(as of 12/29)
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.
** 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: Anthony Joshua
1. Deontay Wilder
2. Alexander Povetkin
3. Joseph Parker
4. Dillian Whyte
5. Jarrell Miller
6. Luis Ortiz
7. Kubrat Pulev
8. Lucas Browne
9. Manuel Charr
10. Adam Kownacki
out: Takam-lost, Hammer-lost, Wach-lost
Crusierweights (200 lbs)
Champion: Oleksandr Usyk
1. Mairis Briedis
2. Tony Bellew
3. Murat Gassiev
4. Krzysztof Glowacki
5. Denis Lebedev
6. Yunier Dorticos
7. Maksim Vlasov
8. Michel Cieslak
9. Kevin Lerena
10. Noel Gevor
out: none
Lt. Heavyweights (175 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Adonis Stevenson
2. Badou Jack
3. Sergey Kovalev
4. Artur Beterbiev
5. Oleksandr Gvozdyk
6. Marcus Browne
7. Eleider Alvarez
8. Sullivan Barrera
9. Dmitry Bivol
10. Karo Murat
out: Shabranskyy-lost
Super Middleweights (168 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Chris Eubank
2. Callum Smith
3. Anthony Dirrell
4. George Groves
5. Gilberto Ramirez
6. Caleb Truax
7. James DeGale
8. David Benavidez
9. Jessie Hart
10. Rocky Fielding
out: Uzcategui-inactive
Middleweights (160 lbs)
Champion: Gennady Golovkin
1. Saul Alvarez
2. Daniel Jacobs
3. Billy Joe Saunders
4. Sergiy Derevyanchenko
5. Jermall Charlo
6. Ryota Murata
7. Hugo Centeno
8. Jack Arnfeld
9. Gary O'Sullivan
10. Roberto Garcia
out: Lemieux-lost, Arias-lost
Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Erislandy Lara
2. Jermell Charlo
3. Demetrius Andrade
4. Jarrett Hurd
5. Maciej Sulecki
6. Kanat Islam
7. Sadam Ali
8. Brian Carlos Castano
9. Liam Smith
10. Cedric Vitu
out: Cotto-lost
Welterweights (147 lbs)
Champion: Jeff Horn
1. Manny Pacquiao
2. Keith Thurman
3. Errol Spence
4. Shawn Porter
5. Danny Garcia
6. Omar Figueroa
7. Konstantin Ponomarev
8. Quadratillo Abduqaxorov
9. Carlos Adames
10. Jamal James
out: Ali-moved up
Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)
Champion: Terrence Crawford
1. Mikey Garcia
2. Antonio Orozco
3. Sergey Lipinets
4. Jose Ramirez
5. Anthony Yigit
6. Rances Barthelemy
7. Jack Catterall
8. Yves Ulysee
9. Tyrone Nurse
10. Mario Barrios
out: Pagara-lost
Lightweights (135 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Jorge Linares
2. Terry Flanagan
3. Robert Easter
4. Ray Beltran
5. Emiliano Marsili
6. Anthony Crolla
7. Ryan Martin
8. Rene Alvarado
9. Paulus Moses
10. Mercito Gesta
out: Verdejo-inactive, Shafikov-lost, Roman-moved down
Jr. Lightweights (130 lbs)
Champion: Vasyl Lomachenko
1. Miguel Berchelt
2. Gervonta Davis
3. Takashi Miura
4. Robinson Castellanos
5. Alberto Machado
6. Kenichi Ogawa
7. Tevin Farmer
8. Miguel Roman
9. Eduardo Hernandez
10. Masayuki Ito
out: Ramos-displaced
Featherweights (126 lbs)
Champion: Leo Santa Cruz
1. Carl Frampton
2. Oscar Valdez
3. Lee Selby
4. Abner Mares
5. Scott Quigg
6. Josh Warrington
7. Genesis Servania
8. Gary Russell
9. Cristian Mijares
10. Joseph Diaz
out: Rosa-lost
Jr. Featherweights (122 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Rey Vargas
2. Jessie Magdaleno
3. Cesar Juarez
4. Julio Ceja
5. Diego de la Hoya
6. Daniel Roman
7. Ryosuke Iwasa
8. Eduardo Ramirez
9. Gavin McDonnell
10. Shingo Wake
out: Rigondeaux-moved up, Quigg-moved up
Bantamweights (118 lbs)
Champion: James McDonnell
1. Luis Nery
2. Ryan Burnett
3. Shinsuke Yamanaka
4. Liborio Solis
5. Zolani Tete
6. Juan Carlos Payano
7. Zhanat Zhalaiyanov
8. Rau’shee Warren
9. Paul Butler
10. Marlon Tapales
out: none
Jr. Bantamweights (115 lbs)
Champion: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
1. Juan Francisco Estrada
2. Naoya Inoue
3. Khalid Yafai
4. Norberto Jimenez
5. Carlos Cuadras
6. Rex Tso
7. Koki Eto
8. Jonas Sultan
9. Jerwin Ancajas
10. Iran Diaz
out: none
Flyweights (112 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Donnie Nietes
2. Daigo Higa
3. Kazuto Ioka
4. Vincent Legrand
5. Sho Kimura
6. Noknoi Sitthiprasert
7. Muhammad Waseem
8. Masayuki Kuroda
9. Moruti Mthalane
10. Andrew Selby
out: none
Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Milan Melindo
2. Kosei Tanaka
3. Ken Shiro
4. Ryoichi Taguchi
5. Randy Petalcorin
6. Pedro Guevara
7. Hekkie Budler
8. Felix Alvarado
9. Ganigan Lopez
10. Jonathan Taconing
out: none
Strawweights (105 lbs)
Champion: VACANT
1. Wanheng Menayothin
2. Thammanoon Niyomtrong (Knockout CP Freshmart)
3. Ryuya Yamanaka
4. Byron Rojas
5. Jerry Tomogdan
6. Hiroto Kyoguchi
7. Jose Argumedo
8. Simphiwe Khonco
9. Joey Canoy
10. Chao Zhong Xiong
out: none
World Champions: 8 (of 17)
these ratings © Phrank da Slugger 2017
