July Ratings

(as of 7/29)

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. Tony Thompson
7. Ruslan Chagaev (WBA)
8. Nicolay Valuev
9. Sultan Ibragimov (WBO)
10. Evander Holyfield

active: Holyfield, Klitschko, Thompson (out: Krasniqi-lost)

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

active: Maccarinelli, Banks

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

active: Green, Hopkins, Johnson (out: Branco-displaced)

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

active: Mundine, Tsypko (out: Hanshaw-moved up)
Inactive List: Lacy, Häussler

Middleweights (160 lbs)
Champion: Jermain Taylor (WBC, WBO)
1. Kelly Pavlik
2. Arthur Abraham (IBF)
3. David Lopez
4. Felix Sturm (WBA)
5. Edison Miranda
6. Sebastian Sylvester
7. Khoren Gevor
8. Amin Asikainen
9. Giovanni Lorenzo
10. Mahir Oral

active: Sturm, Lorenzo, Oral (out: Wright-moved up)

Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Sergiy Dzinziruk (WBO)
2. Verno Phillips
3. Joachim Alcine (WBA)
4. Cory Spinks (IBF)
5. Roman Karmazin
6. Vernon Forrest (WBC)
7. Sergio Martinez
8. Travis Simms
9. Sechew Powell
10. Zaurbek Baysangurov

active: Alcine, Simms, Forrest, Baysangurov (out: Mayweather-moved down, de la Hoya-moved down)

Welterweights (147 lbs)
Champion: Floyd Mayweather (WBC)
1. Miguel Cotto (WBA)
2. Shane Mosley
3. Paul Williams (WBO)
4. Antonio Margarito
5. Kermit Cintron
6. Joshua Clottey
7. Frederic Klose
8. Kevin Anderson
9. Joel Julio
10. Alfonso Gomez

active: Julio, Gomez, Williams, Margarito, Cintron (out: Baldomir-moved up, Johnson-inactive)

Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)
Champion: Ricky Hatton (IBO)
1. Vivian Harris
2. Junior Witter (WBC)
3. Andreas Kotelnik
4. Demetrius Hopkins
5. Steve Forbes
6. Kendall Holt
7. Paul Malignaggi (IBF)
8. Ricardo Torres (WBO)
9. Henry Bruseles
10. Gavin Rees (WBA)

active: Hopkins, Rees (out: M'baye-lost)
Inactive List: Bruseles

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

active: Campbell
Inactive List: Casamayor, Rios

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

active: Arthur
Inactive List: Nanthachai

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

active: Linares, Velazquez (out: Larios-lost)
Inactive List: Chi, Salido

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

active: Molitor, Oliver, Carbajal, Sithchatchawai (out: Ndlovu-lost)
Inactive List: Nishioka

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

active: Sidorenko, 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 Phosuwan
8. Chatchai Sasakul
9. Eric Ortiz
10. Diosdado Gabi

active: Mijares, Castillo, Phosuwan (out: Perez-moved up, Kirilov-inactive)

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

active: Naito, Wonkongjam, Sakata, Vasquez, Donaire, Darchinyan, Kameda (out: Hussein-displaced)

Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)
Champion: Hugo Cazares (WBO)
1. Ulises Solis (IBF)
2. Wandee Singwancha
3. Giovanni Segura
4. Juanito Rubillar
5. Edgar Sosa (WBC)
6. Munetsugu Kayo
7. Omar Salado
8. Omar Nino
9. Luis Lazarte
10. Nelson Dieppa

active: Sosa, Lazarte, Rubillar
Inactive List: Nino

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

active: Condes, Rachman (out: Misawa-displaced, Trejo-displaced)

World Champions: 10 (of 17)


these ratings © Phrank da Slugger 2007