Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue reached the top of the prestigious Ring magazine's pound-for-pound rankings Thursday for the first time in two years.

His rise above Terence Crawford of the United States came just days after Inoue retained his undisputed super bantamweight championship with a sixth-round knockout of Mexico's Luis Nery at Tokyo Dome.

"I will make the Tokyo Dome fight a stepping stone and accelerate my career," said the 31-year-old, nicknamed "the Monster."

Japan's Naoya Inoue, the world's undisputed super bantamweight champion, leaves the ring after making a successful defense of his four titles over Mexico's Luis Nery in a boxing title fight at Tokyo Dome on May 6, 2024. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

In June 2022, Inoue became the first Japanese to top the list of the world's best boxers, irrespective of their weight.

The Ring introduced the rankings in 1989. Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are among the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxers named in the past.

Related coverage:

Boxing: Naoya Inoue hungry for next fight after defending unanimous title

Boxing: Inoue knocks out Nery in Tokyo Dome super bantam showdown

Boxing: "Monster" Inoue talks about 10 years as world champion