March Ratings

(as of 3/22)

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.


** 2016 note: I’m no longer typing up the Inactive List because it’s a pain. To see who’s active or not, visit www.boxrec.com.



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: Tyson Fury

1. Anthony Joshua
2. Deontay Wilder
3. Wladimir Klitschko
4. Alexander Povetkin
5. Joseph Parker
6. Andy Ruiz
7. Luis Ortiz
8. Christian Hammer
9. Kubrat Pulev
10. Mariusz Wach

out: Miller-inactive

Crusierweights (200 lbs)

Champion: Oleksandr Usyk

1. Marco Huck
2. Tony Bellew
3. Krzysztof Glowacki
4. Murat Gassiev
5. Denis Lebedev
6. Mairis Briedis
7. Michel Cieslak
8. Maksim Vlasov
9. Kevin Lerena
10. Noel Gevor

out: Dorticos-inactive

Lt. Heavyweights (175 lbs)

Champion: Andre Ward

1. Sergey Kovalev
2. Artur Beterbiev
3. Adonis Stevenson
4. Eleider Alvarez
5. Oleksandr Gvozdyk
6. Nathan Cleverly
7. Joe Smith
8. Marcus Browne
9. Erik Skoglund
10. Yunieski Gonzalez

out: none

Super Middleweights (168 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. James DeGale
2. Badou Jack
3. Anthony Dirrell
4. Arthur Abraham
5. Callum Smith
6. Jessie Hart
7. George Groves
8. Dave Brophy
9. Tyson Zeuge
10. Jose Uzcategui

out: Dunn-lost, Satybaldiev-inactive

Middleweights (160 lbs)

Champion: Gennady Golovkin

1. Daniel Jacobs
2. David Lemieux
3. Billy Joe Saunders
4. Chris Eubank
5. Immanuwel Aleem
6. Willie Monroe
7. Sergiy Derevyanchenko
8. Jack Arnfeld
9. Matt Korobov
10. Jorge Heiland

out: Sulecki-inactive, Stevens-lost

Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Saul Alvarez
2. Jermall Charlo
3. Erislandy Lara
4. Demetrius Andrade
5. Brandon Cook
6. Jermell Charlo
7. Erickson Lubin
8. Jarrett Hurd
9. Brian Carlos Castano
10. Cedric Vitu

out: Harrison-lost, Margarito-inactive

Welterweights (147 lbs)

Champion: Manny Pacquiao

1. Keith Thurman
2. Danny Garcia
3. Errol Spence
4. Shawn Porter
5. Felix Diaz
6. Adrien Broner
7. Jeff Horn
8. Charles Manyuchi
9. Lamont Peterson
10. David Peralta

out: Gomez-inactive, Ponomarev-displaced

Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)

Champion: Terrence Crawford

1. Ricky Burns
2. Antonio Orozco
3. Tyrone Nurse
4. Julius Indongo
5. Jason Pagara
6. Sergey Lipinets
7. Jose Benavidez
8. Pedro Campa
9. Ohara Davies
10. Anthony Yigit

out: Broner-moved up, Granados-moved up

Lightweights (135 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Terry Flanagan
2. Jorge Linares
3. Robert Easter
4. Mikey Garcia
5. Denis Shafikov
6. Jonathan Maicelo
7. Felix Verdejo
8. Emiliano Marsili
9. Anthony Crolla
10. Diego Magdaleno

out: Barthelemy-inactive, Zlaticanin-lost

Jr. Lightweights (130 lbs)

Champion: Vasyl Lomachenko

1. Takashi Miura
2. Jezreel Corrales
3. Miguel Berchelt
4. Miguel Roman
5. Jason Sosa
6. Gervonta Davis
7. Malcolm Klassen
8. Liam Walsh
9. Mario Barrios
10. Tevin Farmer

out: Vargas-lost, Salido-inactive

Featherweights (126 lbs)

Champion: Leo Santa Cruz

1. Carl Frampton
2. Abner Mares
3. Oscar Valdez
4. Lee Selby
5. Josh Warrington
6. Jonathan Barros
7. Ronny Rios
8. Luis Rosa
9. Cristian Mijares
10. Daniel Roman

out: Escandon-inactive

Jr. Featherweights (122 lbs)

Champion: Guillermo Rigondeaux

1. Scott Quigg
2. Jessie Magdaleno
3. Cesar Juarez
4. Rey Vargas
5. Tyson Cave
6. Yukinori Ogumi
7. Jonathan Guzman
8. Diego de la Hoya
9. Genesis Servannia
10. Gavin McDonnell

out: Flores-inactive

Bantamweights (118 lbs)

Champion: James McDonnell

1. Shinsuke Yamanaka
2. Liborio Solis
3. Zhanat Zhalaiyanov
4. Rau’shee Warren
5. Zolani Tete
6. Juan Carlos Payano
7. Lee Haskins
8. Suriyan Sor Rungvisai
9. Marlon Tapales
10. Kentaro Masuda

out: Rodriguez-displaced

Jr. Bantamweights (115 lbs)

Champion: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai

1. Roman Gonzalez
2. Carlos Cuadras
3. Naoya Inoue
4. Norberto Jimenez
5. Rex Tso
6. Juan Francisco Estrada
7. Koki Eto
8. Khalid Yafai
9. Luis Concepcion
10. Jerwin Ancajas

out: Butler-displaced

Flyweights (112 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Donnie Nietes
2. Kazuto Ioka
3. John Riel Casimero
4. Zou Shiming
5. Vincent Legrand
6. Noknoi Sitthiprasert
7. Juan Hernandez
8. Takuya Kogawa
9. Francisco Rodriguez
10. Muhammad Waseem

out: Por Chokchai-lost

Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Milan Melindo
2. Kosei Tanaka
3. Ryoichi Taguchi
4. Pedro Guevara
5. Akira Yaegashi
6. Ganigan Lopez
7. Randy Petalcorin
8. Rey Loreto
9. Jonathan Taconing
10. Kompayak Porpramook

out: none

Strawweights (105 lbs)

Champion: VACANT

1. Knockout CP Freshmart
2. Wanheng Menayothin
3. Jose Argumedo
4. Riku Kano
5. Hekkie Budler
6. Melvin Jerusalem
7. Katsunari Takayama
8. Byron Rojas
9. Ryuya Yamanaka
10. Simphiwe Konco

out: Rivera-inactive

World Champions:  10 (of 17)


these ratings © Phrank da Slugger 2016