May Ratings

(as of 5/14)

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 200 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Wladimir Klitschko (IBF, IBO)
2. Oleg Maskaev (WBC)
3. Samuel Peter
4. Hasim Rahman
5. Chris Byrd
6. James Toney
7. Ruslan Chagaev (WBA)
8. Nicolay Valuev
9. Tony Thompson
10. Luan Krasniqi

active: Chagaev, Valuev, Byrd

Crusierweights (200 lbs)
Champion: Jean-Marc Mormeck (WBC)
1. O’Neill Bell
2. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (IBF)
3. Steve Cunningham
4. Enzo Maccarinelli
5. Pietro Aurino
6. David Haye
7. Johnathan Banks
8. Alexandre Gurov
9. Firat Arslan
10. Vincenzo Cantatore

active: Maccarinelli, Haye

Lt. Heavyweights (175 lbs)
Champion: Zsolt Erdei (WBO)
1. Clinton Woods (IBF)
2. Glen Johnson
3. Chad Dawson (WBC)
4. Tomasz Adamek
5. Paul Briggs
6. Antonio Tarver
7. Julio Gonzalez
8. Adrian Diaconu
9. Stipe Drews (WBA)
10. Danny Green

active: Drews, Diaconu (out: Jones-inactive, Branco-lost)

Super Middleweights (168 lbs)
Champion: Joe Calzaghe (WBO)
1. Mikkel Kessler (WBC)
2. Anthony Mundine (WBA)
3. Lucian Bute
4. Jeff Lacy
5. Danilo Häussler
6. Rudy Markussen
7. Denis Inkin
8. Anthony Hanshaw
9. Vitali Tsypko
10. Carl Froch

active: Calzaghe (out: Manfredo-lost)
Inactive List: Markussen

Middleweights (160 lbs)
Champion: Jermain Taylor (WBC, WBO)
1. Arthur Abraham (IBF)
2. Edison Miranda
3. Winky Wright
4. Kelly Pavlik
5. David Lopez
6. Felix Sturm (WBA)
7. Amin Asikainen
8. Mariano Carrera
9. Sergio Mora
10. Khoren Gevor

active: Sturm, Gevor (out: Castillejo-lost)
Inactive List: Mora

Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)
Champion: Floyd Mayweather (WBC, WBC 147)
1. Oscar de la Hoya
2. Sergiy Dzinziruk (WBO)
3. Cory Spinks (IBF)
4. Roman Karmazin
5. Verno Phillips
6. Joachim Alcine
7. Travis Simms (WBA)
8. Vernon Forrest
9. Sergio Martinez
10. Sechew Powell

active: Martinez, Mayweather, de la Hoya (out: Baysangurov-inactive)

Welterweights (147 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Antonio Margarito (WBO)
2. Shane Mosley
3. Miguel Cotto (WBA)
4. Carlos Baldomir
5. Kermit Cintron
6. Joshua Clottey
7. Zab Judah
8. Paul Williams
9. Frederic Klose
10. Golden Johnson

active: Clottey, Judah (out: Mayweather-moved up)
Inactive List: Johnson

Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)
Champion: Ricky Hatton
1. Vivian Harris
2. Junior Witter (WBC)
3. Jose Luis Castillo
4. Souleyman M'baye (WBA)
5. Andreas Kotelnik
6. Demetrius Hopkins
7. Steve Forbes
8. Kendall Holt
9. Ricardo Torres (WBO)
10. Henry Bruseles

active: Holt, Torres

Lightweights (135 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Joel Casamayor
2. Juan Diaz (WBA, WBO)
3. Nate Campbell
4. Zahir Raheem
5. Julio Diaz (IBF)
6. Yuri Romanov
7. Aldo Rios
8. David Diaz
9. Almazbek Raiymkulov
10. Matt Zegan

active: Juan Diaz, Romanov
Inactive List: Casamayor, Rios, Zegan

Jr. Lightweights (130 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Manny Pacquiao
2. Juan Manuel Marquez (WBC)
3. Marco Antonio Barrera
4. Joan Guzman (WBO)
5. Humberto Soto
6. Jorge Barrios
7. Yodsanan Nanthachai
8. Edwin Valero (WBA)
9. Bobby Pacquiao
10. Alex Arthur

active: Pacquiao, Valero, Barrios (out: Juarez-moved down)

