Evaluating World’s Top Boxers and Their Countries

Few sports have the international appeal that boxing has. One of the most diverse sports in the world due to its independent nature, boxing has long produced great athletes worldwide. The sport is growing due to an increasingly heavyweight solid class compared to years past. So, which countries produce the best boxers? This article will look at some of the best boxers in the sport and the countries that have made the most boxers historically.

Most boxing betting odds have Oleksander Usyk as a slight favourite over Tyson Fury in a fight that will give the sport its first undisputed heavyweight champion since 2000 and just the 6th in the past 45 years. Here are the top fighters in the sport in each major division.

World Boxing: The Current Top Boxers

Heavyweight: Tyson Fury | 34–0–1, 24 KOs | England

The Gypsy King is a slight underdog in most odds against Usyk for their May 18th heavyweight showdown, but they are close enough that it could be seen as a tossup. Fury was favoured just a few weeks ago. 

At +104, Fury is given a 49% chance to win. While Usyk could be considered the top heavyweight, Fury gets the benefit of the doubt despite having fewer belts than Usyk. The Englishman has a significant size advantage and is also three years younger. 

Welterweight: Terence Crawford | 40–0, 31 KOs | United States

At 35, the Omaha, Nebraska native is still without a loss. He is a perfect 40–0 with 31 KOs and is arguably the most established top fighter in his classification. 

In other words, there may be less debate about the top welterweight than any other classification. With his 2023 defeat of Errol Spence Jr, Crawford became the first male to be an undisputed champion in two weight classes. He is the top-ranked fighter in ESPN’s pound-four-pound rankings. 

Lightweight: Devin Haney | 31–0, 15 KOs | United States

Haney is classified as a junior welterweight at #6 on ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings. He was, however, the last boxer to hold the lightweight title after defeating Ukrainian Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2023. At 25, he is one of the youngest boxers on this list. He is scheduled to fight Ryan Garcia Saturday night in Brooklyn, NY for the super lightweight title. 

Bantamweight: Junto Nakatani | 27–0, 19 KOs | Japan

At 27–0, Nakatani won the bantamweight title in February by technical knockout over Alexandro Santiago. He has held world championships in two other weight classes, and at just 26 years old, he is still moving up in the rankings. 

Which Countries Have Produced the Most Boxers?

Those are some of the top boxers in the world, with several coming from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. So, which country produces the best boxers? Let’s look. 

United States | 466 Champions

The United States has dominated all other countries in producing boxing champions, with more championships than the following three countries combined. From Muhammed Ali to Mike Tyson or more modern boxers like Floyd Mayweather Jr, the United States has a rich history of boxing and has been the boxing capital for decades. 

Mexico | 164 Champions

Coming in behind the United States is Mexico, with 164 champions. Such champions include Mexican idols like Julio Cesar Chavez and Canelo Alvarez. Canelo is one of the most popular fighters in the world, holding a 60–2–2 record with 39 KOs, and is still just 33 years old. He is currently the undisputed super middleweight champion and has been since 2021. 

United Kingdom | 109 Champions

One can’t have a list of the greatest English boxers without including Fury, who has already been discussed on this list. However, the United Kingdom has several iconic boxers, including Lennox Lewis and Joe Calzaghe. The United Kingdom’s legacy in boxing stands out: its older fighters. 

From Bob Fitzsimmons to John Broughton, England may not be the dominant nation in the sport anymore, but it helped get it off the ground.