The Corner Stool Competition Index Update: October 2024 Quarterly Update

Standings updated as we head into the final stretch of the boxing season

Three quarters are in the books and 2024 has been a mixed bag. 

There have been tremendous highs, with a recharged heavyweight division delivering multiple excellent entries including Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury and the recent shelling of Anthony Joshua by Daniel Dubois. Upsets from strawweight to heavyweight have provided thrills even as the year has also struggled through palpable lulls.

2023 was a historically strong year. 2024 hasn’t kept pace. That doesn’t mean we can’t have a strong finish. The final quarter of the year is expected to see the returns of Tank Davis, Naoya Inoue, the Usyk-Fury rematch, and a generational showdown at light heavyweight between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.

As the final quarter of the boxing season gets underway, it’s time for the latest snapshot of the sport from the perspective of who is best maximizing their minutes.

Here’s a few notes on the update:

• Kenshiro Teraji’s loss to Masamichi Yabuki has aged past the three-year and/or five fight parameters of this list. It results in a sizable jump for a fighter who may soon be a two-division titlist. 

• Devin Haney, Leigh Wood, David Benavidez, and Tyson Fury are among a small group of active former titlists whose standing merits their remaining in consideration for now. 

• Three of the top ten (Saul Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue) had fights in the third quarter. Four (Artur Beterbiev, Junto Nakatani, Jesse Rodriguez, and Oleksandr Usyk) have fights announced for the fourth quarter.

• Alvarez and Inoue both picked up ranked wins as measured for this index, separating themselves from their peers with six unique ranked opponents defeated in the last three years. 

• The inactive Jermell Charlo slipped out of the top ten but was still assessed as the lineal Jr. middleweight champion. He has not relinquished history’s crown.

• A total pool of 58 fighters were considered for this update. 

The results in the coming months will certainly shake things up further. For now, this update opens with number one holding on to the top spot: