Originally Published: February 9, 2010
ESPN.com's divisional rankings
What recent changes have been made in boxing's weight class rankings? Dan Rafael reveals his new world standings.
Check out my rankings within each division by clicking on the links below.
Who is the best fighter, regardless of weight class? See my pound-for-pound rankings. 
Note: Results through Feb. 8. In an effort to provide the most up-to-date rankings, ESPN.com's division-by-division boxing rankings will be updated every Tuesday.
1. Wladimir Klitschko (53-3) Klitschko hasn't fought since a ruthless destruction of Ruslan Chagaev in June because of a left shoulder injury that required surgery. But now Klitschko is ready to go and will make a mandatory defense against slick American Eddie Chambers in Germany. With American networks either not interested or unable to afford the fight, look for it to wind up on pay-per-view. Next: March 20 vs. Chambers. 2. Vitali Klitschko (39-2) With ease, Klitschko dominated American Kevin Johnson for a shutout decision on Dec. 12 in a fight in which Johnson never tried to do anything but survive. Although Klitschko was taken the distance for only the second time in his career, he was barely touched. Johnson landed a pathetic five power shots in the entire fight. There is no legitimate competition for either Klitschko brother right now. Next: TBA. 3. Alexander Povetkin (18-0) In his first fight with new trainer Teddy Atlas, Povetkin smashed Leo Nolan for a third-round knockout on Dec. 5 to stay on course for an eventual (and long overdue) mandatory title shot against Wladimir Klitschko. Since it's going to be awhile, Povetkin plans to take a stay-busy fight. Next: March 13 vs. TBA. 4. Eddie Chambers (35-1) Chambers, who earned his mandatory title shot against Wladimir Klitschko by dismantling Alexander Dimitrenko last summer in Germany, will head back to Germany for the opportunity. Hopefully, an American television network will pick up this significant fight. Next: March 20 vs. W. Klitschko. 5. David Haye (23-1) Despite being nine inches shorter and outweighed by 98 pounds, the former cruiserweight champ claimed a dreadful majority decision against Nikolai Valuev to claim a title on Nov. 7. The good news for Haye is he got the belt. The bad news is that he's stuck with a mandatory defense against John Ruiz. Next: April 3 vs. Ruiz. 6. Samuel Peter (33-3) For a change, Peter was in excellent condition at 240 pounds when he stopped journeyman Gabe Brown in the fourth round Dec. 19. Next up, Peter faces Nagy Aguilera (who is coming off a first-round, upset knockout win against former titlist Oleg Maskaev) in an eliminator on a "Top Rank Live" card in Dallas the night before Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey. The winner moves a step closer to a mandatory shot against Wladimir Klitschko. Next: March 12 vs. Aguilera. 7. Nikolai Valuev (50-2) Valuev was as slow as a glacier against Haye in November. He didn't throw enough punches or use his massive size to his advantage. It cost Valuev his title in a horrible fight to watch. Now Valuev is on top of the list for a possible May fight with Vitali Klitschko. Next: TBA. 8. Ruslan Chagaev (25-1-1) In the wake of his disastrous outing against Wladimir Klitschko in June, Chagaev has replaced trainer Michael Timm with Magomed Schaburow, with an eye toward returning to the ring in early 2010. His trainer is not why he lost to Klitschko. He lost because he was the far inferior fighter. Eddie Futch couldn't have helped him win. Next: TBA. 9. Cristobal Arreola (28-1) Just 70 days after being shellacked by Vitali Klitschko in a 10th-round TKO loss, Arreola returned to score a fourth-round knockout of game Brian Minto in an exciting slugfest on Dec. 5. Arreola will be back on HBO for his next fight, which could come April 24 against Tomasz Adamek. Next: TBA. 10. Tomasz Adamek (40-1) The former cruiserweight champion won his second consecutive heavyweight bout by outboxing and outslugging Jason Estrada for a unanimous decision Feb. 6 to set up a possible April fight with Arreola. Next: TBA. | ||||||
1. Steve Cunningham (22-2) Cunningham will face Matt Godfrey for the alphabet belt vacated by Tomasz Adamek. Since promoter Don King won the purse bid for $65,200, he is putting the bout on a card he is planning for the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. Next: March 19 vs. Godfrey. 2. Marco Huck (27-1) Huck's second title defense will come in Germany against the one and only Adam "The Swamp Donkey" Richards (23-2), who is dropping down from heavyweight. Not sure how legitimate of a chance the Donkey has, but one thing you can bank on: If he goes down, he'll go down swinging. Next: March 13 vs. Richards. 3. Zsolt Erdei (31-0) The former light heavyweight titleholder from Hungary gave up his belt after 11 defenses in a six-year reign to move up in weight and scored a majority decision against Giacobbe Fragomeni to claim a title Nov. 21. However, Erdei gave up the belt and intends to move back down to light heavyweight. Next: TBA. 4. Giacobbe Fragomeni (26-2-1) With Erdei vacating, Italy's Fragomeni, who split with trainer Patrizio Oliva and will now be trained by Maurizio Zennoni, could face Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in an eliminator -- with the winner getting a shot at the vacant belt. Next: TBA. 5. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (42-2-1) The former titleholder from Poland could face Fragomeni in one eliminator to get a shot at the belt Erdei vacated. The other half of the four-man elimination series could be Herbie Hide against Francisco Palacios, with the winners of the two eliminators to meet for the vacant belt. But remember: This is a WBC plan and things rarely go as planned. Next: TBA. 6. Troy Ross (23-1) The 2009 winner of "The Contender" returned from a rib injury to administer one of his own as he destroyed journeyman Daniel Bispo with a first-round body shot on Dec. 5. Ross deserves a title shot. Next: TBA. 7. Ola Afolabi (14-2-3) Afolabi was competitive, but couldn't turn back Huck in their close title fight on Dec. 5 in Germany. Next: TBA. 8. Matt Godfrey (20-1) Godfrey has won four in a row since a March 2008 decision loss to Rudolf Kraj in Germany in a title eliminator to work his way into a mandatory fight with former titlist Cunningham for a vacant title. Next: March 19 vs. Cunningham. 9. Danny Green (28-3) Green, one of the most popular fighters in Australia, scored his most famous victory by stopping the shell of Roy Jones in the first round on Dec. 2. After the win, there was talk of a match with light heavyweight star Bernard Hopkins, but that fell apart over (what else?) money. Next: TBA. 10. Herbie Hide (48-4) Believe it or not, Hide is still around and on a 13-fight winning streak since his last loss in 2004. Next: TBA. | ||||||
1. Chad Dawson (29-0) Although it wasn't a crowd-pleasing performance, Dawson dominated Glen Johnson to pick up an interim trinket in their rematch on Nov. 7. Dawson had a much easier time with Johnson than he did in their first far more competitive fight in 2008. Next up is a likely trip to Canada in June to face titlist Jean Pascal. Next: TBA. 2. Bernard Hopkins (50-5-1) While Hopkins took care of his business Dec. 2 by dismantling Enrique Ornelas in a lopsided decision, Roy Jones got knocked out by Danny Green in one round in Australia, seemingly killing a planned Jones-Hopkins rematch. However, they are going ahead with the fight anyway and will unbelievably try to sell it on pay-per-view. What a joke. Next: April 3 vs. Jones. 3. Jean Pascal (25-1) Pascal showed enormous heart in his Dec. 11 rematch with fellow Montreal fighter Adrian Diaconu, dislocating his right shoulder three times in the bout but making it to the final bell for the well-deserved victory. Pascal needed surgery, which will delay a possible match with Dawson until June. Next: TBA. 4. Glen Johnson (50-13-2) The 41-year-old Johnson looked years younger as he thrashed and bashed Yusaf Mack, dropping him three times in the sixth round for the TKO victory Feb. 5 on "Friday Night Fights." The win earned the former champion a mandatory shot at the belt held by Tavoris Cloud. Next: TBA. 5. Gabriel Campillo (19-3) Although Spain's Campillo lost the decision and his belt to Beibut Shumenov in a Jan. 29 rematch, it was a highway robbery. Just a disgusting decision, and Campillo won't be penalized in the rankings for that hose job. Next: TBA. 6. Tavoris Cloud (20-0) Cloud, who claimed the belt that Dawson dumped by dominating former titlist Clinton Woods in a unanimous decision last summer, comes out of hiding and is supposed to make his first defense on ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights." Next: March 26 vs. TBA. 7. Adrian "The Shark" Diaconu (26-2) Diaconu put up a heckuva fight in his Dec. 11 rematch with Pascal but couldn't outbox the slicker titleholder. There has been some talk of a possible bout with Librado Andrade. Next: TBA. 8. Antonio Tarver (27-6) Although Tarver, now 40, appears headed toward retirement, especially now that he has a nice gig as a Showtime analyst, he may still fight. One bout that has been discussed is a heavyweight match with James Toney. Next: TBA. 9. Hugo Hernan Garay (32-4) Argentina's Garay lost his title via majority decision to Campillo in June, but he returns to face American Chris Henry (24-2) in Cancun, Mexico. Since the laughable WBA hands out belts like the nice women hand out free food samples at Costco, they'll meet for an interim title. The bout is part of a split-site pay-per-view that also includes the Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.-Marvin Sonsona vacant junior featherweight title bout from Puerto Rico. Next: Feb. 27 vs. Henry. 10. Karo Murat (20-0) The German contender owns a 2008 decision win against Campillo in a European championship fight. Next: TBA. | ||||||
1. Andre Ward (21-0) America's only boxing gold medalist in the 2004 Olympics (and the only one since 1996), rose to the occasion and whipped Mikkel Kessler in an 11-round technical decision on Nov. 21 to claim a title and stamp his arrival as a force to be reckoned with in the Super Six World Boxing Classic. Ward was originally supposed to face Jermain Taylor in the next round of the tournament, but Taylor withdrew, leaving Ward to face alternate Allan Green. Next: April 17 vs. Green. 2. Lucian Bute (25-0) Bute's next title defense will be on HBO from Montreal, where he packs the house. He'll face the always-entertaining Edison Miranda (33-4). Next: April 17 vs. Miranda. 3. Carl Froch (26-0) Froch opened Showtime's Super Six tournament by retaining his title via split decision against the quicker Andre Dirrell on Oct. 17. It wasn't Froch's best performance, but he got the job done against a faster opponent who tried to stink him out. Froch's next opponent in the round-robin is Kessler in Kessler's native Denmark. Next: April 17 vs. Kessler 4. Mikkel Kessler (42-2) In the wake of his stunning upset title loss to Ward, Kessler fired career-long trainer Ricard Olsen and replaced him with longtime assistant Jimmy Montoya, who takes over as Kessler prepares for his second bout of the Super Six tournament, which will be an opportunity to win another title by facing Froch. Next: April 17 vs. Froch. 5. Arthur Abraham (31-0) As usual, Abraham started slow and came on very, very strong, knocking Jermain Taylor out cold with six seconds left in their Oct. 17 fight for an explosive finish to the opening bout of the Super Six tournament. Abraham moves on in the round robin to face Dirrell in the United States. Next: March 6 vs. Dirrell. 6. Allan Green (29-1) Green agreed to face Sakio Bika on Feb. 5 for the right to replace Taylor in the Super Six tournament, but Bika wound up not accepting the fight. The result was good news for Green, who will now go directly into the tournament and a title shot against Ward. Next: April 17 vs. Ward. 7. Sakio Bika (28-3-2) Bika has complained about not getting opportunities, yet he turned his back on a Feb. 5 box-off with Green for the right to replace Taylor in the Super Six. Bika had the opportunity and, for whatever reason, didn't take it. Don't want to hear him complaining anymore. Next: TBA. 8. Andre Dirrell (18-1) In his opening bout of the Super Six tournament, Dirrell dropped a tight split decision to Froch. It was a fight Dirrell could certainly have won had he not given away so many rounds with his running, holding style. But he gained valuable experience for his next bout, a very tough assignment against Abraham. Next: March 6 vs. Abraham. 9. Librado Andrade (28-3) Andrade came close to knocking Bute out in the final seconds of their first fight in October 2008, but fell short thanks to terrible refereeing. In the Nov. 28 rematch, the referee didn't have to do anything but count to 10 when Bute stunningly knocked him out with a body shot in the fourth round. Next: TBA. 10. Robert Stieglitz (37-2) In his first defense, Stieglitz stopped Ruben Eduardo Acosta in the fifth round on Jan. 9 in Germany. Argentina's Acosta was the last-minute replacement for Edison Miranda, who had withdrawn on Dec. 28 because of the flu and a nasal infection. Next: TBA. | ||||||
1. Kelly Pavlik (36-1) The champ returned to action Dec. 19 after a tumultuous 10 months to blow out Miguel Espino via fifth-round knockout. Now, his camp is in serious discussions for an April 17 HBO fight against junior middleweight titlist Sergio Martinez. That's a terrific fight. Let's hope HBO and the promoters get it worked out. Next: TBA. 2. Paul Williams (38-1) In one of the best slugfests of 2009, Williams followed his lopsided decision win against Winky Wright in April to eke out a majority decision against junior middleweight titlist Sergio Martinez on Dec. 5 in a truly great fight. A rematch is possible down the road, but in the meantime there's a chance Williams could drop down to junior middleweight and face Kermit Cintron on HBO on May 8. Next: TBA. 3. Felix Sturm (33-2-1) Sturm is mired in a promotional dispute with Universum and his schedule is up in the air big-time because of it. It could be a while before we see him defend his belt again. Next: TBA. 4. Khoren Gevor (30-4) The first time Gevor fought for a title, Arthur Abraham knocked him cold in the 11th round in 2007. Gevor acquitted himself much better in his second shot, a July 11 match with Sturm, but was robbed of the decision. Next: TBA. 5. Sebastian Sylvester (33-3) Germany's Sylvester was scheduled to make his first title defense against Spain's Pablo Navascues on Jan. 30, but Navascues flunked a random drug test and was bounced from the fight. He faced American journeyman Billy Lyell instead and stopped him in the 10th round of a lopsided fight. Next: TBA. 6. Anthony Mundine (37-3) The former super middleweight titleholder moved down to middleweight and then hoped to move down again to junior middleweight for a Jan. 11 bout against Australian countryman Robert Medley. However, when it became apparent that Mundine would not be able to make the weight, they made it a middleweight bout and Mundine claimed a unanimous decision. Next: TBA. 7. Roman Karmazin (39-3-1) The former junior middleweight titleholder was in big trouble against Dionisio Miranda on Jan. 8, but rallied for a sensational 10th-round knockout on the season premiere of ESPN2's "Friday Night Fights." The win made Karmazin the mandatory challenger for Sylvester's title. Next: TBA. 8. Winky Wright (51-5-1) With no big fight on the horizon, Wright planned to stay busy by headlining a small pay-per-view card from Puerto Rico on Dec. 11 against Grady Brewer (26-11), a former winner of "The Contender." That was until the promoter in Puerto Rico pulled the plug on the card with little explanation. Next: TBA. 9. Marco Antonio Rubio (45-5-1) Mexico's Rubio won his second fight in a row since being outclassed in a February 2009 title shot against Pavlik when he knocked out Rigoberto Alvarez in the ninth round on Jan. 16. Next: TBA. 10. Daniel Geale (22-1) Australia's Geale scored a shutout 12-round decision against C-level Brazilian opponent Samir Barbosa to set the stage for a potential rematch in 2010 with Mundine, who edged Geale in May 2009. Next: TBA. | ||||||
1. Sergio Martinez (44-2-2) Martinez stepped up to middleweight to tangle with the man nobody wants to face, Paul Williams, on Dec. 5 and gave as good as he got. It was a sensational fight. Although Martinez dropped a majority decision that easily could have gone his way, he showed that he is one of the best fighters in the world. The junior middleweight titleholder may parlay that great performance into a shot at middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik on April 17 on HBO. The sides are negotiating the fight. Next: TBA. 2. Sergei Dzinziruk (36-0) The titleholder from Ukraine finally came to a settlement with promoter Universum over his contract. They have parted ways and Dzinziruk signed a co-promotional agreement with American promoters Artie Pelullo and Gary Shaw with the intention of coming to the United States to fight. Next: TBA. 3. Cory Spinks (37-5) Spinks is supposed to make a mandatory defense against Cornelius "K9" Bundrage (29-4), but Spinks is so out of shape that trainer Kevin Cunningham quit in disgust and promoter Don King is planning to move the fight off March 6, perhaps to March 27, to give him more time to get ready. Next: TBA. 4. Kermit Cintron (32-2-1) First, the former welterweight titlist was mentioned as a possible opponent for Miguel Cotto's June comeback fight. Then he was discussed as a possible opponent for Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the wake of the disintegration of Mayweather's fight with Manny Pacquiao. Now, he has been mentioned for Paul Williams on May 8. One of these days Cintron actually will get a fight instead of just being mentioned for them. Next: TBA. 5. Alfredo "Perro" Angulo (17-1) The always entertaining Angulo will be back on HBO in the spring against Joel "Love Child" Julio (35-3), possibly on the April 24 undercard of heavyweight Cristobal Arreola's proposed fight with Tomasz Adamek. Next: TBA vs. Julio. 6. Yuri Foreman (28-0) The future rabbi easily outpointed woefully out-of-shape Daniel Santos to win a title on the Nov. 14 Pacquiao-Cotto undercard. It's a victory Foreman may parlay into a big-money title defense against Cotto on June 12, the eve of the annual Puerto Rican Day parade in New York. Next: TBA. 7. Joachim Alcine (32-1) Canada's Alcine, who lost his title via sixth-round knockout to Santos in July 2008, won his second in a row since as he took a spirited decision from France's solid Christophe Canclaux on Dec. 5. The victory should position Alcine for a possible title shot in 2010. Next: TBA. 8. Deandre Latimore (20-2) In June 2008, Latimore stopped Sechew Powell in the seventh round on ESPN2. They are headed for a rematch on "Friday Night Fights," this time in a title eliminator, with the winner becoming the mandatory challenger for Spinks' belt. Next: March 19 vs. Powell. 9. Ryan Rhodes (43-4) Rhodes pulled a major upset, won the European title and set himself up for a mandatory shot against Martinez with a hard-fought seventh-round knockout of English countryman Jamie Moore on Oct. 23. It was one of the best fights of 2009. Next: TBA. 10. Carlos Quintana (27-2) Quintana, who handed Paul Williams his only pro loss (but was knocked out in the first round of the rematch), ended a 14-month layoff by stopping game Jesse Feliciano on cuts in the third round on the Dec. 5 Williams-Martinez undercard. It was Quintana's second junior middleweight fight in a row, although he could return to welterweight for the right fight. Next: TBA. | ||||||
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1. Sugar Shane Mosley (46-5) After the cancellation of a Jan. 30 unification fight with Andre Berto, Mosley quickly came to terms for a much bigger fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr., and has already signed the contract. It's a showdown that many have wanted to see since the late 1990s when Mosley was the lightweight champ and Mayweather was the junior lightweight champ. Next: May 1 vs. Mayweather. 2. Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2) The biggest fight in the sport, Pacquiao against Mayweather, bit the dust over drug testing procedures, and both sides deserve blame for casting a pall over boxing. With the big one down the tubes, Pacquiao is moving on to face former titlist Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium. It's a nice fight, but nothing compared to Mayweather. Next: March 13 vs. Clottey. 3. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0) After the former champ's showdown with Pacquiao fell apart, Mayweather was left without a dance partner, but found one when Mosley's fight with Berto was canceled. At long last, Mayweather will actually step into the ring with a star welterweight opponent. It's about time. Next: May 1 vs. Mosley. 4. Miguel Cotto (34-2) After taking a beating from Pacquiao in November, Cotto took some time off and then dealt with the untimely death of his father. But Cotto still plans to return, probably on June 12 in New York to challenge junior middleweight titlist Yuri Foreman on the eve of the annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade. Next: TBA. 5. Joshua Clottey (35-3) The former titlist has split with trainer Kwame Asante and gone back to trainer Godwin Kotey, with whom he hadn't worked with since 2004, in preparation for his big opportunity against Pacquiao. Next: March 13 vs. Pacquiao. 