July Ratings (as of 8/6)
I’ve been doing these monthly ratings since 1983. There are 3 criteria I use to rate fighters:
•Quality of Opposition
•Performance
•Activity
I am not ranking the best from 1 to 10; rather, this is to see who deserves a title shot. I rate all 18 divisions, a time-consuming activity to say the least. Therefore, commentary only appears every 3rd month.
Some mistakingly think the Champion in each division is the guy who I think is the best. This is not the case. There are 2 criteria by which I determine Champions: the 1st is lineage (The Man who beat The Man who beat The Man); and the 2nd is defeating another fighter also ranked in the top 3 in the division.
“Inactive List” is for fighters who have not fought in 6 or more months. It may mean that he is or will be dropping in the ratings due to his inactivity. It is unfair to other fighters for a guy to sit on his rating. If a fighter has a fight scheduled or is injured, I try to take this into consideration.
I do not recognize “Super Champions” or other such nonsense. If the WBA wants to take its world title recognition from a fighter, then it has stripped him as far as I’m concerned.
Heavyweights (over 195 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Vitali Klitschko (WBC)
2. Chris Byrd (IBF)
3. James Toney
4. John Ruiz (WBA)
5. Lamon Brewster (WBO)
6. Jameel McCline
7. Lance Whitaker
8. Andrew Golota
9. Monte Barrett
10. Dominick Guinn
active: Guinn
Crusierweights (195 lbs)
Champion: Jean-Marc Mormeck (WBA)
1. Wayne Braithwaite (WBC)
2. Johnny Nelson (WBO)
3. O’Neill Bell (NBA)
4. Carl Thompson (IBO)
5. Kelvin Davis (IBF)
6. Guillermo Jones
7. Pietro Aurino
8. Virgil Hill
9. Dale Brown
10. Vincenzo Cantatore
active: Aurino
Lt. Heavyweights (175 lbs)
Champion: Zsolt Erdei (WBO)
1. Antonio Tarver (WBC, IBO, IBA)
2. Julio Gonzalez
3. Roy Jones
4. Thomas Ulrich
5. Dariusz Michalczewski
6. Glenn Johnson (IBF)
7. Fabrice Tiozzo (WBA)
8. Paul Briggs
9. Rico Hoye
10. Clinton Woods
active: Ulrich (out: Branco-lost)
Inactive List: Michalczewski
Super Middleweights (168 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Joe Calzaghe (WBO)
2. Danny Green
3. Robin Reid (IBO)
4. Mads Larsen
5. Manny Siaca (WBA)
6. Anthony Mundine
7. Mikkel Kessler
8. Antwun Echols
9. Rudy Markussen
10. Cristian Sanavia (WBC)
active: Markussen (out: Brewer-inactive)
Inactive List: Larsen
Middleweights (160 lbs)
Champion: Bernard Hopkins (IBF, WBC, IBC)
1. Howard Eastman
2. Oscar de la Hoya (WBO)
3. Felix Sturm
4. Sam Soliman
5. Kingsley Ikeke
6. Maselino Masoe (WBA)
7. Raymond Joval
8. Bert Schenk
9. Sergei Tatevosyan
10. Jermain Taylor
active: Soliman, Joval
Inactive List: Eastman
Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)
Champion: Winky Wright (WBC, IBA)
1. Shane Mosley
2. Kassim Ouma
3. Verno Phillips (NBA)
4. Keith Holmes
5. Javier Castillejo
6. Sergei Dzindziruk
7. Sergio Martinez (IBO)
8. Aslanbek Kodzoev
9. Kuvanich Toygonbayev
10. Travis Simms (WBA)
active: Dzindziruk (out: Vargas-inactive)
Inactive List: Simms
Welterweights (147 lbs)
Champion: Corey Spinks (WBC, IBF)
1. Antonio Margarito (WBO)
2. Zab Judah
3. Michele Piccirillo
4. Thomas Damgaard
5. Kermit Cintron
6. Jawaid Khaliq (IBO)
7. Rafael Piñeda
8. Manuel Gomez
9. Cosme Rivera
