By Jake Donovan/Cliff Rold

It hasn’t been all bad at Bantamweight over the last couple decades, but as an ‘original eight’ weight class, it should have been better.  Outstanding titlists like Miguel Lora, Orlando Canizales, Jeff Fenech, Johnny Tapia, Veraphol Sahaprom, Tim Austin, and Rafael Marquez have come and gone, bringing excitement and standards of excellence with them.  What Bantamweight has lacked is the sort of field so talented, all at once, as to force an explosion of excellence and clash which marks a genuinely great era at 118 lbs.

It might be happening right now and is reflected in an event earlier this year.  The clash between WBO titlist Fernando Montiel and WBC champ Hozumi Hasegawa in April was the first unification bout at Bantamweight since the WBC and WBA (way back when only two ‘major’ belts existed) split recognition in the 1970s.  Belts, and their holders, aren’t always a gauge of the very best in class, but when the men holding them aren’t squaring off for the better part of decades, something ain’t right.

Stacked and in the race with the likes of Jr. Welterweight and Super Middleweight as the best division in boxing, the Bantamweights in 2010 are damn good and they’re proving it against each other.  Something is going right.  The top eight have all fought at least one other member of this top ten with rematches and fresh matches being discussed all the time.

Oh, and as a bonus, there haven’t been many stinkers to go around.  They’re not just delivering name value…they’re delivering entertainment value as well.  Good fighters, good fights…

What’s not to like?   

Let the discussion begin.  

World Bantamweight Champion: Vacant

Rold: In terms of lineage, Bantamweight hasn’t had an outright World Champion since Bernardo Pinango in the mid 1980’s.  Fernando Montiel turned the tables on long reigning WBC titlist Hozumi Hasegawa in a tense, if sudden, match to move in that direction.  Whether more unification or key matches are to come will be determined but the talent to make it worthwhile is certainly there.  Montiel’s win over Hasegawa was merely a step; Yonnhy Perez and Anselmo Moreno are too good right now to be overlooked so Montiel has more work to do.  Abner Mares and Joseph Agbeko have earned rematches with Perez, and Nehomar Cermeno is getting one against Moreno.  They could easily insert themselves in the conversation as well.  Unification doesn’t always matter.  If a class is weak enough for one guy to stand far above with a single belt, or even no belts, so be it.  In this case, the request must be more unification.  Please.

Donovan: Even if not unification, then just more terrific matchups. The fact that two of the best fighters in the division – Hasegawa and Agbeko - have lost in the past year is actually a good thing, considering the fighters who beat them. Agbeko was already willing to take on all comers and is as dangerous a contender as is out there. Hasegawa isn’t quite as willing to travel – and until other nations can provide the financial incentive, why should he – but remains talented enough to where another title reign is hardly farfetched. Now we have fighters like Montiel and Perez in the mix, which means even more exposure for the division in this part of the world. With exposure will eventually come the demand to crown a king, and you honestly can’t go wrong with anyone in this top ten. For the first time in forever, you get the sense that the pieces are finally in place.

1. Fernando Montiel (41-2-2, 31 KO, WBO, 2 Defenses; WBC, 0 Defenses)

         Last Contest: April 30, 2010, TKO4 #4 Hozumi Hasegawa (28-3, 12 KO)

         Next Contest: July 17, 2010 vs. Rafael Concepcion (14-4-1, 8 KO)

Donovan: And the wild roller coaster ride continues. Montiel is probably the most difficult fighter in the sport to handicap. Whenever you expect him to flourish, he finds a way to disappoint. The moment you write him off – well, finding a way to rally back and stop Hozumi Hasegawa on the road speaks for itself, as does the fact that he currently resides at the top of the bantamweight heap. All due respect to Hasegawa – a legit pound-for-pound entrant prior to the shocking knockout loss – but Montiel in the driver seat is a GREAT thing for a division long overdue for decisive leadership.

Rold: Rafael Concepcion shouldn’t be more than a time killer but, using Jake’s handicapping scale, it probably will be a classic.  No matter; Montiel won’t top what he’s already done this year against either.  There are some fighters who must be viewed as a whole career, others who because of timing, star power and spotlight, are measured fight to fight.  Montiel is the former and will likely be seen as greater at the end than many so-called pound for pound fighters rated ahead of him throughout his tenure.  He can leave his mark on the comparisons now if he faces some of the other top Bantamweights and maybe even with a rise to 122 lbs.  Is there anyone who has seen both who would not want to see Montiel versus Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym or Toshiaki Nishioka?

