James Toney recently weighed in on boxing’s never-ending pound-for-pound debate, and the Hall of Famer has a clear choice for the top spot.
While Oleksandr Usyk and Naoya Inoue regularly dominate conversations about the best fighter in the world, Toney believes David Benavidez stands above everybody else right now.
It’s high praise coming from someone who knows what it takes to operate at the highest level across multiple divisions. Toney went unbeaten through his first 46 professional fights and eventually became a world champion at middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight during a career that lasted until 2017.
James Toney Picks David Benavidez
Speaking to About Boxing, Toney was asked to identify the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport today.
He didn’t go with Usyk or Inoue. Instead, his pick was Benavidez, whose unbeaten run and success while moving through the weight classes have continued to strengthen his case.
Benavidez currently holds a perfect 32-0 professional record. After twice holding the WBC super middleweight championship, he moved up to light heavyweight in 2024 and continued winning, picking up notable victories over David Morrell and Anthony Yarde.
Those accomplishments alone placed Benavidez among boxing’s elite, but his latest move may have been what truly separated him in Toney’s eyes.
