September Ratings

(as of 9/30)

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: Valuev, Rahman, Thompson

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: none
Inactive List: Bell, Aurino

Lt. Heavyweights (175 lbs)
Champion: Zsolt Erdei (WBO)
1. Clinton Woods (IBF)
2. Glen Johnson
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: Dawson, Woods, Gonzalez
Inactive List: Briggs

Super Middleweights (168 lbs)
Champion: Joe Calzaghe (WBO)
1. Mikkel Kessler (WBC)
2. Anthony Mundine (WBA)
3. Vitali Tsypko
4. Lucian Bute
5. Denis Inkin
6. Jürgen Brähmer
7. Carl Froch
8. Alejandro Berrio (IBF)
9. Jean Pascal
10. Christian Sanavia

active: Brähmer, Tsypko (out: Veit-lost)

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

active: Pavlik, Taylor, Asikainen

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. Attila Kovacs (IBO)

active: none
Inactive List: Phillips, Powell

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

active: Berto (out: Julio-displaced)

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

active: Ortiz, Torres, Holt, Witter (out: Harris-lost, Bruseles-inactive)

Lightweights (135 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Juan Diaz (WBA, WBO)
2. Nate Campbell
3. Julio Diaz (IBF)
4. Zahir Raheem
5. Yuri Romanov
6. Edner Cherry
7. David Diaz (WBC)
8. Almazbek Raiymkulov
9. Michael Katsidis
10. Miguel Angel Huerta

active: Huerta

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. Edwin Valero (WBA)
9. Mzonke Fana (IBF)
10. Yodsanan Nanthachai

active: Fana, Nanthachai, Soto

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

active: Enoki, Salido (out: Hussein-lost)
Inactive List: Chi

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

active: Sithchatchawai, Ponce de Leon

Bantamweights (118 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Hozumi Hasegawa (WBC)
2. Gerry Penalosa (WBO)
3. Jhonny Gonzalez
4. Silence Mabuza (IBO)
5. Simone Maludrottu
6. Ratanachai Sor Vorapin
7. Veeraphol Sahaprom
8. Nobuto Ikehara
9. Jorge Arce
10. Joseph Agbeko (IBF)

active: Arce, Agbeko (out: Sidorenko-displaced, Munyai-displaced)

Jr. Bantamweights (115 lbs)
Champion: Cristian Mijares (WBC)
1. Fernando Montiel (WBO)
2. Z Gorres
3. Jose Navarro
4. Martin Castillo
5. Alexander Muñoz (WBA)
6. Pramuansak Phosuwan
7. Chatchai Sasakul
8. Diosdado Gabi
9. Evans Mbamba
10. Nabuo Nashiro

active: Muñoz, Phosuwan (out: Arce-moved up)

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: Narvaez, Asloum
Inactive List: Lopez

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

active: Sosa
Inactive List: Dieppa

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

active: Niida

World Champions: 10 (of 17)


these ratings © Phrank da Slugger 2007