(as of 7/23)
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. Tomasz Adamek
5. David Haye
6. Robert Helenius
7. Kubrat Pulev
8. Ruslan Chagaev
9. Chris Arreola
10. Mariusz Wach
(out: Walker-displaced)
Inactive List: Helenius
Crusierweights (200 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Marco Huck (WBO)
2. Yoan Hernandez (IBF)
3. Denis Lebedev
4. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (WBC)
5. Ola Afolabi
6. Antonio Tarver (IBO)
7. Steve Cunningham
8. Danny Green
9. Lateef Kayode
10. BJ Flores
Inactive List: Flores
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. Andrzej Fonfara
10. Cornelius White
(out: Chilemba-displaced, Grachev-displaced)
Super Middleweights (168 lbs)
Champion: Andre Ward (WBA, WBC)
1. Carl Froch (IBF)
2. Lucian Bute
3. Robert Stieglitz (WBO)
4. Thomas Oosthuizen (IBO)
5. Karoly Balzsay
6. Sakio Bika
7. Andre Dirrell
8. Brian Magee
9. Kelly Pavlik
10. Arthur Abraham
(out: Johnson-lost, Quillin-moved down)
Inactive List: Dirrell
Middleweights (160 lbs)
Champion: Sergio Martinez
1. Felix Sturm
2. Daniel Geale (IBF)
3. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr (WBC)
4. Dmitry Pirog (WBO)
5. Peter Quillin
6. Gennady Golovkin (WBA)
7. Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam
8. Marco Antonio Rubio
9. Grzegorz Proska
10. Martin Murray
(out: Lee-lost, Hope-lost)
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. Austin Trout (WBA)
8. Cornelius Bundrage (IBF)
9. Delvin Rodriguez
10. Demetrius Andrade
(out: Matirosyan-displaced)
Welterweights (147 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Tim Bradley (WBO)
2. Manny Pacquiao
3. Kell Brook
4. Dejan Zavec
5. Randall Bailey
6. Devon Alexander
7. Selcuk Aydin
8. Josesito Lopez
9. Paulie Malignaggi (WBA)
10. Mike Jones
(out: Berto-inactive, Ortiz-lost)
Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Juan Manuel Marquez (WBO)
2. Danny Garcia (WBC)
3. Lucas Matthysee
4. Lamont Peterson (WBA, IBF)
5. Mike Alvarado
6. Marcos Maidana
7. Kendall Holt
8. Humberto Soto
9. Erik Morales
10. Zab Judah
(out: Bradley-moved up, Khan-lost)
Inactive List: Peterson
Lightweights (135 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Brandon Rios
2. Adrien Broner
3. Ricky Burns (WBO)
4. Antonio DeMarco (WBC)
5. Miguel Vazquez (IBF)
6. Gavin Rees
7. Richard Abril
8. Alejandro Sanabria
9. Hank Lundy
10. Kevin Mitchell
(out: Thompson-displaced)
Jr. Lightweights (130 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Takashi Uchiyama (WBA)
2. Juan Carlos Burgos
3. Takahiro Aoh (WBC)
4. Daniel Ponce de Leon
5. Juan Carlos Salgado (IBF)
6. Argenis Mendez
7. Devis Boschiero
8. Bryan Vazquez
9. Luis Cruz
10. Vitali Tajbert
(out: Broner-moved up, Gamboa-inactive, Escobedo-lost)
Inactive List: Tajbert
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. Javier Fortuna
8. Jonathan Barros
9. Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo
10. Gary Russell
(out: Lacierva-lost)
Inactive List: Caballero
Jr. Featherweights (122 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Nonito Donaire (WBO, IBF)
2. Toshiaki Nishioka
3. Rafael Marquez
4. Abner Mares (WBC)
5. Rendall Munroe
6. Jeffrey Mathebula
7. Takalani Ndlovu
8. Guillermo Rigondeaux (WBA)
9. Yukinori Oguni
10. Akifumi Shimoda
(out: Serie-lost, Molitor-inactive)
Inactive List: Nishioka
Bantamweights (118 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Anselmo Moreno
2. Joseph Agbeko
3. Cristian Mijares
4. Jorge Arce (WBO)
5. Hugo Ruiz
6. Hugo Cazares
7. Koki Kameda (WBA)
8. Shinsuke Yamanaka (WBC)
9. Vic Darchinyan
10. Leo Santa Cruz
(out: T Kameda-displaced)
Inactive List: Agbeko, Cazares
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. Rolly Matsushita
8. Glenn Donaire
9. Victor Zaleta
10. Juan Jose Montes
(out: Lopez-lost)
Flyweights (112 lbs)
Champion: Toshiyuki Igarashi (WBC)
1. Sonny Boy Jaro
2. Pongsaklek Wonkongjam
3. Hernan Marquez (WBA)
4. Brian Viloria (WBO)
5. Edgar Sosa
6. Moruti Mthalane (IBF)
7. Milan Melindo
8. Rodel Mayol
9. Giovanni Segura
10. Rocky Fuentes
Inactive List: Mthalane
Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)
Champion: Roman Gonzalez (WBA)
1. Donnie Nietes (WBO)
2. Kompayak Porpramook (WBC)
3. Johnriel Casimero (IBF)
4. Juan Palacios
5. Adrian Hernandez
6. Ryo Miyazaki
7. Noknoi Sitthiprasert
8. Luis Ceja
9. Alberto Rossel
10. Pedro Guevara
(out: Solis-inactive)
Strawweights (105 lbs)
Champion: Kazuto Ioka (WBC)
1. Nkosinathi Joyi (IBF)
2. Akira Yaegashi
3. Denver Cuello
4. Wanheng Menayothin
5. Pornsawan Porpramook
6. Moises Fuentes (WBO)
7. Raul Garcia
8. Hekkie Budler (IBO)
9. Jesus Silvestre
10. Sammy Gutierrez
(out: Palacios-moved up)
World Champions: 8 (of 17)
these ratings © Phrank da Slugger 2012
