Magnetic Personalities: 5 of the Best Boxers in Business Today

One of the best and most respected boxers of his generation, Barry McGuigan helped to inspire many fighters who managed to forge successful careers for themselves in the fight game. A winner of numerous titles at both amateur and professional level, McGuigan now writes about the sport for numerous publications and shares his experiences with boxing fans around the world. 

An area of boxing that interests so many connoisseurs of it is at the very highest level. It’s in the biggest and best fights that we see the top fighters showcase their immense ability, something Barry McGuigan achieved himself after putting on a number of faultless performances. Of course, just like we witnessed during the Irish boxing promoter and former professional boxer’s career, professional fighters can also put on a show against weaker opposition, but it’s in the huge fights against highly-rated opponents where they really make a name for themselves. 

Luckily, for fans of the sweet science, we’ve been treated to some memorable bouts in recent times from some of the best boxers around. These match-ups featured unmissable press conferences, fans everywhere shared their views online and backed their favourites when it came to betting, and the fights delivered in terms being all-round spectacles. Additionally, these fighters hold impressive resumes, they’ve won the respect of the boxing faithful, and they’re at the very top of their respective divisions. 

So, with a number of fighters shining in their respective divisions in recent times, let’s salute some of them below. After all, without them, the sport of boxing would be far weaker. 

Canelo Alvarez

Kicking things off with a true Mexican warrior, Canelo Alvarez has been a dominant force for the vast majority of his career. Regarded by many as the biggest star in boxing, he has come back from notable losses to Dmitry Bivol, while also seeing off rivals with big potential in the shape of Jaime Munguia. Sceptics will bring up his losses to the aforementioned Bivol and Floyd Mayweather Jr, but being defeated by two other greats clearly provided Canelo with the hunger he needed to become a superstar of the sport. The fact is, there aren’t many fighters who would fancy their chances against such a formidable opponent in the shape of Canelo Alvarez. From power to precision, he has it all. 

Tyson Fury

Despite his recent loss to Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury has achieved enough in the sport of boxing to go down in the history books as one of the best fighters of the modern era. The heavyweight master is also one of the sport’s biggest personalities and knows how to sell any fight that he’s taking part in, with the comical value he tends to provide bringing new fans to boxing. Career highlights include his trilogy with Deontay Wilder, while winning his first mega fight in 2015 when he beat Wladimir Klitschko to claim the IBF, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles will never be forgotten. A professional many people respect and admire given the way in which he made his return to the sport, Tyson Fury is still one of the best boxers around today. Can he retain his titles and see off Oleksandr Usyk in the rematch? One thing’s for sure, Fury’s certainly capable. 

Devin Haney

Despite losing to Ryan Garcia under controversial circumstances, Devin Haney is still at the very top of his game. Haney showed evident weaknesses against the speed and power of Garcia, but he is still widely regarded as an elite fighter after achieving a record of 31-1, including 15 KOs. There are doubters, though, but a fight against Shakur Stevenson could silence any criticism aimed at him and enable Haney to gain the respect he undoubtedly deserves. After all, this is a fighter who has held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including becoming the undisputed champion at lightweight from 2022 to 2023. Additionally, at the tender age of 25, Devin Haney’s career is far from over. As such, there is clearly more to come from a fighter who has already achieved so much. 

Naoya Inoue

In some parts of the world, it’s fair to say that Naoya Inoue isn’t really widely known yet. The Japanese fighter is easily one of boxing’s most spectacular performers these days, though. A record of 27-0, including 24 KOs, has seen the stoppage master halt the progress of every opponent who has dared to take him on. Inoue’s scary level of output makes him an entertaining fighter to watch, while his ability to perform in the biggest of contests makes him a reliable name to back. Stopping Paul Butler was impressive, while the performance against Stephen Fulton was incredible. As a result, Japan’s most famous boxer became a four-weight world champion, although there were some concerns over his career moving forward when he showed vulnerabilities against Luis Nery, a fight where he was dropped in round one, before the Japanese fighter managed to turn it around and record a victory boxing fans all around the world will never forget. Inoue’s special. 

Terence Crawford

It’s impossible to dislike Terence Crawford, unless you’re one of the previous opponents he has dismantled, of course. With a record of 40-0, including 31 KOs, the three-weight champion has one of the most impressive records in the whole of boxing. Perhaps most impressively of all, his five previous opponents were all unbeaten before he taught them a lesson. Crawford is a dedicated professional who adores all things boxing, making him an even more dangerous fighter in the process. Where some figures in the sport become swallowed up by it and tend to party too hard, for example, “Bud” is a consummate professional who has clearly dedicated himself to his profession. This was perhaps best on show during his fairly recent fight against Errol Spence Jr, a bout where Crawford demonstrated just how talented he is.