6. Andre Berto (25-0) Berto was scheduled for a Jan. 30 unification fight against Mosley, but he understandably withdrew following the massive earthquake in Haiti. Berto tragically lost eight family members in the disaster and needed to focus on his family far more than he needed to be training for the most significant fight of his career. There is talk of an April 10 ring return, perhaps against Paulie Malignaggi. Next: TBA. 7. Luis Collazo (30-4) Collazo could meet Selcuk Aydin in Europe for a vacant interim belt in April. Don King, Collazo's promoter, is working with Aydin promoter Ahmet Öner to put it together. Next: TBA. 8. Zab Judah (38-6) The former champ, who would like to move back to junior welterweight, has had his name come up for fights against Tim Bradley, Marcos Maidana and Victor Cayo. They are all interesting fights, but don't bet the house on any of them happening. Next: TBA. 9. Selcuk Aydin (19-0) The rugged 2004 Olympian from Turkey knocked out the solid Jackson Bonsu in July to win the vacant European title and now may face Collazo in April for a vacant interim title. Next: TBA. 10. Jan Zaveck (28-1) In the upset, Slovenia's Zaveck blew out Isaac Hlatshwayo in three rounds in South Africa on Dec. 11 to claim a title. It was an impressive performance, as Zaveck scored a knockdown in the second round and two more to finish the fight in the third. Next: TBA. | ||||||
1. Timothy Bradley Jr. (25-0) In the best performance of his career, Bradley dominated Lamont Peterson in what many expected to be a highly competitive fight on Dec. 12. But Bradley scored a third-round knockdown and rolled to the stunningly lopsided decision in the entertaining fight. Next: TBA. 2. Ricky Hatton (45-2) The former champ announced that he would make a comeback from his two-round blowout loss to Manny Pacquiao in May 2009, and that he wants to fight a top opponent. When Hatton makes his return, probably this summer, he'll do so with a new trainer now that he and Lee Beard have parted ways. Next: TBA. 3. Amir Khan (22-1) In his first fight since signing with Golden Boy, Khan is poised to come to America to defend his title against lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez on May 15 in Las Vegas in a major HBO fight. That's one hell of a way to introduce yourself to American fans. Next: TBA. 4. Kendall Holt (25-3) Idle since losing his title to Bradley in an April 2009 unification bout, Holt will return to face South Africa's Kaizer Mabuza (22-6-3) in a title eliminator that will give the winner a mandatory shot at Urango's belt. Next: Feb. 27 vs. Mabuza. 5. Devon Alexander (19-0) The 22-year-old titleholder will make his HBO debut in a title unification fight with Urango. It will be Alexander's speed and skills against Urango's power and determination. Next: March 6 vs. Urango. 6. Paulie Malignaggi (27-3) Following the death of the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, Malignaggi was mentioned prominently as a possible opponent for Mayweather. Then there were conversations about a fight with Khan that quickly died over major deal differences. Now, he's in the hunt to move up to welterweight and challenge titlist Andre Berto in April. Next: TBA. 7. Juan Urango (22-2-1) Urango survived a brutal knockdown to rally for three knockdowns of his own en route to a title-retaining 11th-round TKO of mandatory challenger Randall Bailey in a terrific fight in August. When Urango faces Alexander on HBO in a unification fight, he couldn't be facing a foe with a more different style than Bailey. Next: March 6 vs. Alexander. 8. Marcos Maidana (27-1) Argentina's big-punching Maidana holds an interim title and is Khan's mandatory, but that situation is being swept under the rug by Golden Boy and the WBA. The result will be Maidana facing Victor Cayo (24-0) on HBO. Excellent match. Next: March 27 vs. Cayo. 9. Andreas Kotelnik (31-3-1) Ukraine's Kotelnik was outclassed in losing his belt to Khan in a one-sided decision on July 18. He simply could not deal with Khan's speed and movement. Next: TBA. 10. Lamont Peterson (27-1) In a mandatory shot against Bradley, Peterson was outclassed in their exciting Dec. 12 bout. But you know what? Peterson actually fought a pretty good fight. If Holt wins his upcoming bout, we could see Holt facing Peterson on June 12 in the Yuri Foreman-Miguel Cotto co-feature at Madison Square Garden. Solid fight. Next: TBA. | ||||||
1. Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1) The champ's try at welterweight was a disaster as he was destroyed by the returning Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September. Now, Marquez is on the verge of signing for a junior welterweight title bout against England's Amir Khan. If the fight happens, and Marquez wins, he would become the first Mexican fighter to win titles in four weight classes. Next: TBA. 2. Edwin Valero (27-0) Venezuela's Valero went to Antonio DeMarco's turf in Mexico and beat him down for nine rounds to retain his title in an exciting performance on Feb. 6 in his Showtime debut. Making Valero's win even more impressive was that he did it with a giant gash on his forehead after he got creamed by an accidental elbow in the second round. Next: TBA. 3. Ali Funeka (30-2-3) South African promoter Branco Sports won the Jan. 26 purse bid for the right to promote Funeka against Rolando Reyes for a vacant belt. Branco's bid of $140,000 easily beat the only other offer, which was $76,000 by Gotham Boxing, Funeka's American co-promoter. Next: TBA vs. Reyes. 4. Joel Casamayor (37-4-1) The 38-year-old former two-division champ ended a 14-month layoff by outpointing journeyman Jason Davis in eight rounds on Nov. 6 on the undercard of a worthless pay-per-view show. Casamayor was a career-heavy 146 pounds and looked very rusty despite winning a lopsided decision. Next: TBA. 5. Michael Katsidis (26-2) Katsidis, whose interim belt may become a full belt shortly when Marquez makes his exit from the division official, was slated to face junior lightweight titleholder Robert Guerrero on March 27 on HBO. But Guerrero withdrew because his wife is seriously ill. Next: TBA. 6. Rolando Reyes (31-4-2) If Reyes wants to fight for a vacant title, he'll have to go to South Africa to face Funeka after South African promoter Branco Sports won the purse bid on Jan. 26. Next: TBA vs. Funeka. 7. Joan Guzman (29-0-1) The former titlist at junior featherweight and junior lightweight got a gift draw against Funeka for a vacant belt Nov. 28. But because Guzman suffered cuts and is unavailable for a rematch (which nobody would want to see anyway) for several months, he was passed over for an opportunity to fight for the vacant belt again, leaving Funeka and Reyes to do the honors. Next: TBA. 8. Paulus Moses (25-0) Promoter Don King is talking about matching Namibia's Moses, one of the most obscure titleholders in boxing, with faded all-time great Marco Antonio Barrera. Next: TBA. 9. Antonio DeMarco (23-1-1) DeMarco had a rough, rough night as Valero hammered him for nine rounds before he retired on the stool in a title challenge on Feb. 6. Can DeMarco rebound? Next: TBA. 10. Kevin Mitchell (30-0) England's Mitchell looked outstanding on Dec. 5 as he easily outboxed rugged Breidis Prescott for a near-shutout decision that should move him closer to a title opportunity. Next: Feb. 13 vs. Ignacio Mendoza. | ||||||
1. Humberto Soto (50-7-2) Soto holds a title, but he has been dabbling at lightweight. One possible fight for Soto at 135 pounds is a match with David Diaz on the March 13 Manny Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey undercard, which would be an atrocity. Next: TBA. 2. Robert Guerrero (25-1-1) Guerrero, who holds a title at 130 pounds, planned to move up to lightweight and face interim titlist Michael Katsidis on HBO on March 27. However, Guerrero withdrew from the fight because his wife is seriously ill. Next: TBA. 3. Roman Martinez (23-0-1) In his first title defense, Puerto Rico's Martinez knocked out Colombia's Feider Viloria in the ninth round on the Ivan Calderon-Rodel Mayol II pay-per-view undercard in September. Now, his mandatory defense against Ricky Burns is due. Next: TBA. 4. Mzonke Fana (29-4) The former titleholder stopped South African countryman Jasper Seroka in the sixth round of a July 31 title eliminator, meaning Fana is due a mandatory shot at Guerrero. Next: TBA. 5. Takashi Uchiyama (14-0) In a shocker, Japan's Uchiyama stopped Mexico's Juan Carlos Salgado in the 12th round in Tokyo on Jan. 11 to claim a title. Next: TBA. 6. Juan Carlos Salgado (22-1-1) In October, Salgado authored one of the biggest upsets of 2009 when he blew out Jorge Linares in the first round to claim a title. But in his first defense, Salgado was on the receiving end of an upset when Uchiyama stopped him in the 12th round on Jan. 11. Next: TBA. 7. Jorge Linares (27-1) In one of the upsets of the year, Linares, heralded as one of the best young fighters in the sport, was relieved of his title Oct. 10, when Salgado knocked him out in the first round. It came just a couple of weeks after Golden Boy trumpeted signing him to a big co-promotional deal to come to the U.S. for major fights. That was, of course, assuming he beat Salgado. Next: TBA. 8. Malcolm Klassen (24-5-2) Klassen talked a big game about how he would knock out Guerrero and retain his title in their Aug. 22 fight. Then the fight happened, and South Africa's Klassen couldn't come close to backing up his words, as he was soundly outpointed and lost his belt in his first fight in the United States. Next: TBA. 9. Cassius Baloyi (37-4-1) The former titleholder from South Africa shut out Argentina's Roberto Arrieta in a decision win Oct. 30. Next: TBA. 10. Jorge Solis (38-2-2) Mexico's Solis, who was moving up to junior lightweight, survived a third-round knockdown to stop Colombia's Likar Ramos with a seventh-round body shot and claim an interim belt on Feb. 6. Next: TBA. | ||||||
