Boxing Rankings: Canelo Alvarez Returns to Top 10
A decisive win over Christian Mbilli in Riyadh pushed the super middleweight champion back onto the list after a year of mixed results.
By John Wilson ·
Saul Alvarez secured a place in the top 10 of the men’s pound-for-pound rankings following a decisive victory over Christian Mbilli in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 31. The fight, which ended in a unanimous decision, saw Alvarez reclaim the WBC super middleweight title. He used superior footwork and upper-body movement to neutralize Mbilli’s offense throughout the twelve rounds.
Alvarez enters the list at No. 10, replacing a fighter who dropped out after a loss to Terence Crawford. He had fallen off the list previously after unanimous decision wins over Edgar Berlanga in 2024 and William Scull in 2025. His last knockout came in November 2021 against Caleb Plant. Since then, he has gone the distance in every bout, but the performance against Mbilli reaffirmed his standing as the best super middleweight in the sport.
O’Shaquie Foster also made a strong push for the top 10. He unified the WBO, IBF, and WBC junior lightweight titles with a dominant performance against Emanuel Navarrete on Oct. 24. Foster received 10 votes from the panel but fell just short of the cutoff for inclusion. He will have another chance to strengthen his case if he fights the winner of Anthony Cacace and Nick Ball on Dec. 19. That bout would determine the undisputed status at the weight.
Naoya Inoue retained the No. 1 spot. The undisputed junior featherweight champion won 11 of 13 first-place votes. Oleksandr Usyk sits at No. 2 with nine first-place votes. Usyk vacated his heavyweight titles after a struggle against Rico Verhoeven in May. He has not announced his next opponent, though he has expressed interest in fighting two more times. David Benavidez holds the No. 4 position after a sixth-round stoppage of Gilberto Ramirez in May. He faces Michal Cieslak on Dec. 5 in a unification bout.
The panel consists of 13 experts, including Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, and Jim Zirolli. They use a points system where first-place votes earn 10 points. Other fighters who received votes but did not make the top 10 include Ryan Garcia, Junto Nakatani, Rafael Espinoza, and Oscar Collazo. The rankings reflect results through Nov. 4, 2026.
Alvarez now faces several options. He has expressed interest in rematches with Terence Crawford and Dmitry Bivol. He could also target unification against IBF champion Osleys Iglesias or face WBC mandatory challenger Lester Martinez. Bivol, ranked No. 6, is scheduled to face Callum Smith on Dec. 12 in Russia. This bout comes after Bivol’s return from an injury layoff against Michael Eifert in May.