10. Frederic Klose
active: Cintron, Klose (out: Reid-lost)
Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)
Champion: Kostya Tszyu (IBF)
1. Arturo Gatti (WBC)
2. Floyd Mayweather
3. Vivian Harris (WBA)
4. Sharmba Mitchell
5. Miguel Cotto
6. James Leija
7. Ricky Hatton (WBU)
8. Oktay Urkal
9. Demarcus Corley
10. Juan Valenzuela
active: Gatti, Leija (out: Dorin-lost)
Lightweights (135 lbs)
Champion: Jose Luis Castillo (WBC)
1. Julio Diaz (IBF)
2. Juan Lazcano
3. Acelino Freitas (WBO)
4. Juan Diaz (WBA)
5. Matt Zegan
6. Jason Cook (IBO)
7. Stefano Zoff
8. Michael Clark
9. Javier Jauregui
10. Isaac Hlatchwayo
active: Jauregui, Diaz (out: Lorcy-inactive, Johnston-inactive, Sim-lost)
Jr. Lightweights (130 lbs)
Champion: Diego Corrales (WBO, IBA)
1. Erik Morales (WBC, IBF)
2. Joel Casamayor
3. Carlos Hernandez
4. Jesus Chavez
5. Orlando Salido
6. Yodsanan Nanthachai (WBA)
7. Robbie Peden
8. David Santos
9. Cassius Baloyi
10. Janos Nagy
active: Morales, Hernandez, Peden
Featherweights (126 lbs)
Champion: Manny Pacquiao
1. Juan Manuel Marquez (IBF, WBA)
2. Marco Antonio Barrera
3. Scott Harrison (WBO)
4. Injin Chi (WBC)
5. Chris John (WBA)
6. Zahir Raheem
7. Frank Archuleta
8. Johnny Tapia
9. Rocky Juarez
10. Jorge Martinez
active: Barrera, John, Harrison (out: Abelyan-lost)
Jr. Featherweights (122 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Oscar Larios (WBC)
2. Joan Guzman (WBO)
3. Israel Vazquez (IBF)
4. Manabu Fukushima
5. Mahyar Monshipour (WBA)
6. Shigeru Nakazato
7. Jose Luis Valbuena
8. Yoddamrong Sithyodthong
9. Shiji Kimura
10. Yoshikase Nakajima
active: Larios, Nakajima (out: Ayala-moved up, Sato-moved up)
Bantamweights (118 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Rafael Marquez (IBF)
2. Johnny Bredahl (WBA)
3. Veeraphol Sahaprom (WBC)
4. Diego Morales
5. Ratanachai Sor Vorapin (WBO)
6. Silence Mabuza (IBO)
7. Cruz Carbajal
8. Genaro Garcia
9. Frederic Patrac
10. Jhonny Gonzalez
active: Sor Vorapin, Marquez (out: Ruiz-lost)
Jr. Bantamweights (115 lbs)
Champion: Katsushige Kawashima (WBC)
1. Mark Johnson (WBO)
2. Masamori Tokuyama
3. Alex Muñoz (WBA)
4. Luis Perez (IBF)
5. Fernando Montiel
6. Martin Castillo
7. Jose Navarro (IBA)
8. Jason Booth (IBO)
9. Eric Morel
10. Gerson Guerrero
active: Johnson, Guerrero (out: Machado-inactive)
Inactive List: Muñoz
Flyweights (112 lbs)
Champion: Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (WBC)
1. Omar Narvaez (WBO)
2. Vic Darchinyan
3. Brahim Asloum
4. Irene Pacheco (IBF)
5. Lorenzo Parra (WBA)
6. Mzukisi Sikali (IBO)
7. Hussein Hussein
8. Luis Maldonado
9. Jose Lopez
10. Takefumi Sakata
active: Wonjongkam
Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)
Champion: Jorge Arce (WBC)
1. Jose Victor Burgos (IBF)
2. Hugo Cazares
3. Rosendo Alvarez (WBA)
4. Nelson Dieppa (WBO)
5. Bebis Mendoza
6. Juanito Rubillar
7. Shingo Yamaguchi
8. Phichit Siriwat
9. Masato Hatakeyama
10. Wendyl Janiola
active: Dieppa
Inactive List: Alvarez, Mendoza
Strawweights (105 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Eagle Akakura (WBC)
2. Daniel Reyes (IBF)
3. Ivan Calderon (WBO)
4. Yutaka Niida (WBA)
5. Jose Aguirre
6. Noel Arambulet
7. Muhammad Rachman
8. Juan Landaeta
9. Chana Porpaoin
10. Rodel Mayol
active: Calderon
World Champions: 12 (of 17)