1. Chris John (43-0-2) John's past two bouts have come in the United States, but he will return to Indonesia to defend his title this spring before a possible American return. He has been mentioned as a possible future opponent for Juan Manuel Lopez or Yuriorkis Gamboa. Next: TBA. 2. Juan Manuel Lopez (28-0) Lopez gave up his junior featherweight title and moved up in weight to dominate Steven Luevano en route to an impressive seventh-round knockout on Jan. 23. The victory gave Lopez his second title and continued to stoke interest in an eventual unification bout with Yuriorkis Gamboa, who turned in a great performance in the co-feature. Next: TBA. 3. Yuriorkis Gamboa (17-0) In the Jan. 23 HBO co-feature to Lopez-Luevano, Gamboa defended his belt in a sensational performance by blowing away Rogers Mtagwa in two rounds. Although Gamboa and Lopez are on a collision course, it's going to be awhile until they actually hook up. In the meantime, Gamboa will make his next defense in Germany on a card promoted by Arena Box, his co-promoter. Next: March 27 vs. TBA. 4. Cristobal Cruz (39-11-2) When Cruz faced Mexican countryman Ricardo Castillo in 2003, Cruz took an eight-round decision. Meeting in a rematch on Dec. 19, Cruz retained his title when the fight ended as a third-round technical draw after an accidental head-butt left Cruz unable to continue. A third bout is under discussion. Next: TBA. 5. Elio Rojas (21-1) The chronically inactive Rojas finally has his first title defense scheduled. He'll head to Mexico to face faded former titlist Guty Espadas Jr. (45-7). Next: Feb. 20 vs. Espadas. 6. Steven Luevano (37-2-1) Luevano was a good titleholder, successfully defending a belt five times before running into the Lopez buzz saw on Jan. 23. Luevano simply did not have the physical strength to keep Lopez off of him, and he paid the price. Next: TBA. 7. Rocky Juarez (28-5-1) Juarez, who fell to 0-5-1 in world title bouts after losing a clear decision to John in their September rematch, may return on the April 3 Roy Jones-Bernard Hopkins II pay-per-view undercard against Jason Litzau (26-2). Next: TBA. 8. Mario Santiago (21-1-1) Puerto Rico's Santiago will face the Philippines' Bernabe Concepcion on Top Rank's next pay-per-view card. It's a nice matchup between guys who both fell short in title challenges against Luevano; Santiago got a draw and Concepcion was disqualified for a knockout punch after the bell. Next: Feb. 13 vs. Concepcion. 9. Juan Carlos Burgos (24-0) The 22-year-old Burgos took apart Mexican countryman Juan Carlos Martinez and stopped him in the 12th round of a dominant performance to inch closer to a title opportunity on Jan. 15. Burgos' next bout could come against former bantamweight titlist Jhonny Gonzalez in March. Next: TBA. 10. Bernabe Concepcion (27-3-1) The Manny Pacquiao protégé was doing well against Luevano in an August title bout before getting himself disqualified for a blatant and brutal punch after the bell ended the seventh round. Concepcion faces another tough fight with Santiago on a Top Rank pay-per-view card. Next: Feb. 13 vs. Santiago. | ||||||
1. Celestino Caballero (33-2) Caballero is a unified titleholder and can't get anybody to fight him or get any traction with the American television networks, which is a shame. However, Top Rank's Bob Arum seems open to giving Caballero a shot at either of his featherweight titleholders, Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa. Caballero would have to move up in weight for the opportunity, but it's not like he has anything going on at 122 pounds. Next: TBA. 2. Toshiaki Nishioka (35-4-3) Japan's Nishioka made his third defense a relatively easy one on Oct. 10, forcing former junior bantamweight titlist Ivan Hernandez to retire on his stool after the third round because of a broken jaw. Next: TBA. 3. Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (40-1) The Thailander certainly has no fear of going to enemy turf. In September, he went to Ireland and knocked out Bernard Dunne in the third round to claim a belt. For his first defense, he went to Japan on Jan. 11 and claimed a majority decision against Satoshi Honso (now 16-1). Next: TBA. 4. Steve Molitor (31-1) "The Canadian Kid," who lost his title via fourth-round knockout to Caballero last year, won his third bout in a row on Nov. 21. Although he was knocked down in the fifth round, Molitor hung on to claim a unanimous eight-round decision against Argentina's Jose Saez. Next: TBA. 5. Rendall Munroe (20-0) England's Munroe retained the European title with a hard-fought decision against solid Italian contender Simone Maludrottu on Nov. 20. Next up, Munroe might face Mexico's Victor Terrazas in an eliminator for the right to challenge Nishioka at stake. Next: TBA. Other contenders: Jeffrey Mathebula, Antonio Escalante, Bernard Dunne, Ricardo Cordoba, Satoshi Hosono. | ||||||
1. Hozumi Hasegawa (28-2) Japan's Hasegawa was impressive in his 10th title defense, knocking out Nicaragua's Alvaro Perez in sensational fashion in the fourth round on Dec. 18. A few weeks after that win, Hasegawa was honored as Japan's 2009 boxer of the year. Next: TBA. In a tremendous action fight, Colombia's Perez did just a little bit more than Joseph Agbeko to claim the unanimous decision and take a title on Oct. 31. We could have another tremendous action fight on our hands when Perez defends his title against Abner Mares on Showtime in the Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez IV co-feature on May 22. That will come to fruition only if Mares wins a tuneup fight. Next: TBA. 3. Joseph King Kong Agbeko (27-2) The former titleholder can get another shot by winning an eliminator against South Africa's Vusi Malinga (19-3-1), a former title challenger whom Hasegawa waxed in one round in March 2009. South Africa's Branco Sports won the purse bid for the bout with a high offer of $70,000 to easily beat the $50,000 bid by Don King, Agbeko's promoter. Next: TBA vs. Malinga. 4. Anselmo Moreno (28-1-1) Panama's Moreno went on the road to France and dominated former European champion Frederic Patrac en route to an 11th-round knockout in his fifth title defense on Dec. 4. Next: TBA. 5. Nehomar Cermeņo (19-0) Venezuela's Cermeņo turned in yet another impressive performance on Dec. 19, going to Alejandro Valdez's hometown in Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, and knocking him out in the 11th round to retain his interim belt on a Top Rank pay-per-view card. Next: TBA. Other contenders: Fernando Montiel, Gerry Penalosa, Eric Morel, Abner Mares, Wladimir Sidorenko. | ||||||
