By Cliff Rold
The last two weeks brought intriguing action on both sides of the Atlantic. The week ahead should produce even more with the commencement of the Super Middleweight “Super Six.”
While the world waits for the beginning of what should be a fascinating opening pair of bouts there, the questions posed in recently completed action still need some answers.
For instance, the last day of September gave boxing a splendid little brawl between 115 lb. contenders Nobuo Nashiro and Hugo Cazares. The bout was ruled a draw but was of the sort which elevated the stature of both men. Did it elevate either in the ratings?
Also considered was the question of placement, or lack thereof, for American Allan Green (29-1, 20 KO) in the Super Middleweight ratings. Following ten lackluster rounds with a Tarvis Simms who looked like he rolled out of bed to take the fight, and performed well all considered, Green remains on the outside looking in. He sometimes appears to have the talent of a top ten contender but through 30 fights has yet to beat one. That could change sometime between now and next year. If it does, a spot will open up.
And what to make of the shocking loss by Jorge Linares at 130? Or the big scare for Juan Manuel Lopez at 122?
This is the BoxingScene Divisional Ratings and Results Update for all matters concerned.
Welterweight (141-147 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
09/19: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KO) UD12 World Lightweight Champion Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KO, Lineal/Ring/WBA/WBO)
10/03: #8 Vyacheslav Senchenko (30-0, 20 KO, WBA) UD12 Motoki Sasaki (32-8-1, 20 KO)
World Welterweight Champion: Vacant
Top Ten Contenders
1. Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO, WBA Super, 0 Defenses)
2. Miguel Cotto (34-1, 27 KO, WBO, 1 Defense)
3. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KO)
4. Joshua Clottey (35-3, 20 KO)
5. Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KO, WBC, 3 Defenses)
6. Luis Collazo (29-4, 14 KO)
7. Issac Hlatshawyo (28-1-1, 10 KO, IBF, 0 Defenses)
8. Vyacheslav Senchenko (30-0, 20 KO, WBA Regular, 1 Defense)
9. Jesus Soto-Karass (23-3-3, 16 KO)
10. Carlos Quintana (26-2, 20 KO)
Rating Notes…Mayweather re-entered the Welterweight ratings at third with plenty of room to rise as soon as he gets back to fighting Welterweights. His previous status as reigning lineal champion allows him to move past Clottey and Berto but not the men above him. Unable to make a catchweight of 144 lbs., arguments about where Mayweather once was on the scale are irrelevant. This is clearly the class he belongs to now…Cotto could easily be in the number one spot given a wins over Mosley, Clottey, and Quintana but Mosley gets the edge because, while his loss to Cotto was close, his knockout win over Cotto’s lone conqueror (Antonio Margarito) was emphatic…Mosley also owns a commanding win over Collazo and, if his hope for Mayweather cannot be consummated immediately, a chance to add Berto’s undefeated scalp to his wall could come in January…If Manny Pacquiao can defeat Cotto, he and Mayweather is by far the richest fight in the game…Senchecko remains put after his first title defense. While unknown outside Eastern Europe, Senchenko is a skilled former Olympian who could make noise with some opportunity.
Previous Champion: Floyd Mayweather (2006-08, Retired)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal or Other: Henry Armstrong - 18
Key Upcoming Welterweight Contests
11/14: #2 Miguel Cotto vs. World Jr. Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao
Jr. Lightweight (127-130 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
09/12: #3 Roman Martinez (23-0-1, 14 KO, WBO) KO9 Feider Viloria (22-5-1, 15 KO)
10/10: Juan Carlos Salgado (21-0-1, 15 KO) TKO1 #4 Jorge Linares (27-1, 18 KO, WBA)
World Jr. Lightweight Champion: Vacant
Top Ten Contenders
1. Humberto Soto (48-7-2, 31 KO, WBC, 2 Defenses)
2. Robert Guerrero (24-1-1, 17 KO, IBF, 0 Defenses)
3. Roman Martinez (23-0-1, 14 KO, WBO, 1 Defense)
4. Juan Carlos Salgado (21-0-1, 15 KO, WBA, 0 Defenses)
5. Malcolm Klassen (24-5-2, 15 KO)
6. Cassius Baloyi (36-4-1, 19 KO)
7. Mzonke Fana (29-4, 12 KO)
8. Kevin Mitchell (29-0, 22 KO)
9. Nicky Cook (29-2, 16 KO)
10. Humberto Gutierrez (26-1-1, 19 KO)
Ratings Notes…This remains a division in search of an identity…Lots of interesting fights and fighters available near the top but is there a will, or the cash, to make it happen…There has been recent speculation about possible fights featuring a mix of Guerrero, Soto, and Martinez; let’s hope something comes to pass in the fall…Guerrero’s win over Klassen could be seen as a valuable catalyst for a change…Fights with any of the other titlists have Fight of the Year candidate written all over them…Linares remains a talent, but his first round knockout at the hands of Salgado is proof of the danger of sitting on a blue chipper is always a bad idea. Salgado may prove to be an excellent fighter. Linares may rebound. Either way, it’s a shot if intriguing life as one enters and the other exits the ratings.