2. Anselmo Moreno (29-1-1, 10 KO, WBA, 6 Defenses)

         Last Contest: March 27, 2010, SD12 #6 Nehomar Cermeno (19-1, 11 KO)

         Next Contest: August 14, 2010 vs. Nehomar Cermeno

Rold: When he’s on his “A” game, “Chemito” gives the impression that he’s been watching his Sweet Pea.  The slick southpaw has moves straight out of the Pernell Whiatker playbook with underrated offensive skill to compliment a buttery defense that works both at range and in tight. Moreno has shown brilliance in twice defeating Wladimir Sidorenko and in outdueling former 122 lb. titlist Mahyar Monshipour.  His last outing was a close encounter with a Cermeno who has been, and remains, red hot.  That they’re doing it again right away is yet another date on the Bantamweight calendar meriting a circle.  With another win over Cermeno, the Panamanian Moreno further cements his claim to the number two spot and could start making a push at Montiel’s number one. 

Donovan: The thing that most impresses me about Moreno is that so many of his best moments have come on the road, twice beating Sidorenko in Germany, traveling to Venezuela to hand Cermeno his first loss, and twice defending his title in France. His run is similar to that of Lorenzo Parra at flyweight a few years ago, the major difference being that Moreno lacks the great equalizer, almost always having to rely solely on his boxing skills to get the job done.

3. Yonnhy Perez (20-0-1, 14 KO, IBF, 1 Defense)

         Last Contest: May 22, 2010, D12 #5 Abner Mares (20-0-1, 13 KO)

         Next Contest: TBA

Donovan: How can any self-respecting boxing fan not love Perez? The consummate gym rat who fights for the love of the sport and for his family back home in Colombia. Always willing to take on all comers – not that he has a choice under the Gary Shaw Productions banner. But my goodness – what kind of a lunatic fights - in succession - Silence Mabuza (in South Africa), Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares (in Los Angeles), all in the span of 51 weeks? Alphabet titles are a dime a dozen but there’s absolutely no question that Perez has earned the right to be called “champion.”

Rold: Consider this a self respecting fan because when Perez is on, these eyes are glued.  He behaves like a champion but earned the designation?  Not quite yet and that is the beauty at Bantamweight right now.  The opponents exist for someone to become a champion in the fullest sense of the word.   Montiel may be closest but Moreno and Perez are hot on his heels  and it would be a shame if those men don’t lock up in some way.  Perez has Joseph Agbeko and Abner Mares as likely rematch foes and either could take his slot.  So be it if they do.  Rubber matches can be fine theatre and the twists and turns can just keep coming with the carrot of further unification dangling for all at the end of an enticing stick.

4. Hozumi Hasegawa (28-3, 12 KO)

         Last Contest: April 30, 2004, TKO by 4 #1 Fernando Montiel (41-2-2, 31 KO)

         Next Contest: TBA

Rold: Through ten defenses, Hasegawa earned the right to be involved in the discussion of the ten best fighters in the sport regardless of weight.  Montiel burst that bubble in fashion.  Fighting through a broken jaw suffered early, Hasegawa couldn’t take the massive barrage that ended matters in the fourth.  It doesn’t mean Hasegawa, who had won five straight by KO prior to Montiel, was less than what he appeared.  It does mean he needs a rematch.  The last truly outstanding champion in Japan, 115 lb. Masamori Tokuyama, suffered a shocking knockout loss to Katsushige Kawashima only to bounce back and close his career in fashion.  Hasegawa, who was struggling to make 118 before Montiel, may find his body betrays him should he attempt to emulate the path.  Hasegawa may be forced to 122 lbs. before Montiel II can take place.         

Donovan: Hopefully his management doesn’t get spooked by the loss and decide to travel the path of least resistance while on the comeback trail. Hasegawa really came into his own in recent years, even if fans in this part of the world were forced to scramble for online footage in order to follow his career. A move to 122 might physically be in his best interest, but there’s a chance to be a part of something big at this weight.

