The Ring magazine, the long-standing American boxing publication, has released its latest pound-for-pound (PFP) rankings. Naoya Inoue (Ohashi), the undisputed world super-bantamweight champion, has returned to the number one spot for the first time in approximately two years.
On the 2nd, Inoue successfully defended his world titles before a crowd of 55,000 at the Tokyo Dome—the largest attendance in Japanese boxing history—against former three-division world champion Junto Nakatani (M.T). In a tactical encounter of the highest order between two undefeated fighters, Inoue secured a unanimous decision victory.
Inoue’s ascent to the PFP number one spot marks his return to the summit for the first time since May 2024, following his victory over Luis Nery. With this result, he surpasses heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine) to claim the top position in the rankings. Following the release of the latest rankings, Inoue posted three flame emojis on his X account, offering a characteristically understated yet fervent expression of his achievement.
— 井上尚弥 Naoya Inoue (@naoyainoue_410) May 4, 2026
Meanwhile, Nakatani, who suffered his first professional defeat at the hands of Inoue, dropped one place from 6th to 7th but remains firmly within the top ten. While a loss often results in a significant slide in the rankings, the fact that Nakatani’s descent was minimal serves as a testament to his steadfast global reputation.
The Ring PFP Rankings
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Naoya Inoue (JPN)
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Oleksandr Usyk (UKR)
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Shakur Stevenson (USA)
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Jesse Rodriguez (USA)
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David Benavidez (USA)
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Dmitry Bivol (RUS)
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Junto Nakatani (JPN)
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Devin Haney (USA)
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Oscar Collazo (PUR)
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Emanuel Navarrete (MEX)
