023.

31. Gilberto Ramirez

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Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, a Mexican professional boxer, currently holds the WBA light heavyweight title. The 31-year-old southpaw from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, has an impressive professional record of 44-0, including 30 knockouts. Ramirez previously held the WBO super middleweight title from 2016 to 2019 before advancing to light heavyweight.

In 2023, he won the WBA 175-pound title by majority decision over Dmitry Bivol in a stunning upset victory. Ramirez, who stands 6’3″ and has a 74-inch reach, uses his length and athleticism to control fights through boxing. His size, skills, and punching power have earned him a place among Mexico’s top current world champions.

32. Danny Garcia

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Danny “Swift” Garcia is an American professional boxer and former unified welterweight world champion. The 34-year-old from Philadelphia has a professional record of 36-3, including 21 knockouts. Garcia won world titles at 140 and 147 pounds, unifying the WBC, WBA, and IBF welterweight championships in 2017.

Garcia is known for his punching power, tenacious body attack, and blue-collar Philadelphia grit. He has defeated Lucas Matthysse, Amir Khan, Robert Guerrero, and others. Despite losing his titles to Keith Thurman and Errol Spence Jr., Garcia remains a formidable force in the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions in 2023, hoping to reclaim a world championship.

33. Gary Russell Jr.

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Gary Russell Jr., an American professional boxer, has held the WBC featherweight title since 2015. The 34-year-old from Capitol Heights, Maryland has a professional record of 31-2, including 18 knockouts. Russell Jr. is known for his exceptional hand speed, defensive abilities, and athleticism in the ring.

Russell remains one of the longest-reigning current male world champions, despite being criticized for his lack of activity (only four fights since 2017). In 2023, he successfully defended his WBC title against formidable opponent Emmanuel Rodriguez. Russell Jr., known for his exceptional speed, reflexes, and boxing IQ, is regarded as one of the best featherweight fighters of his generation.

34. Leo Santa Cruz

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Leo Santa Cruz is a Mexican professional boxer who has won multiple featherweight and superbantamweight world titles. The 34-year-old from Huetamo, Michoacán, has an impressive professional record of 38-2-1, including 19 knockouts.

From 2015 to 2018, Cruz held the WBA featherweight title and competed in numerous Fight of the Year bouts against Carl Frampton, Abner Mares, and Gervonta Davis.

The fan-favorite Santa Cruz, known for his hard work, relentless pressure, and tremendous heart, fell just short of becoming the undisputed featherweight champion in 2023. However, he remains a top contender for another world title run.

35. Jermall Charlo

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Jermall Charlo is an American professional boxer who unified all four major middleweight world titles in 2023 to become the undisputed 160-pound champion. The 32-year-old from Richmond, Texas, has an impressive 34-1-1 professional record, including 18 knockouts.

Charlo had previously held the WBC middleweight title since 2019, and he added the IBF, WBA, and WBO belts with wins over Janibek Alimkhanuly and Demetrius Andrade in 2023’s biggest middleweight fights.

Charlo, who stands 6’0″ tall and has a reach of 73.5 inches, uses his size, skills, and punching power to dominate opponents. With his reign as undisputed king, Jermell’s talented twin brother has cemented his place among boxing’s elite fighters.

From Canelo Alvarez’s explosive power to Terence Crawford’s strategic brilliance, these 35 boxers are making an indelible mark on the sport. Each fighter brings a distinct skill set and determination to the ring, enthralling audiences worldwide. As they continue to terrorize opponents, the boxing landscape remains electrifying, demonstrating the incredible resilience and brilliance of these athletes.