5. Abner Mares (20-0-1, 13 KO)

         Last Contest: May 22, 2010, D12 #3 Yonnhy Perez (20-0-1, 14 KO)

         Next Contest: TBA

Donovan: So close, and not a bad debut at the title level for the 2004 Olympian. The biggest concern for Mares going in, more so than his coming all the way back from prior injuries that slowed down his career, was whether or not the soft competition he faced on the rehab trail would leave him unprepared for a fighter of Perez’ caliber. He more than held his own, and who wouldn’t want to see a rematch? Even without the win, Mares leaves the fight with a world of confidence, which means the potential his career always carried will most likely pan out, with plenty of big fights on the horizon – and a title reign conceivably in his future.

Rold: Mares could be seen  growing up in the ring with Perez, winning early rounds with amateur flair and turning the momentum back to his favor late with professional flourish.  Mares might be the best young Mexican fighter in boxing, clearly superior to the name branded Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. or the well promoted but limited Saul Alvarez, but he’ll have to be better than just really good to stand out at 118.  The former Olympian, if he cannot get to a rematch with Perez sooner than later, would be well served to chase Montiel for an all-Mexican showdown.

6. Joseph Agbeko (27-2, 22 KO)

         Last Contest: October 31, 2010, L12 #3 Yohnny Perez (20-0-1, 14 KO)

         Next Contest: TBA

Rold: There’s something about Accra, Ghana, which always gets this fight watcher’s attention.  From the classic years of Azumah Nelson through the thrilling Ike Quartey, Ghanaian battlers have rarely failed to entertain.  Agbeko is no exception, providing thrillers in victory and defeat since entering the title picture in 2007.  The only downside is that the thrills have come sparingly with, including the title win over Luis Perez, only four starts in close to three years.  Agbeko was good enough to beat Vic Darchinyan, took Perez to the limit, and is sitting on the sidelines while others stay busy.  A rematch with Perez could end up on tap in the fall and, at 30, let’s hope that no matter the result Agbeko gets a schedule commensurate to the effort he leaves in the squared circle from there.

Donovan: If Don King truly cared about this kid, a hell of a lot more would have come of his career than to have been sitting on a loss since last October and with nothing on the horizon. Agbeko’s entire career has been plagued by poor promotion. A more active run in recent years would easily have the Ghanaian closer to the top of the division and perhaps still reigning as champion. At the very least, an elimination bout should’ve crossed his plate by now.

7. Nehomar Cermeno (19-1, 11 KO)

         Last Contest: March 27, 2010, L12 #2 Anselmo Moreno (29-1-1, 10 KO)

         Next Contest: August 14, 2010 vs. Anselmo Moreno

Donovan: There’s two ways to look at Cermeno’s pair of wins over Mijares last year. The first line of thinking is that Mijares is well past his best, and that Cermeno caught him at the right time. The other side of the coin is that Cermeno is good enough to make a once-world class fighter like Mijares look that bad. A follow up win over Alex Valdez validated his worth, and his oh-so-close points loss to Moreno even greater enhanced his credentials. Their August rematch should prove to be a classic – and could very well provide the division with its third new titlist in a span of ten months.

Rold: Cermeno doesn’t always looks like he has as many dimensions as he does but the schooling of a healthy amateur background showed in solving a tougher than expected Alejandro Valdez and in his acceleration in the Mijares rematch.  The Moreno contest was close and if Cermeno can accelerate again, if he can solve in a rematch what he struggled with the first time once again, he’ll be in the thick of the hunt for the top spot.

8. Vic Darchinyan (35-2-1, 27 KO)

         Last Contest: May 20, 2010, UD12 Eric Barcelona (51-18-4, 19 KO)

         Next Contest: TBA

Rold: Darchinyan may seem too low in any ratings system at number eight but the still-reigning Jr. Bantamweight king still has some proving to do at Bantamweight.  He was competitive but still clearly defeated by Agbeko last year and would be hard to favor over anyone with a belt at 118 right now.  At 34, arguably the best little power puncher of his time is closer to the end than he is to his prime.  He is also, like Montiel, an example of the power of retrospect.  When this fistic era is looked back on, Darchinyan’s body of work at Flyweight and Jr. Bantam will look better as a whole than it did as individual parts.  Consider this: Darchinyan is going to retire with a stronger case for the Hall of Fame than a lot of the men who got pound-for-pound consideration over him.  If he can garner a last great win or two at Bantamweight, it will be powerful icing on an already potent cake.

Donovan: Not exactly sure what Darchinyan is looking to accomplish with a bantamweight campaign. He looks well filled out three pounds south, where he’s still the reigning World super flyweight champion. Sure, there’s plenty of appeal to a lower weight fighter claiming title wins in three separate divisions. But unless a severe thinning of the herd takes place at the top, Darchinyan is best served cleaning house at 115 to the point where the networks have to pony up the type of cash required to make a long awaited rematch with Nonito Donaire a reality.

