BoxingScene Ratings Update: Povetkin, Sturm, Walters
by Cliff Rold
Heavyweight: The champion remains and previous top contender Kubrat Pulev slips in the ratings. Alexander Povetkin moves back to number one but Tyson Fury-Dereck Chisora II and Bermane Stiverne-Deontay Wilder could shake things up when they unfold.
Light Heavyweight: Sergey Kovalev moves into the top contender’s slot. While Adonis Stevenson may be history’s champion, history won’t regard that well without a showdown against he Russian.
Super Middleweight: Edwin Rodriguez and Thomas Oosthuizen exit to compete at Light Heavyweight. Felix Sturm crashes the top ten on the strength of his exciting draw with Robert Stieglitz. Gilberto Ramirez also enters the top ten.
Middleweight: Matthew Macklin exits the top ten after a knockout loss to Jorge Heiland. Daniel Jacobs enters at the ten slot. Felix Sturm remains rated at Middleweight until it is determined what class he will now compete in full time.
Jr. Middleweight: Sergey Rabchenko exits the top ten after a head scratching loss to Anthony Mundine. Joshua Clottey, who beat Anthony Mundine earlier this year, enters the top ten.
Jr. Welterweight: Jessie Vargas gets a one-slot bump over the inactive Zab Judah after a win over former Lightweight titlist Antonio DeMarco.
Jr. Lightweight: Previous #7 Rocky Martinez exits for a year’s inactivity. Bryan Vasquez returns to the top ten.
Featherweight: Nicholas Walters passes Nonito Donaire after his rousing victory in October. The rest of the class stands pat.
Bantamweight: Paul Butler vacated his belt to compete at 115 and exits the ratings. Randy Caballero enters. Koki Kameda, who made a return from a year off at 115, also exits as does former #6 Hugo Ruiz. Ruiz is now competing at 122 lbs.
Flyweight: Former lineal champion Akira Yaegashi will move down to 108 for a crack at a title in December. He remains rated until his future is determined.
Jr. Flyweight: Inoue is moving up and has vacated his belt. He remains rated until the results of the Narvaez fight are in. Donnie Nietes, the top man in class for the moment, may also be headed up and out soon, making the deep Flyweight division even deeper. Johnriel Casimero exits the ratings, having lost a title earlier in the year on the scale and now competing at Flyweight. Adrian Hernandez is also gone to the Flyweight. Paipharob Kokietgym and Rey Loreto enter the top ten.
Minimumweight: All indications are that unified titlist Francisco Rodriguez will be moving up in weight. After a draw at Flyweight last weekend, time will tell how that works out. He remains rated for now.
The full results of note and the total impact on the ratings are a click away.
Last ratings update: October 13, 2014
Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
