The Magno’s USA Top 10 has been a Fourth of July tradition for years, dating back to even before I started writing for FightHype.com. This year (a few days late), we have some clarity towards the top of the list, but an absolute logjam at the bottom, where inactivity, controversy, and lack of overall resume depth make it hard to make clear rankings at no. 9 and no. 10.
Anyway, here I am with my yearly stab at who’s who and who’s where among American fighters. And, per usual disclaimer, this is all very subjective and 100% my point of view, based on my take on a fighter’s inherent talent/skill, recent body of work, and overall resume. If you disagree, good for you.
1. Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs)
Crawford’s dominant win over Errol Spence last July 29 was huge and more than enough to once again earn him the top spot on this list. His inactivity since that career-defining victory has been a major disappointment, as has his unwillingness to even entertain a bout with next-in-line welterweight star Jaron “Boots” Ennis. “Bud” is scheduled to move up in weight to take on WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov August 3 in Los Angeles, in what many see as a baby step towards a possible big-money clash with super middleweight champ Saul Alvarez.
2. Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 KOs)
This past month, “Tank” walked down and eventually blew away a very capable and legitimate Top 5 lightweight challenger in Frank Martin. It was his first fight since doing the same to Ryan Garcia in April of 2023. As is the case with Terence Crawford, inactivity and an apparent unwillingness to meet the elite in his weight range has disappointed, even in the face of explosive and elite-level virtuoso performances.
3. Jesse Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs)
Over the course of the last two years, “Bam’s” resume stands out among US talent. His most recent dominant performance in stopping Juan Francisco Estrada adds heft to a body of work that already features names such as Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Carlos Cuadras, and Sunny Edwards. At just 24 years of age, he’s already a top 3 presence on the American scene and arguments could be made that he belongs even higher.
4. David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs)
Benavidez confirmed his status as the indisputable and undeniably deserving top contender to super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez with a one-sided beating and stoppage of Demetrius Andrade last November. An inability to land that big Canelo fight, however, led him to a move up to light heavyweight, where he recently beat former world champ Oleksandr Gvozdyk via decisive unanimous decision.
5. Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs)
An impressively dominant beating of Josh Taylor last year was followed up by a frustratingly uneven performance versus Jamaine Ortiz and, most recently, a one-sided decision over the limited Steve Claggett. Thus has gone the frustrating career flow of Lopez, who absolutely has the talent to be an elite player, but is plagued by inconsistent ring performances.
6. Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs)
The 27-year-old Stevenson has been his own worst enemy at times by favoring a safety-first approach in the ring, despite having the skill and talent to put on electrifying performances. Now on the precipice of promotional free agency, his uninspiring points win over Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday did little to boost his profile. Talent-wise, however, he’s the real deal.
7. Jaron Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs)
Recently signed to Matchroom Boxing, the Philadelphia fighter is coming back home to face the pedestrian David Avanesyan in what’s supposed to be the kickoff to a run at achieving true star status. Ennis’ talent is undeniable and his resume is filled with solid “best available” opposition, but he needs to land a big fight against en elite-level opponent to cement his status as an elite, himself.
8. O'Shaquie Foster (22-3, 12 KOs)
After capturing the vacant WBC super featherweight title versus Rey Vargas in early 2023, Foster had defended twice versus high-end talent before dropping the belt to Brazil’s Robson Conceicao via obscenely controversial split decision on the Shakur Stevenson-Artem Harutyunyan undercard.
9. Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) / Vergil Ortiz Jr. (21-0, 21 KOs) / Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs)
Spence has been inactive since his shocking blowout loss to Terence Crawford last July and while there is a legitimate debate to be had about his ability to once again become an elite-level player, his body of work is deep and impressive. That deserves a degree of deference and a share of the no. 9 spot on this list.
Ortiz is a dynamic ring presence with an impressive body of work for a fighter at his level. Inactivity between 2022 and 2024 kept him a step behind his contemporaries, but a move up to 154 and an apparent dedication to fighting more frequently has brought him back into prominence.
Once a truly deserving top dog among his peers as the fully unified junior middleweight champ, Charlo’s stock has fallen greatly after a tepid/timid loss to Saul Alvarez last September. Inactive since then, and with nothing on the horizon, he gives off the vibe of someone who has cashed out on his career.
10. Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) / Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs)
Haney presents a puzzling conundrum when it comes to rating him on a list like this. His win over Regis Prograis, added to wins over Vasiliy Lomachenko and George Kambosos, make the case for a high rating. His ugly drubbing at the hands of Ryan Garcia this past April, however, is hard to overlook, despite Garcia popping dirty for a banned substance and coming in over the weight limit. There is something to be said for the line of thought that much of Haney’s success has come from facing opposition much smaller than him on fight night. That’s a huge qualifier when it comes to judging a body of work. In the meantime, he remains on the fringes of this list.
Fundora’s ranking may very well be a one-and-done instance. Fundora was able to decision Tim Tszyu this past March (as a late substitute for Keith Thurman) in a bout where the Australian star was clearly handicapped by a grotesque gash on his head that gushed blood into his face all night. Still, Fundora won, legitimately, and got that “W” against one of the sport’s top rising stars. But, given his technical/tactical weaknesses and the fact that he was coming off a KO loss to Brian Mendoza in the bout before Tszyu, his time near the top may be short-lived.
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