Forget winning the WBC heavyweight title. Tyson Fury’s TKO victory over Deontay Wilder in their rematch resulted in another accomplishment that Tyson Fury had never achieved: a spot in the top 10 of our pound-for-pound list. Fury broke through in the rankings of a number of our panelists, including that of former two-division champion Andre Ward.
“I decided to put Fury at No. 4 on my P4P list after his performance against one of the most feared men in the sport of boxing, Deontay Wilder,” Ward said. “Fury performs best in his biggest moments, and last Saturday in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, it was no different.
“It’s not just that Fury won but how he won that sets him apart,” Ward said. “At this very moment, there is no doubt that Fury is the best heavyweight in the world.”
Nick Parkinson agreed that the magnitude of the victory was what earned Fury a No. 5 spot from him.
“Fury is the lineal heavyweight champion, No. 1 in that division after a one-sided win over a champion who was described as having the biggest right hand in heavyweight history,” Parkinson said. “He showed a different side to his game, too, being more aggressive on the front foot. He now holds bigger wins, against bigger names, than those beneath him in the heavyweight division top 10.”
“Size is important, of course, but size alone is seldom enough. Without his foot speed, agility and defensive acumen, Fury would be just another oversized heavyweight,” said Nigel Collins, who placed Fury at No. 9.
“Versatility is one of Fury’s greatest assets, which makes it difficult for challengers to prepare for him,” Collins said. “The ‘Gypsy King’ can infuriate opponents with his boxing skills or walk them down and take them out. The TKO of Wilder should also put to rest the claim he can’t stop world-class opposition.”
Others, while tempted to move Fury up, decided against it.
“I give great pause in placing heavyweights on the pound-for-pound list,” Joe Tessitore said. “However, Tyson Fury’s performance, and now a résumé of ending two title reigns of 10-plus defenses, with his level of versatility and skill, has tested the limits of my P4P criteria.
“Without full consideration of size/weight, I am tempted to jump Fury all the way to No. 7, but then I sit back and acknowledge that his 6-foot-9, 273 pounds is as much, and just proved to be as much, of a weapon and asset as any part of his game. So for now, I hold with my list as is with this group that truly represents the passing of the eye test and has the established accomplishments, no matter their size.”
Our ESPN panel members — Dan Rafael, Andre Ward, Timothy Bradley Jr., Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, Steve Kim, Bernardo Pilatti, Eric Raskin, Nick Parkinson, Nigel Collins, Charles Moynihan and Salvador Rodriguez — share their lists.
Don’t forget to check out Dan Rafael’s divisional rankings, which are updated weekly.
For a list of the current champions in all weight classes, click here.
Note: Results are through Thursday, Feb. 27.
1. VASILIY LOMACHENKO 
RECORD: 14-1, 10 KOs
DIVISION: Lightweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Luke Campbell, Aug. 31
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
2. TERENCE CRAWFORD
RECORD: 36-0, 27 KOs
DIVISION: Welterweight (titlist)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO9) Egidijus Kavaliauskas, Dec. 14
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
3. CANELO ALVAREZ
RECORD: 53-1-2, 36 KOs
DIVISION: Middleweight (champion), super middleweight (“regular” titlist)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO11) Sergey Kovalev, Nov. 2
NEXT FIGHT: May 2 vs. TBA
4. NAOYA INOUE
RECORD: 19-0, 16 KOs
DIVISION: Bantamweight (unified titlist)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Nonito Donaire, Nov. 7
NEXT FIGHT: April 25 vs. John Riel Casimero
5. ERROL SPENCE JR.
RECORD: 26-0, 21 KOs
DIVISION: Welterweight (unified titlist)
LAST FIGHT: W (SD12) Shawn Porter, Sept. 28
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
6. OLEKSANDR USYK
RECORD: 17-0, 13 KOs
DIVISION: Heavyweight
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO7) Chazz Witherspoon, Oct. 12
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
7. TYSON FURY 
RECORD: 30-0-1, 21 KOs
DIVISION: Heavyweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO7) Deontay Wilder, Feb. 22
NEXT FIGHT: TBA vs. Deontay Wilder
8. JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA
RECORD: 40-3, 27 KOs
DIVISION: Junior bantamweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO9) Dewayne Beamon, Aug. 24
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
9. GENNADIY GOLOVKIN 
RECORD: 40-1-1, 35 KOs
DIVISION: Middleweight (titlist)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Oct. 5
NEXT FIGHT: TBA vs. Kamil Szeremeta
10. MANNY PACQUIAO
RECORD: 62-7-2, 39 KOs
DIVISION: Welterweight (titlist)
LAST FIGHT: W (SD12) Keith Thurman, July 20
NEXT FIGHT: TBA
The formula
The rankings are based on a descending points system, with a first-place vote receiving 10 points, a second-place vote receiving nine points and so on. A tie goes to the fighter with the highest ranking and then the one with the most votes at that ranking.
