Why the heavier weight classes in boxing have pulled closer to the lighter ones in pound-for-pound discussions

Some of the best fighters in the world now reside at 168 pounds or higher when P4P typically fills with 154 or lower

The idea of pound-for-pound greatness in boxing has existed for roughly a decade as a tool to hypothesize how fighters in disparate weight classes would fare against one another if only skill, technique and intangible qualities were at play with no regard to weight. It was also a tool to provide fighters in lighter weight divisions shine they often didn't get in eras dominated by the glamour of the heavyweight division.

An unusual thing is happening in modern boxing: pound-for-pound lists are featuring a more even split between heavier weight classes and the lighter ones.

Brian Campbell's CBS Sports pound-for-pound top 10 features five fighters in boxing's four heaviest weight classes (super middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight) and five from junior middleweight and below. Two of those fighters, No. 4 Artur Beterbiev and No. 5 Dmitry Bivol meet on Saturday to crown an undisputed light heavyweight champion. The winner could move even higher up the rankings.