9. Alexander Bakhtin (25-0, 11 KO)

         Last Contest: February 22, 2010, UD12 Nick Otieno (20-5, 9 KO)

         Next Contest: TBA

Donovan: Something tells me another “interim” champion is in our near future. A former amateur standout, Bakhtin’s most recent win put him in position to eventually challenge for an alphabet title should Hasegawa in fact move up in weight. After ten years in the game, it’s s(p)it or get off the pot for the Russian, though chasing Montiel for your first title shot may not be the best course of action – unless, of course you are the goods. Time will tell if Bakhtin is as good as his resume suggests – an outstanding amateur career and an undefeated run in the pro ranks thus far. Which direction he heads when it comes time to pursue a title will eventually tell the full story.

Rold: With Wladimir Sidorenko inactive for over a year, Bakhtin stands as the premier former Soviet states talent in the class.  Already 28, it’s time for Bakhtin to make that truly mean something.  Is he a sign of the depth in his class or the beginning of a drop off?  The talent is there but his best foe so far is probably Gerson Guerrero, a fighter who seems a mandatory figure on most top resumes in this area of the scale, but only on the way to bigger things.  That was four fights ago…time for the bigger things.   

10. Eric Morel (42-2, 21 KO, WBO interim)

            Last Contest: February 23, 2010, SD12 Gerry Penalosa (54-8-2, 36 KO)

            Next Contest: TBA

Rold: Morel had fair complaints about how long it has taken to get his WBO title shot.  A match with Jorge Arce fell apart when Arce was cut in training, a blessing in disguise that cleared the way to Montiel…until claimed injuries got in the way.  He’ll have to make the most of it because, while he may have fair complaints, so too does the last man he faced about whether Morel should be here at all.  Penalosa was as close a fight as could be seen.  It’s remarkable that Morel has even made it to such a debatable, high stakes win.  Once a strong Flyweight titlist, Morel looked like he was done after a 2005 loss to Martin Castillo at 115.  The prison term which followed for statutory rape kept him out of the ring until 2008; little was expected upon his return.   The comeback, now at seven straight wins, says the 1996 U.S. Olympian may have been counted out too early.

Donovan: That Morel was even competitive with Penalosa echoes Cliff’s sentiments that there is more fight left in the Puerto Rican than most expected to be the case. I’m not entirely sure he racks up a belt at 118 – plenty of stiff competition and against whom Morel won’t be as likely to get the benefit of the doubt if the scorecards once again come to that. Still, a win over a fresher highly rated bantie would go a much longer way towards pleading his case that he can advance beyond a notable name on someone else’s resume.

Exclusions?

Donovan: If Morel is deserving of the #10 spot, then Penalosa (54-8-2, 36 KO) should be regarded 10a. The ageless Filipino continues to be hell for anyone at bantamweight…While not yet deserving of a spot, Chris Avalos (16-0, 13 KO) threatens to be a player a year from now – if he can figure out how to get his boxing skills to catch up to his lights out power…The jury is out on how much Jorge Arce (54-6-1, 41 KO) has left in the tank. Perhaps the additional weight benefits a fighter who used to balloon up to 130 lb while fighting as a flyweight.

Rold: Hinted at in the take on Bakhtin, Bantamweight’s only slight is that it starts to taper off towards the bottom but, considering it can still field a solid top ten with some extras, that’s not so bad.  Most divisions struggle for a quality name past the four or five slot…Silence Mabuza (22-3, 18 KO) has lost only to Perez and Rafael Marquez, but has been inactive.  If he returns, he could add some more class.  So too would a return for Sidorenko (21-2, 7 KO)…The big X-factor may is former Flyweight titlist Nonito Donaire (23-1, 15 KO).  Currently three pounds south, he has been mentioned as a Montiel foe and would present the talent to make a run at anyone in the class.

In other words, Bantamweight’s hot period may just be getting started.

Previously Inside The Top Ten

Super Middleweight: 2009

Welterweight: 2009

Jr. Welterweight: 2009

Featherweight: 2010

For BoxingScene’s latest full divisional ratings, log on to: https://www.boxingscene.com/forums/view.php?pg=boxing-ratings

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 ; Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com