Others receiving votes: Mikey Garcia (15), Artur Beterbiev (9), Josh Taylor (6), Oscar Valdez (5), Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (3), Miguel Berchelt (3), Leo Santa Cruz (2), Shawn Porter (1), Kosei Tanaka (1), Teofimo Lopez (1), Anthony Joshua (1)
How our writers voted
Atlas: 1. Lomachenko, 2. Crawford, 3. Canelo, 4. Inoue, 5. Spence, 6. Usyk, 7. Pacquiao, 8. Santa Cruz, 9. Beterbiev, 10. Fury
Rafael: 1. Canelo, 2. Lomachenko, 3. Crawford, 4. Usyk, 5. Spence, 6. Inoue, 7. Pacquiao, 8. Golovkin, 9. Estrada, 10. Fury
Bradley: 1. Canelo, 2. Lomachenko, 3. Crawford, 4. Inoue, 5. Usyk, 6. Fury, 7. Spence, 8. Taylor, 9. Pacquiao, 10. Beterbiev
Ward: 1. Crawford, 2. Lomachenko, 3. Canelo, 4. Fury, 5. Usyk, 6. Inoue, 7. Spence, 8. Estrada, 9. Beterbiev, 10. Pacquiao
Tessitore: 1. Crawford, 2. Lomachenko, 3. Inoue, 4. Canelo, 5. Usyk, 6. Spence, 7. Estrada, 8. Berchelt, 9. Golovkin, 10. Beterbiev
Collins: 1. Crawford, 2. Lomachenko, 3. Canelo, 4. Inoue, 5. Usyk, 6. Golovkin, 7. Estrada, 8. Pacquiao, 9. Fury, 10. Spence
Kim: 1. Inoue, 2. Lomachenko, 3. Crawford, 4. Canelo, 5. Usyk, 6. Estrada, 7. Spence, 8. Golovkin, 9. Fury, 10. Garcia
Parkinson: 1. Canelo, 2. Lomachenko, 3. Crawford, 4. Inoue, 5. Fury, 6. Usyk, 7. Spence, 8. Golovkin, 9. Garcia, 10. Taylor
Raskin: 1. Lomachenko, 2. Crawford, 3. Canelo, 4. Inoue, 5. Spence, 6. Estrada, 7. Fury, 8. Pacquiao, 9. Sor Rungvisai, 10. Taylor
Moynihan: 1. Lomachenko, 2. Crawford, 3. Spence, 4. Canelo, 5. Inoue, 6. Usyk, 7. Golovkin, 8. Valdez, 9. Garcia, 10. Fury
Pilatti: 1. Lomachenko, 2. Inoue, 3. Spence, 4. Crawford, 5. Canelo, 6. Golovkin, 7. Estrada, 8. Pacquiao, 9. Fury, 10. Beterbiev
Rodriguez: 1. Canelo, 2. Crawford, 3. Lomachenko, 4. Inoue, 5. Usyk, 6. Spence, 7. Fury, 8. Golovkin, 9. Estrada, 10. Joshua
ESPN experts’ poll
First place: Canelo (4), Lomachenko (4), Crawford (3), Inoue (1)
Second place: Lomachenko (7), Crawford (4), Inoue (1)
Third place: Canelo (4), Crawford (4), Spence (2), Lomachenko (1), Inoue (1)
Fourth place: Inoue (6), Canelo (3), Crawford (1), Usyk (1), Fury (1)
Fifth place: Usyk (6), Spence (3), Canelo (1), Inoue (1), Fury (1)
Sixth place: Usyk (3), Inoue (2), Spence (2), Estrada (2), Golovkin (2), Fury (1)
Seventh place: Spence (4), Estrada (3), Fury (2), Pacquiao (2), Golovkin (1)
Eighth place: Golovkin (4), Pacquiao (3), Estrada (1), Santa Cruz (1), Taylor (1), Berchelt (1), Valdez (1)
Ninth place: Fury (3), Estrada (2), Beterbiev (2), Garcia (2), Golovkin (1), Pacquiao (1), Sor Rungvisai (1)
10th place: Fury (3), Beterbiev (3), Taylor (2), Spence (1), Pacquiao (1), Garcia (1), Joshua (1)