January Ratings

(as of 1/22)

I’ve been doing these monthly/bi-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 Maan 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.


** 2014 Note:

Listing the various world body titles was never an endorsement. Rather, I felt it was a useful guide to see which of the titles held any legitimacy if one could see where the fighters who held them were ranked.

But it has become so absolutely ridiculous, what with garbage like "interim champion" and "world champion in recess." It's beyond absurd the lengths these parasitic organizations will go to to collect more and more sanctioning fees. Gotta pay for those conventions in exotic locales.

There is only one real World Champion per division and always has been. It's only the determining criteria that causes differences of opinion here.

So I'm done tracking all of that nonsense. Who gives a crap who these cancerous groups rank or allow into a title fight? Their relationship with which promoter is usually the answer anyway.

Besides anyone who wants to can go to the websites if these parasitic organizations and see their laughable ratings. But, really, who the hell would want to?


Heavyweights (over 200 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Wladimir Klitschko
2. Tomasz Adamek
3. Kubrat Pulev
4. Tyson Fury
5. Chris Arreola
6. Ruslan Chagaev
7. Manuel Charr
8. Deontay Wilder
9. Bryant Jennings
10. Mike Perez

out: V Klitschko-inactive, Stiverne-inactive, Helenius-inactive

Crusierweights (200 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Marco Huck
2. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
3. Firat Arslan
4. Yoan Hernandez
5. Ilunga Makabu
6. Guillermo Jones
7. Thadiso Mchunu
8. Denis Lebedev
9. Grigory Drozd
10. Dmytro Kucher

Inactive List: Jones, Lebedev, Kucher

Lt. Heavyweights (175 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Sergey Kovalev
2. Adonis Stevenson
3. Bernard Hopkins
4. Andrzej Fonfara
5. Jean Pascal
6. Dmitri Sukhotsky
7. Jürgen Brähmer
8. Lucian Bute
8. Tony Bellew
9. Isaac Chilemba
10. Beibut Shumenov

out: Bellew-lost, Oliveira-lost

Super Middleweights (168 lbs)

Champion: Andre Ward

1. Carl Froch
2. Robert Stieglitz
3. Mikkel Kessler
4. Sakio Bika
5. George Groves
6. Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr
7. Brian Vera
8. Thomas Oosthuizen
9. Anthony Dirrell
10. J’Leon Love

out: Truax-moved down, Gonzalez-displaced
Inactive List: Kessler

Middleweights (160 lbs)

Champion: Sergio Martinez

1. Gennady Golovkin
2. Peter Quillin
3. Martin Murray
4. Daniel Geale
5. Felix Sturm
6. Marco Antonio Rubio
7. Gabriel Rosado
8. Caleb Truax
9. Daniel Jacobs
10. Gilberto Ramirez Sanchez

out: Barker-lost, retired

Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)

Champion: Floyd Mayweather

1. Erislandy Lara
2. Carlos Molina
3. Saul Alvarez
4. Miguel Cotto
5. Demetrius Andrade
6. James Kirkland
7. Sergey Rabchenko
8. Lukas Konecny
9. Vanes Matirosyan
10. Ishe Smith

out: Trout-lost
Inactive List: Konecny

Welterweights (147 lbs)

Champion: Tim Bradley

1. Manny Pacquiao
2. Marcos Maidana
3. Keith Thurman
4. Kell Brook
5, Shawn Porter
6. Devon Alexander
7. Robert Guerrero
8. Adrien Broner
9. Paul Malignaggi
10. Jesse Vargas

out: Soto-Karass-lost
Inactive List: Guererro

Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)

Champion: Danny Garcia  

1. Ruslan Provodnikov
2. Lucas Matthysee
3. Humberto Soto
4. Mike Alvarado
5. Khabib Allakhverdiev
6. Viktor Postol
7. Selcuk Aydin
8. Hank Lundy
9. Gabriel Bracero
10. Johan Perez

out: Judah-lost, Khan-inactive
Inactive List: Lundy

Lightweights (135 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Ricky Burns
2. Ray Beltran
3. Terrence Crawford
4. Richar Abril
5. Denis Shafikov
6. Yuriorkis Gamboa
7. Paulus Moses
8. Antonio DeMarco
9. Omar Figueroa
10. Miguel Roman

Inactive List: Abril, Gamboa

Jr. Lightweights (130 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Mikey Garcia
2. Takashi Uchiyama
3. Takashi Miura
4. Juan Carlos Burgos
5. Rances Barthelemy
6. Takahiro Aoh
7. Devis Boschiero
8. Arash Usmanee
9. Miguel Berchelt
10. Sergio Thompson

out: Mendez-lost, Jardon-lost

Featherweights (126 lbs)

Champion: Simpiwe Vetyeka

1. Jhonny Gonzalez
2. Abner Mares
3. Orlando Salido
4. Daniel Ponce de Leon
5. Evgeny Gradovich
6. Chonlatarn Piriyapinyo
7. Javier Fortuna
8. Alexander Miskirtchian
9. Gary Russell
10. Nicholas Walters

out: John-retired

Jr. Featherweights (122 lbs)

Champion: Guillermo Rigondeaux

1. Nonito Donaire
2. Leo Santa Cruz
3. Cristian Mijares
4. Kiko Martinez
5. Scott Quigg
6. Ronny Rios
7. Cesar Seda
8. Carl Frampton
9. Akifumi Shimoda
10. Yasutake Ishimoto

out: Mathebula-lost

Bantamweights (118 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Shinsuke Yamanaka
2. Anselmo Moreno
3. Koki Kameda
4. Hugo Ruiz
5. James McDonnell
6. Tomoki Kameda
7. Stuart Hall
8. Suriyan Sor Rungvisai
9. Pungluang Sor Singyu
10. Julio Ceja

out: Agbeko-moved up

Jr. Bantamweights (115 lbs)

Champion: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai

1. Liborio Solis
2. Omar Narvaez
3. Felipe Orucuta
4. Zolani Tete
5. Juan Carlos Sanchez
6. Carlos Cuadras
7. Kohei Kono
8. Tepparith Kokietgym
9. Denkaosan Kaovichit
10. Ivan Morales

out: Sato-retired

Flyweights (112 lbs)

Champion: Akira Yaegashi

1. Edgar Sosa
2. Giovanni Segura
3. Juan Francisco Estrada
4. Hernan Marquez
5. Toshiyuki Igarashi
6. Rey Megrino
7. Milan Melindo
8. Yogmongkol Vor Saengthep
9. Amnat Ruenroeng
10. Juan Carlos Reveco

out: Viloria-inactive, Fuentes-lost
Inactive List: Estrada

Inactive List: Viloria

Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)

Champion: Roman Gonzalez

1. Donnie Nietes
2. Kazuto Ioka
3. Johnriel Casimero
4. Pedro Guevara
5. Moises Fuentes
6. Adrian Hernandez
7. Fahlan Sakkreein
8. Ganigan Lopez
9. Noknoi Sitthiprasert
10. Alberto Rossel

out: Rodriguez-lost, Mendoza-displaced

Strawweights (105 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Hekkie Budler
2. Wanheng Menayothin
3. Xiong Zhao Zhong
4. Merlito Sabillo
5. Carlos Buitrago
6. Katsunari Takayama
7. Denver Cuello
8. Jesus Silvestre
9. Mateo Handig
10. Ryuji Hara

out: Miyazaki-moved up, Lopez-moved up
Inactive List: Cuello

World Champions:  10 (of 17)


these ratings © Phrank da Slugger 2014