The coveted Ring Magazine pound-for-pound number one spot is currently occupied by undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
His win over Daniel Dubois retained his place at the top of the overall boxing rankings and earned Usyk his third career undisputed title.
Beneath him is Terence Crawford, who is looking to defy the odds in his quest to beat Canelo Alvarez two weight divisions above his last contest.
However, neither of these men will be in the sport of boxing for much longer, with the Ukrainian admitting recently he wants to have one more showdown to end his career.
With Crawford looking to cash out against Alvarez, the next two years on the P4P rankings are going to be very open, and there is only one man to take the mantle.
Why Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez should be P4P #1 when Oleksandr Usyk and Terence Crawford retire
Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, at the age of 25, has already carved out a Hall of Fame-level résumé and is far from done yet as he continues to embark on his mission to unify the super flyweight division against Fernando ‘Puma’ Martinez.
A Ring Magazine belt holder and number six in the pound-for-pound rankings, a win against Martinez should automatically place him higher than either Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol.
His incredible skills and unbeatable power make him such a difficult opponent, with his 25-0 record filled with big names in the lower weight classes like Juan Francisco Estrada.
His run to an undisputed title is not far off; only an IBF title would be needed to unify the whole division if he gets the victory in November.
This accolade makes him an undeniable favourite to take that top spot within the next year or so; only two more signature wins would be needed to cap off his case for such an incredible achievement.
What makes his career all the more interesting, and increases his likelihood of becoming the recognised best fighter in the world, is his wish for an early retirement, which compels him to take the best fights possible, no questions asked.
Targeting undisputed and moving up in weight is all he will need to secure the top spot.
‘Bam’ Rodriguez could easily jump to P4P #1 if he defeats one of Japan’s two best fighters
Who he should target above him, though, is quite simple: either of Japan’s finest, Junto Nakatani or the supersonic Naoya Inoue.
An Inoue clash is a huge step up not just in class but also in weight, as he would have to emulate ‘Bud’ and take a trip up two weight classes above.
He has reiterated his desire to make what he describes as the ‘best fights’ in boxing happen, and if ‘The Monster’ avoids a featherweight move, it can’t be overstated the magnitude of the bout for boxing purists.
The Nakatani clash is easier to make in terms of weight classes and opens up a great in-ring dynamic with the four-inch height advantage of ‘Big Bang’ trying to keep at bay the mini Mexican tank.
If he fights either, he goes down as one of the best in the lower weights, especially in this era.
