Oleksandr Usyk's win over Anthony Joshua has propelled him into the top five of ESPN's latest boxing pound-for-pound rankings.

The undefeated Ukrainian crushed the spirits of a resurgent Joshua after coming on strong in the later rounds to win a unanimous decision in their heavyweight rematch last week.

His stunning victory in Saudi Arabia has seen him leapfrog Tyson Fury and Canelo Alvarez into fourth place, behind just Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue and Errol Spence Jr respectively.

It is Usyk's highest standing in the ESPN rankings since December 2021 when he stood fourth, before dropping two places after Fury's stunning sixth-round knockout of Dillian Whyte.

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Usyk and Fury find themselves separated by Canelo on the list as a result, with the Mexican acting as a barrier between them, with Artur Beterbiev seventh and Dmitry Bivol eighth.

Shakur Stevenson is ninth on the list after beating Oscar Valdez in their super-featherweight unification bout back in April, with Vasyl Lomachenko making up the rest of the top ten.

But Joshua's nightmare continues after his back-to-back defeats to Usyk.

Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - AUGUST 20: Oleksandr Usyk punches Anthony Joshua during their World Heavyweight Championship fight during the Rage on the Red Sea Heavyweight Title Fight at King Abdullah Sports City Arena on August 20, 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Anthony Joshua was beaten by Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia

The 2012 Olympic gold medallist suffered the third defeat of his professional career after being outpointed by Usyk.

After rallying against AJ to defend his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight belts, talk has turned to who Usyk's next opponent will be.

And Fury's promoter Frank Warren wants to see him take on Fury next - after saying AJ needs to re-establish himself before you can even think about fights like that.'

Warren told BBC Radio 5 Live: "He and Usyk would be a really good fight.

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"It's a fight that I think will be made because both teams would like to see that happen.

"Usyk said after the fight that it's the only fight he's interested in, and it's certainly the same case with Tyson.

"It's just a matter of where it will generate the most income because it's a unique fight, a historic fight.

"It's the first time for God knows how long that the four belts are on the line. Both fighters are undefeated. The whole world of boxing will be captivated by this fight."