1. Vic Darchinyan (33-2-1) If the junior bantamweight champ retains his titles against Mexico's Rodrigo Guerrero (13-1) on the Arthur Abraham-Andre Dirrell Showtime undercard, we could get a much-anticipated rematch with Nonito Donaire later in the year. Bring it on. Next: March 6 vs. Guerrero. 2. Nonito Donaire (22-1) Donaire will make the first defense of his interim belt on a Top Rank pay-per-view card against journeyman Gerson Guerrero (34-8), who has lost whenever he has stepped up in class. If Donaire wins, we could be in for a rematch between Donaire and Darchinyan. Next: Feb. 13 vs. Guerrero. 3. Nobuo Nashiro (13-1-1) Nashiro came on very strong in the final four rounds to salvage a draw and retain his title against former junior flyweight champ Hugo Cazares in an excellent fight in Japan on Sept. 30. Next: TBA. 4. Alexander Munoz (34-3) The former two-time titlist pounded out a unanimous decision against former titlist and Venezuelan countryman Felix Machado on Nov. 7. It was Munoz's second win in a row since losing a split decision to Cristian Mijares in their May 2008 unification bout. Next: TBA. 5. Marvin Sonsona (14-0-1) The 19-year-old Filipino beat Jose "Carita" Lopez for a belt in September, but lost it when he didn't make weight for a November defense against Alejandro Hernandez. The bout went on, but only Hernandez was eligible to win the title, and they fought to a spirited draw. Now, Sonsona is moving up to junior featherweight to face Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (17-0-1) for a vacant belt. Next: Feb. 27 vs. Vazquez. Other contenders: Jose "Carita" Lopez, Simphiwe Nongqayi, Jorge Arce, Hugo Cazares, Drian Francisco. | ||||||
1. Koki Kameda (22-0) The Japanese bad boy, who briefly held a junior flyweight title, won his second world title via unanimous decision against countryman Daisuke Naito on Nov. 29 in one of Japan's biggest fights. Next up, Kameda is headed to a spring showdown with Thai great Pongsaklek Wonjongkam. Next: TBA. 2. Omar Narvaez (30-0-2) Argentina's Narvaez keeps rolling along, having made an astonishing 16 title defenses since claiming his belt in 2002. Next: TBA. 3. Daisuke Naito (35-3-3) Naito's two-plus-year title reign came to an end with the younger Kameda stinking him out to claim his belt Nov. 29 in a huge fight for Japan. Naito, 35, talked about possible retirement if he lost, so we'll see what he decides to do. Next: TBA. 4. Daiki Kameda (16-2) Kameda joined older brother Koki as a titleholder when he outpointed Thailand's Denkaosan Kaowichit on Feb. 7 in a rematch of Kameda's majority-decision loss in October. Next: TBA. 5. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (74-3-1) The Thai legend, who holds an interim belt, and appears headed to a March mandatory fight with Koki Kameda, stayed busy with a six-round decision win against Rodel Tejarez on Dec. 2. Next: TBA. Other contenders: Denkaosan Kaowichit, Takefumi Sakata, Moruti Mthalane, Luis Concepcion, Rayonta Whitfield. | ||||||
(108 AND 105 POUNDS) | ||||||
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1. Ivan "Iron Boy" Calderon (33-0-1) Calderon thought he would be facing Brian Viloria in a unification fight in the spring. It would have been one of the most significant junior flyweight bouts in history, but Viloria was surprisingly stopped in the 12th round of a Jan. 23 defense in the Philippines, ruining the proposed fight. Bummer. Next: TBA. 2. Rodel Mayol (26-4-1) The Philippines' Mayol's first defense was being planned for March 12 against Manuel Vargas. However, the WBC is enforcing his mandatory defense against Mexico's Omar Niño (28-3-1), so that's the plan now. Next: Feb. 27 vs. Niño. 3. Edgar Sosa (37-6) Sosa will return from his controversial loss to Mayol to fight a flyweight opponent to be determined in May. A summer flyweight title challenge against Japan's Koki Kameda is in the works, but Sosa has to win the interim bout. Next: TBA. 4. Giovani Segura (22-1-1) Segura had been scheduled for a rubber match with Cesar Canchila, but it was called off for no announced reason. Instead, Segura will defend his belt against Walter Tello (14-3) on a "Top Rank Live" card. Next: Feb. 20 vs. Tello. 5. Carlos Tamara (21-4) Although a heavy underdog and trailing in the fight, Colombia's Tamara rallied late in the fight and stunningly stopped an exhausted Brian Viloria in the Philippines to claim a 108-pound title in fine fashion on Jan. 23. Next: TBA. Other contenders: Ulises Solis, Brian Viloria, Roman Gonzalez, Oleydong Sithsamerchai, Donnie Nietes. | ||||||
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