May Ratings

(as of 5/28)

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.

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. Vitali Klitschko (WBC)
2. Wladimir Klitschko (IBF, IBO, WBO)
3. Alexander Povetkin (WBA)
4. Robert Helenius
5. Tomasz Adamek
6. Ruslan Chagaev
7. Chris Arreola
8. Mariusz Wach
9. Kubrat Pulev
10. Travis Walker

Crusierweights (200 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Marco Huck (WBO)
2. Yoan Hernandez (IBF)
3. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (WBC)
4. Denis Lebedev
5. Ola Afolabi
6. Steve Cunningham
7. Antonio Tarver (IBO)
8. Danny Green
9. Lateef Kayode
10. BJ Flores

Inactive List: Wlodarczyk, Green

Lt. Heavyweights (175 lbs)
Champion: Chad Dawson (WBC)
1. Bernard Hopkins
2. Tavoris Cloud (IBF)
3. Gabriel Campillo
4. Mikkel Kessler
5. Nathan Cleverly (WBO)
6. Eduard Gutknecht
7. Karo Murat
8. Beibut Shumenov (WBA)
9. Isaac Chilemba
10. Denis Grachev

(out: Erdei-inactive, Sukhotsky-displaced)

Super Middleweights (168 lbs)
Champion: Andre Ward (WBA, WBC)
1. Carl Froch (IBF)
2. Lucian Bute
3. Robert Stieglitz (WBO)
4. Peter Quillin
5. Thomas Oosthuizen (IBO)
6. Karoly Balzsay
7. Glen Johnson
8. Sakio Bika
9. Andre Dirrell
10. Brian Magee

(out: Kessler-moved up)

Middleweights (160 lbs)
Champion: Sergio Martinez
1. Felix Sturm
2. Daniel Geale (IBF)
3. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr (WBC)
4. Dmitry Pirog (WBO)
5. Gennady Golovkin (WBA)
6. Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam
7. Marco Antonio Rubio
8. Andy Lee
9. Kerry Hope
10. Grzegorz Proska

(out: Zbik-lost, Williams-injured/retired)

Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Floyd Mayweather
2. Saul Alvarez (WBC)
3. Miguel Cotto
4. James Kirkland
5. Carlos Molina
6. Erislandy Lara
7. Delvin Rodriguez
8. Vanes Matirosyan
9. Austin Trout (WBA)
10. Demetrius Andrade

(out: Angulo-displaced)

Welterweights (147 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Manny Pacquiao (WBO)
2. Andre Berto
3. Dejan Zavec
4. Kell Brook
5. Victor Ortiz
6. Selcuk Aydin
7. Mike Jones
8. Devon Alexander
9. Randall Bailey
10. Paulie Malignaggi (WBA)

(out: Mayweather-moved up, Senchenko-lost)

Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)
Champion: Tim Bradley (WBO)
1. Juan Manuel Marquez
2. Lamont Peterson (WBA, IBF)
3. Amir Khan
4. Danny Garcia (WBC)
5. Lucas Matthysee
6. Humberto Soto
7. Mike Alvarado
8. Marcos Maidana
9. Kendall Holt
10. Erik Morales

(out: Judah-displaced)

Lightweights (135 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Brandon Rios
2. Ricky Burns (WBO)
3. Antonio DeMarco (WBC)
4. Miguel Vazquez (IBF)
5. Richard Abril
6. Alejandro Sanabria
7. Gavin Rees
8. Hank Lundy
9. Kevin Mitchell
10. Sergio Thompson

(out: Marquez-moved up, Linares-lost, Moses-displaced)

Jr. Lightweights (130 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Adrien Broner (WBO)
2. Takashi Uchiyama (WBA)
3. Yuriorkis Gamboa
4. Juan Carlos Burgos
5. Takahiro Aoh (WBC)
6. Daniel Ponce de Leon
7. Vicente Escobedo
8. Juan Carlos Salgado (IBF)
9. Devis Boschiero
10. Argenis Mendez

Inactive List: Gamboa, Mendez

Featherweights (126 lbs)
Champion: Chris John
1. Orlando Salido (WBO)
2. Jhonny Gonzalez (WBC)
3. Juan Manuel Lopez
4. Billy Dib (IBF)
5. Celestino Caballero (WBA)
6. Miguel Angel Garcia
7. Jonathan Barros
8. Jorge Lacierva
9. Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo
10. Gary Russell

Inactive List: Barros, Russell

Jr. Featherweights (122 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Toshiaki Nishioka
2. Nonito Donaire (WBO)
3. Rafael Marquez
4. Abner Mares (WBC)
5. Jeffrey Mathebula (IBF)
6. Takalani Ndlovu
7. Masaaki Serie
8. Steve Molitor
9. Rendall Munroe
10. Akifumi Shimoda

Inactive List: Nishioka, Molitor
(out: Kratingdaenggym-displaced)

Bantamweights (118 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Anselmo Moreno
2. Joseph Agbeko
3. Cristian Mijares
4. Jorge Arce (WBO)
5. Hugo Cazares
6. Hugo Ruiz
7. Koki Kameda (WBA)
8. Shinsuke Yamanaka (WBC)
9. Vic Darchinyan
10. Tomoki Kameda

Inactive List: Cazares
(out: Mares-moved up, Morel-moved up)

Jr. Bantamweights (115 lbs)
Champion: Yota Sato (WBC)
1. Tepparith Kokietgym (WBA)
2. Suriyan Sor Rungvisai
3. Omar Narvaez (WBO)
4. Tomas Rojas
5. Tomonobu Shimizu
6. Juan Carlos Sanchez (IBF)
7. Sylvester Lopez
8. Rolly Matsushita
9. Glenn Donaire
10. Victor Zaleta

(out: Rosas-lost)

Flyweights (112 lbs)
Champion: Sonny Boy Jaro (WBC)
1. Pongsaklek Wonkongjam
2. Hernan Marquez (WBA)
3. Brian Viloria (WBO)
4. Moruti Mthalane (IBF)
5. Edgar Sosa
6. Milan Melindo
7. Rodel Mayol
8. Giovanni Segura
9. Rocky Fuentes
10. Toshiyuki Igarashi

Inactive List: Mthalane
(out: Miranda-lost)

Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)
Champion: Roman Gonzalez (WBA)
1. Donnie Nietes (WBO)
2. Kompayak Porpramook (WBC)
3. Ulises Solis (IBF)
4. Johnriel Casimero
5. Adrian Hernandez
6. Ryo Miyazaki
7. Noknoi Sitthiprasert
8. Luis Ceja
9. Alberto Rossel
10. Pedro Guevara

(out: Hirales-lost)
Inactive List: Solis

Strawweights (105 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Kazuto Ioka (WBC)
2. Akira Yaegashi (WBA)
3. Nkosinathi Joyi (IBF)
4. Juan Palacios
5. Denver Cuello
6. Wanheng Menayothin
7. Pornsawan Porpramook
8. Moises Fuentes (WBO)
9. Raul Garcia
10. Hekkie Budler (IBO)

(out: Gutierrez-displaced)
Inactive List: Palacios

World Champions:  8 (of 17)


these ratings © Phrank da Slugger 2012