While many consider Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue to be the world’s premier pound-for-pound boxers, one former champion has boldly placed himself at the summit instead.
Both Usyk and Inoue have cemented their legacy as two-division undisputed champions, showcasing elite talent and consistency at the highest level. When their careers conclude, they will undoubtedly be inducted into the Hall of Fame as generational greats, having defeated the very best of their era.
However, former unified welterweight champion Jaron Ennis has attempted to jump the line by ranking himself at the top of his own pound-for-pound list. Known as “Boots,” Ennis unified the IBF and WBA world titles in April 2025 by stopping Eimantas Stanionis in the sixth round, establishing himself as the king at 147 pounds.
Despite this, the 28-year-old’s resume lacks other major victories, making it difficult to place him even in the top 10, let alone among the top five pound-for-pound stars. In an interview with RING CHAMPS, however, Ennis insisted he deserves to rank above Usyk, Shakur Stevenson, and Jesse Rodriguez—while omitting Inoue entirely from his list.
“I’m going to say me, Usyk, Shakur, and ‘Bam’,” Ennis stated.
Perhaps the undefeated American believes that, on a pure ability level, he surpasses those who have achieved far more in terms of legacy. Regardless, Ennis will aim to become a two-weight unified champion and secure his most meaningful win when he steps into the ring for his second super-welterweight bout against Xander Zayas on June 27.
