(as of 1/22)
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. Tomasz Adamek
4. Steve Cunningham
5. Alexander Povetkin (WBA)
6. David Haye
7. Kubrat Pulev
8. Robert Helenius
9. Ruslan Chagaev
10. Johnathon Banks
(out: Arreola-inactive)
Inactive List: Haye
Crusierweights (200 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Marco Huck (WBO)
2. Yoan Hernandez (IBF)
3. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (WBC)
4. Denis Lebedev
5. Troy Ross
6. Ola Afolabi
7. Antonio Tarver (IBO)
8. Danny Green
9. Lateef Kayode
10. Firat Arslan
Inactive List: Afolabi, Tarver, Kayode
Lt. Heavyweights (175 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Chad Dawson (WBC)
2. Bernard Hopkins
3. Tavoris Cloud (IBF)
4. Lucian Bute
5. Nathan Cleverly (WBO)
6. Andrzej Fonfara
7. Sergey Kovalev
8. Karo Murat
9. Eduard Gutknecht
10. Beibut Shumenov (WBA)
(out: Kessler-moved down, Campillo-lost)
Inactive List: Murat, Shumenov
Super Middleweights (168 lbs)
Champion: Andre Ward
1. Mikkel Kessler
2. Carl Froch (IBF)
3. Thomas Oosthuizen (IBO)
4. Arthur Abraham (WBO)
5. Karoly Balzsay
6. Robert Stieglitz
7. Sakio Bika
8. George Groves
9. Marco Antonio Rubio
10. Andre Dirrell
(out: Magee-lost, Pavlik-retired)
Inactive List: Balzsay
Middleweights (160 lbs)
Champion: Sergio Martinez (WBC)
1. Daniel Geale (IBF)
2. Felix Sturm
3. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr
4. Peter Quillin
5. Gennady Golovkin (WBA)
6. Dmitry Pirog (WBO)
7. Matthew Macklin
8. Martin Murray
9. Curtis Stevens
10. Gilberto Ramirez Sanchez
(out: N’Jikam-displaced)
Inactive List: Pirog
Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Saul Alvarez (WBC)
2. Austin Trout (WBA)
3. Floyd Mayweather
4. Carlos Molina
5. Erislandy Lara
6. Cornelius Bundrage (IBF)
7. Delvin Rodriguez
8. Demetrius Andrade
9. Vanes Matirosyan
10. Keith Thurman
(out: Cotto-lost, Kirkland-inactive)
Welterweights (147 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Juan Manuel Marquez (WBO)
2. Robert Guerrero
3. Tim Bradley (WBO)
4. Manny Pacquiao
5. Andre Berto
6. Kell Brook
7. Devon Alexander (IBF)
8. Randall Bailey
9. Marcos Maidana
10. Selcuk Aydin
(out: Zavec-inactive, Malignaggi-displaced)
Inactive List: Bradley
Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Danny Garcia (WBC)
2. Lucas Matthysee
3. Brandon Rios
4. Mike Alvarado
5. Humberto Soto
6. Kendall Holt
7. Denis Shafikov
8. Zab Judah
9. Amir Khan
10. Khabib Allakhverdiev
(out: Marquez-moved up, Mensah-lost, Dallas-displaced)
Lightweights (135 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Adrien Broner (WBC)
2. Ricky Burns (WBO)
3. Miguel Vazquez (IBF)
4. Gavin Rees
5. Alejandro Sanabria
6. Paulus Moses
7. Antonio DeMarco
8. Art Hovhannisyan
9. Jose Gonzalez
10. Ray Beltran
(out: Abril-inactive)
Jr. Lightweights (130 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Juan Carlos Salgado (IBF)
2. Takashi Uchiyama (WBA)
3. Juan Carlos Burgos
4. Argenis Mendez
5. Gamaliel Diaz (WBC)
6. Takahiro Aoh
7. Yuriorkis Gamboa
8. Devis Boschiero
9. Sergio Thompson
9. Bryan Vazquez
10. Roman Martinez (WBO)
(out: Vazquez-lost, Cruz-displaced)
Featherweights (126 lbs)
Champion: Chris John
1. Miguel Angel Garcia (WBO)
2. Daniel Ponce de Leon (WBC)
3. Orlando Salido
4. Juan Manuel Lopez
5. Billy Dib (IBF)
6. Cristian Mijares
7. Jhonny Gonzalez
8. Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo
9. Javier Fortuna
10. Gary Russell
Inactive List: Lopez
Jr. Featherweights (122 lbs)
Champion: Nonito Donaire (WBO, IBF)
1. Abner Mares (WBC)
2. Guillermo Rigondeaux (WBA)
3. Alejandro Lopez
4. Scott Quigg
5. Jeffrey Mathebula
6. Yukinori Oguni
7. Vic Darchinyan
8. Carl Frampton
9. Ronny Rios
10. Akifumi Shimoda
(out: Nishioka-retired, Munroe-lost)
Inactive List: Mathebula
Bantamweights (118 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Leo Santa Cruz (IBF)
2. Anselmo Moreno
3. Shinsuke Yamanaka (WBC)
4. Malcolm Tunacao
5. Pungluang Sor Singyu (WBO)
6. Koki Kameda (WBA)
7. Hugo Ruiz
8. Rolly Matsushita
9. Felipe Orucuta
10. Daiki Kameda
(out: Arce-retired)
Jr. Bantamweights (115 lbs)
Champion: Yota Sato (WBC)
1. Suriyan Sor Rungvisai
2. Juan Carlos Sanchez (IBF)
3. Omar Narvaez (WBO)
4. Juan Jose Montes (WBF)
5. Kohei Kono (WBA)
6. Tepparith Kokietgym
7. Roberto Sosa
8. Carlos Cuadras
9. Denkaosan Kaovichit
10. Ryo Akaho
(out: Shimizu-inactive)
Flyweights (112 lbs)
Champion: Toshiyuki Igarashi (WBC)
1. Brian Viloria (WBO, WBA)
2. Sonny Boy Jaro
3. Edgar Sosa
4. Moruti Mthalane (IBF)
5. Hernan Marquez
6. Milan Melindo
7. Rey Migreno
8. Rocky Fuentes
9. Giovanni Segura
10. Omar Soto
Inactive List: Segura
Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)
Champion: Roman Gonzalez (WBA)
1. Kazuto Ioka (WBA)
2. Donnie Nietes (WBO)
3. Johnriel Casimero (IBF)
4. Adrian Hernandez (WBC)
5. Raul Garcia
6. Juan Francisco Estrada
7. Noknoi Sitthiprasert
8. Alberto Rossel
9. Luis Rios (IBF)
10. Kompayak Porpramook
(out: Miyazaki-moved down, Palacios-inactive, Guevara-displaced)
Strawweights (105 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Ryo Miyazaki
2. Moises Fuentes (WBO)
3. Akira Yaegashi
4. Denver Cuello
5. Wanheng Menayothin
6. Hekkie Budler (IBO)
7. Mario Rodriguez (IBF)
8. Handig Singwancha
9. Nkosinathi Joyi
10. Jesus Silvestre
(out: Ioka-moved up, Porpramook-lost)
World Champions: 7 (of 17)
these ratings © Phrank da Slugger 2012
