The top 10 pound-for-pound boxers pre-Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev II

With Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev prepared to settle the score from their compelling and controversial first encounter, pound-for-pound supremacy, at a time when such rankings are in flux, is potentially on the line.

The past two generations of pugilists have been defined by a pair of transcendent pound-for-pound talents who left no doubt as to who could lay claim to being boxing’s most gifted fighter: Roy Jones Jr., in his scintillating prime, was untouchable and possessed some of the most awe-inspiring gifts the sport has ever seen; then, Floyd Mayweather Jr. emerged from Jones’ shadow and held his era hostage via sublime defensive boxing.

Despite the fact that Mayweather is returning to fight MMA star Conor McGregor in one of the most farcical sporting spectacles ever, “Money” should still be viewed as retired; the McGregor fight is a sideshow for a public content to be deceived and only reflects Mayweather’s desire to cash in (which, of course, is his perverse right).

With Mayweather officially out of boxing’s meaningful picture, the pound-for-pound rankings are in the midst of a strange moment where any combination of Andre Ward, Sergey Kovalev, Gennady Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko at the top could be justified. Others like Terence Crawford and Roman Gonzalez are knocking on the proverbial door or desperately holding onto their perch, respectively.

So, is this Saturday’s Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev rematch a de facto pound-for-pound supremacy bout? To some, it certainly is. What is certain, however, is that Ward and Kovalev are the only two fighters on this list who have recently faced a fellow P4P stalwart (that is, until Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez tangle in September).

With that, here are the top-10 pound-for-pound boxers heading into Ward-Kovalev II, which could, depending on the outcome, dramatically alter the landscape.