Featherweights (126 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Chris John (WBA)
2. Injin Chi (WBC)
3. Rocky Juarez
4. Thomas Mashaba (IBO)
5. Jorge Linares
6. Robert Guerrero (IBF)
7. Hiroyuki Enoki
8. Orlando Salido
9. Oscar Larios
10. Nedal Hussein

active: Juarez (out: Honorio-displaced)
Inactive List: Salido

Jr. Featherweights (122 lbs)
Champion: Rafael Marquez (WBC)
1. Celestino Caballero (WBA)
2. Daniel Ponce de Leon (WBO, IBA)
3. Israel Vazquez
4. Takalani Ndlovu (IBO)
5. Somsak Sithchatchawai
6. Cruz Carbajal
7. Steve Molitor
8. Gerry Penalosa
9. Toshiaki Nishioka
10. Rey Bautista

active: Bautista, Sithchatchawai (out: Yamanaka-lost)
Inactive List: Nishioka

Bantamweights (118 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Jhonny Gonzalez (WBO)
2. Hozumi Hasegawa (WBC)
3. Silence Mabuza
4. Simone Maludrottu
5. Ratanachai Sor Vorapin
6. Veeraphol Sahaprom
7. Wladimir Sidorenko (WBA)
8. Manabu Fukushima
9. Tshifhiwa Munyai
10. Ricardo Cordoba

active: Gonzalez, Mabuza, Hasegawa, Sahaprom

Jr. Bantamweights (115 lbs)
Champion: Cristian Mijares (WBC)
1. Fernando Montiel (WBO)
2. Jose Navarro
3. Jorge Arce
4. Z Gorres
5. Martin Castillo
6. Alexander Munoz (WBA)
7. Pramuansak Posuwan
8. Chatchai Sasakul
9. Luis Perez
10. Dimitri Kirilov

active: Mijares, Arce, Munoz, Castillo, Posuwan, Sasakul (out: Nashiro-lost)

Flyweights (112 lbs)
Champion: Pongsaklek Wonkongjam (WBC)
1. Vic Darchinyan (IBF, IBO)
2. Omar Narvaez (WBO)
3. Roberto Vasquez
4. Takefumi Sakata (WBA)
5. Daisuke Naito
6. Mhikiza Myekeni
7. Brahim Asloum
8. Denkaosan Kaovichit
9. Jose Lopez
10. Hussein Hussein

active: Wonkongjam, Kaovichit
Inactive List: Myekeni, Hussein

Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)
Champion: Hugo Cazares (WBO)
1. Ulises Solis (IBF)
2. Wandee Singwancha
3. Koki Kameda
4. Juanito Rubillar
5. Giovanni Segura
6. Munetsugu Kayo
7. Edgar Sosa (WBC)
8. Omar Nino
9. Jose Aguirre
10. Daniel Reyes

active: Cazares, Sosa, Kayo (out: Masuda-lost, Dieppa-displaced)
Inactive List: Nino

Strawweights (105 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Ivan Calderon (WBO)
2. Eagle Kyowa (WBC)
3. Oleydong Sithsamerchai
3. Muhammad Rachman (IBF)
4. Yutaka Niida (WBA)
5. Jun Kaneda
6. Omar Soto
7. Yasutaka Kuroki
8. Teruo Misawa
9. Katsunari Takayama
10. Lorenzo Trejo

active: Calderon, Sithsamerchai, Niida, Soto, Kuroki, Misawa, Takayama (out: Porpramook-displaced)

World Champions: 10 (of 17)


these ratings © Phrank da Slugger 2007