By Jake Donovan

It’s not an official bracket and there’s no guarantee that any of the matchups in the near future lead to the winners facing one another. Nor is it even designed round-robin style as we have with the critically acclaimed Super Six World Boxing Classic.

But at the very least, we have most of the best 140 lb. fighters in the world ready to face one another on a consistent basis in the next few months. The first entry begins tonight, as HBO airs an alphabet unification match between Devon Alexander and Juan Urango.

It will mark the first of four significant bouts within the division that HBO plans to air between now and May 15, with the hope of matching the winners (and perhaps even the losers) against one another in the future and for it to develop into a makeshift tournament of sorts.

For the moment, such plans don’t include undefeated Tim Bradley, widely regarded as the best 140 lb. fighter in the world. But you have to start somewhere, and the starting point is better than what was previously offered, which was plenty of talent, but falling short on delivery.

There was a point earlier in the first decade of the 21st century where you could’ve argued that no division ran deeper than the 140 lb. division. It boasted a starting lineup so deep that you had to go beyond its Top 10 to give all of the quality fighters their just due.

The only reason why it was an argument and not a definitive statement was because boasting the best and actually having the best fight one another are two separate matters entirely.

Kostya Tszyu was the lineal champion at the time, but his stay at the top was indicative of the standstill status to which the division was relegated. Injuries limited his 3 ½ year title reign to just four defenses, while most of the best of the rest moved sideways, standing in line for a shot at the king before moving on to other ventures.

Other notables at the time included titlists Zab Judah, Vivian Harris and Arturo Gatti. Sharmba Mitchell went from longtime mandatory challenger to interim titlist while waiting for Tszyu’s injuries to heal. Floyd Mayweather was on his way up from lightweight, while Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton were making the transition from prospect to contenders.

Upon Tszyu’s return in late 2004, the notable fights began to flow – only for its biggest moments to be limited to – and maxing out in - a single month.

Shortly after Tszyu returned to easily to stop Mitchell in their long awaited rematch, Mayweather and Gatti eyed a head-on collision. Back-to-back broadcasts in January 2005 laid the foundation for a June pay-per-view headliner, a bout that would serve as the last of four notable bouts within the month.

It was a month in which the division would undergo a major facelift. Three alphabet belts changing hands, along with the lineal crown thanks to Ricky Hatton’s breakthrough performance against Tszyu in a bout that established his popularity as much as his legitimacy as a top fighter.

Gatti and Harris would both have their belts violently snatched from them on the same pay-per-view show in Atlantic City, while Miguel Cotto was the only one of the four to end the month with the same status he enjoyed going in.

He would also remain one of only two major players (along with Hatton) left in the division once the dust settled. Judah had already defected to the welterweight division, where he won its top prize in a rematch with Cory Spinks earlier in the year. Mayweather’s stoppage of Gatti was the last time either would fight at the weight, both moving up to welterweight soon thereafter. Tszyu never fought again, while Harris and Mitchell were never again regarded as anything more than notable opponents.

Cotto stuck around for another year or so, including his to-hell-and-back knockout win over Ricardo Torres. Two title defenses in 2006 – including a 12-round win over Paul Malignaggi – were his last ever at the weight before moving up to welterweight.

Even Hatton elected to dip his toes in the more lucrative division seven pounds north, twice fighting at the weight, but with neither trip resulting in much success. A narrow points win over Luis Collazo came with far more criticism than anything else. His challenge of the lineal welterweight crown against Mayweather accentuated his worldwide appeal, which translated into many millions in his bank account – but also the first loss on his professional resume.

Each welterweight endeavor proved to be one and done, with Hatton returning to 140 lb. in his very next fight.

To his credit, he fought most of the best of the rest at the weight. The only one he missed and had a realistic chance of facing was Junior Witter, whom Hatton seemed to ignore and leave hanging purely out of spite. Witter used Hatton’s name for years while trying to drum up interest in his own career, but the rivalry never developed beyond a war of words.

But lineal defenses against Juan Urango, Jose Luis Castillo and Paul Malignaggi came at a time when each were ranked at or near the top of the division, lending legitimacy to Hatton’s reign.

What was missing, however, was the type of high-profile opponent in the other corner to give any given bout that extra wow factor.

Simply put, the division still boasted talent, but was running way short on mainstream appeal.

That changed in a big way last year, when Hatton welcomed the challenge of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. It also signaled the end of Hatton’s reign, with Pacquiao knocking him out cold in two rounds.

Unfortunately for the division, it proved to be Pacquiao’s only fight at the weight, with the rest of his fighting days seemingly limited to welterweight division, unless a big enough challenge comes along that would prompt him to drop back down seven pounds.

Enter the current blueprint for the division’s future.

It’s impossible to forecast what will come of the winner of tonight’s unification match between Alexander and Urango at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT (HBO, 9:30PM ET/PT). The most common prediction is a breakout performance for Alexander (19-0, 12KO), one of the more talented young fighters in the sport but also grossly mishandled by promoter Don King.

While Alexander is long on potential, there are still question marks that surround his career – particularly how well he can take a punch and how he will react in the face of adversity. It’s possible that we learn the answer to both of those questions tonight against always battle-ready Urango (22-2-1, 17KO), or perhaps neither gets answered because Alexander is THAT good and can avoid having either scenario ever presenting itself.

The only absolute is that the fight is the start of big plans for the division, with more answers to be provided later in the month, when Marcos Rene Maidana - best known for his upset of Victor Ortiz last year – faces undefeated contender Victor Cayo. A targeted May 15 doubleheader will have Amir Khan defending his alphabet belt against the always outspoken Paul Malignaggi, while Ortiz resurfaces in a major crossroads bout against Nate Campbell.

If the long term plan for each of the entries is to eventually establish 140 lb. supremacy, there’s no question that he will eventually have to look Tim Bradley’s way. It could cause a roadblock, given that each of the bouts will air on HBO, while Bradley - who in addition to continuing to serve as the very definition of high-risk/low reward - is the only fighter among the lot who regularly fights on Showtime.

Chances are that such matters find a way to pan out. Network competition will always exist, but doesn’t always stand in the way of the best fights happening, especially in a day and age when the best are fighting each other more often than at any point in recent boxing history.

While recent history has always left the 140 lb division overshadowed by the glamour and riches that comes seven pounds north at welterweight, tonight marks the first step towards the division’s accomplishments living up to its potential.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.