Skills, popularity, and a stacked resume—these are the checkboxes that you have to tick off to bill yourself a top fighter. There are a few names that keep popping up and seizing the headlines. But is it enough? Mike Tyson has come up with his top-5 list, albeit with the startling exception of Canelo Alvarez. So, who all made the list?

Tyson, 58, will make his return to professional boxing after close to two decades of absence as he takes on Jake Paul on November 15. The former undisputed heavyweight champion has been busy ahead, preparing for his battle. But when he sat down with Pound4PoundShow, he shared his list of the top current fighters, topped by Gervonta Davis.

Tyson, at 50-6, then slotted in a skilled technician in Shakur Stevenson, a heavy hitter in David Benavidez, a well-rounded boxer in Terence Crawford, and a disciplined fighter in Errol Spence Jr. However, Alvarez, 34, failed to make the cut. That’s not all. The former world champion also hoped for Spence Jr., 34, to stage a comeback.

Spence Jr., at 28-1, is trying to start a new life in the light middleweight division, go up against Sebastian Fundora, and clinch a title. But coming off a loss and a year-long layoff might make it a tough job. However, ‘Iron Mike’ is hopeful of his return, as he declared, “I think Spence can come back and get his title back. I think Spence is an underrated fighter.” It seems a fight is finally on the cards. This is not the first time he has encouraged ‘The Truth’ to stage a comeback.

Mike Tyson: the art of starting fresh

In a conversation at the Come And Talk To Me podcast, ‘The Baddest Man on Planet’ played down Spence Jr.’s loss to ‘Bud’ and asked him not to get discouraged. Drawing a parallel between fighting and life, he said, “The sky’s the limit, man. That [loss to Crawford] doesn’t mean nothing. A loss to somebody like that means nothing. He can still make a lot of money if he returns. That’s what life’s about. You just don’t get discouraged. Fighting emulates life.”

Spence Jr. has recently asked WBO to rank him inside the top 10 so that Fundora could make his voluntary defense against him. In addition, the WBC will also be on the line if they meet early next year. Therefore, the New York native can again scale to the top of the boxing food chain and clinch the champion’s title. It remains to be seen how it happens and when.

What do you make of this list by Mike Tyson? Do you agree with him, or do you have some other names in your mind? Let us know in the comments below.