Mike Tyson has released the list of top five fighters in boxing, and there are a few surprises that don’t fit in with what fans consider the sport’s elite.
One of the names on former heavyweight champion Tyson’s list is former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence, who has not lost 16 months since losing to Terence Crawford by ninth round knockout.
Spence is 34 and has had several extended periods of inactivity since 2019 that kept him out of the ring for over a year. Tyson believes Spence can become world champion again.
Mike Tyson’s Top Five Fighters
- David Benavidez
- Gervonta Davis
- Shakur Stevenson
- Terence Crawford
- Errol Spence
“Benavidez, Tank, Shakur when he has the type of guy that Tank fought. Of course, Bud Crawford, and listen, I like Spence too,” Mike Tyson told the Pound For Pound channel when asked for his top five action fighters in boxing.
“I think Spence can come back and still get his title back. I think Spence is an underrated fighter.”
Besides Spence being an odd bird on Tyson’s list, Shakur Stevenson’s choice of top fighter is also an odd one. Shakur is not popular and has been booed out of his last two fights by fans unhappy with his punch and no punch fighting style. His close call against Edwin De Los Santos a year ago on Nov. 16 suggests he’s not going to be the same fighter at lightweight that he was at 130 and 126.
Boxing fans on social media believe Mike Tyson’s top five list could be a sign that he doesn’t follow the sport closely enough to realize who the good fighters are.
The 37-year-old Crawford is a good fighter, but he’s pretty much done, and is just waiting to see if Canelo Alvarez will give him a title shot at 168 before he retires. Crawford hasn’t fought enough since 2020, only competing once a year, and he didn’t look good in his last fight at 154.
Crawford’s fight against Israil Madrimov on August 3 showed that he is not going to beat the better fighters in the division: Bakhram Murtazaliev, Sebastian Fundora, Vergil Ortiz Jr., or Serhii Bohachuk. Given his inactivity and his recent performance, you can’t consider Crawford a top-five level fighter.
David Benavidez looked weak in his debut at 175 against Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15, showing that he’s not the same guy now that he’s no longer fighting smaller fighters at 168. Benavidez had a reputation for being a weight bully. His fight against Gvozdyk at light heavyweight limited that view in fans’ minds.