Previous Champion: Manny Pacquiao (2008, Vacated)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal or Other: Brian Mitchell – 13
Key Upcoming Jr. Lightweight Contests
12/19: #1 Humberto Soto vs. Miguel Acosta (26-3-2, 20 KO)
Featherweight (123-126 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
09/19: #1 Chris John (43-0-2, 22 KO, WBA) UD12 #5 Rocky Juarez (28-5-1, 20 KO)
10/10: #7 Yuriorkis Gamboa (16-0, 14 KO) TKO4 Whyber Garcia (22-7, 15 KO)
World Featherweight Champion: Vacant
Top Ten Contenders
1. Chris John (43-0-2, 22 KO, WBA, 12 Defenses)
2. Steven Luevano (37-1-1, 15 KO, WBO, 4 Defenses)
3. Cristobal Cruz (39-11-1, 23 KO, IBF, 2 Defenses)
4. Elio Rojas (21-1, 13 KO, WBC, 0 Defenses)
5. Rocky Juarez (28-5-1, 20 KO)
6. Jorge Solis (37-2-2, 27 KO)
7. Yuriorkis Gamboa (16-0, 14 KO, WBA Interim)
8. Takahiro Aoh (17-2-1, 8 KO)
9. Mario Santiago (20-1-1, 14 KO)
10. Orlando Salido (31-10-2, 20 KO) - 88.263
* Attell’s record streak varies from 18-22 title defenses by source; the CyberBoxingZone records 20 title defenses while 18 is noted in numerous other historical records
Ratings Notes…John continues to lead the pack, dominating Juarez for all but the last thirty second on the undercard of Mayweather-Marquez...Juarez fell short but doesn’t slip in the ratings because there is no one else really meriting a bump just yet…The best thing for John, now that he’s made a couple U.S. appearances, would be a challenge from Rafael Marquez or Israel Vasquez…Gamboa, whose WBA interim belt seemingly lines him up for John, doesn’t seem to be headed there just yet…The addition of either Celestino Caballero, Juan Manuel Lopez, or both from one division below could really ignite the Featherweights.
Previous Champion: Manny Pacquiao (2003-05, Vacated)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal: Abe Attell – 18*
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Other: Eusebio Pedroza (WBA) – 19
Key Upcoming Featherweight Contests
10/17: #3 Cristobal Cruz vs. Ricardo Castillo (38-7, 25 KO)
Jr. Featherweight (119-122 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
09/26: #6 Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (39-1, 28 KO) TKO3 #4 Bernard Dunne (28-2, 15 KO, WBA Regular)
10/10: #2 Juan Manuel Lopez (27-0, 24 KO, WBO) MD12 Rogers Mtagwa (26-13-2, 18 KO)
10/10: #5 Toshiaki Nishioka (35-4-3, 22 KO, WBC) RTD3 Ivan Hernandez (25-4-1, 15 KO)
World Jr. Featherweight Champion: Vacant
Top Ten Contenders
1. Celestino Caballero (33-2, 23 KO, WBA, 6 Defenses; WBA Super/IBF, 2 Defenses)
2. Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (39-1, 28 KO, WBA Interim, 0 Defenses)
3. Juan Manuel Lopez (27-0, 24 KO, WBO, 5 Defenses)
4. Rafael Marquez (37-5, 33 KO)
5. Toshiaki Nishioka (35-4-3, 22 KO, WBC, 3 Defenses)
6. Steve Molitor (29-1, 11 KO)
7. Rendall Munroe (19-1, 8 KO)
8. Jeffrey Mathebula (22-2-2, 12 KO)
9. Antonio Escalante (21-2, 13 KO)
10. Bernard Dunne (28-2, 15 KO)
Ratings Notes…Yes, the WBA has three titlists at this weight right now. Yes, it’s stupid...Hopes for Caballero-Lopez may have died as Lopez struggled mightily with the tough but limited Mtagwa. Lopez’s promoter, Bob Arum, sounded like a man with an eye on the move up the scale…Kratingdaenggym switches places with Lopez in the ratings based on comparative performance. Wins over former titlist Somsak Sithchatchawal and Dunne, both by knockout, are more impressive than Lopez’s best win against Daniel Ponce De Leon and Lopez’s competition has had the look of protection since that win. Mtagwa almost spoiled him anyways and while this corner has not reviewed the fight, almost losing to a deservedly unrated fighter has to count…Rafael Marquez remains rated while his future divisional course is set.
Previous Champion: Israel Vasquez (2007-09, Vacated)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal or Other: Wilfredo Gomez - 17
Key Upcoming Jr. Featherweight Contests
None as of the update.
Bantamweight (116-118 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
09/12: #4 Fernando Montiel (39-2-2, 29 KO, WBO) Tech. Draw Alejandro Valdez (21-3-3, 15 KO)
09/12: #10 Nehomar Cermeno (18-0, 10 KO, WBA interim) UD12 Cristian Mijares (36-6-2, 15 KO)
10/09: #2 Anselmo Moreno (27-1-1, 9 KO, WBA) TKO6 Jorge Otero (10-10-2, 9 KO); non-title
World Bantamweight Champion: Vacant
Top Ten Contenders
1. Hozumi Hasegawa (27-2, 11 KO, WBC, 9 Defenses)
2. Anselmo Moreno (27-1-1, 9 KO, WBA, 4 Defenses)
4. Joseph Agbeko (27-1, 22 KO, IBF, 2 Defenses)
5. Wladimir Sidorenko (21-2-2, 7 KO)
6. Yonnhy Perez (19-0, 14 KO)
7. Nehomar Cermeno (18-0, 10 KO, WBA interim)
8. Fernando Montiel (39-2-2, 29 KO, WBO, 0 Defenses)
9. Abner Mares (19-0, 12 KO)
10. Sasha Bakhtin (23-0, 10 KO)
Ratings Notes…Bantamweight is a fascinating division right now, waiting only for the right spark to push it into discussion as one of the sport’s best...the spark did not come in Montiel’s last outing. By all accounts, his non-title affair with Valdez should have been a loss on a cut caused by a punch. Chicanery was well afoot in getting to the technical draw…Considering how well Montiel had been performing, what does the fight say about Hasegawa? The same Valdez troubling Montiel was flattened by the Japanese division leader last year…Montiel slips in the ratings while Nehomar Cermeno rises with his second straight win over former Jr. Bantamweight champion Cristian Mijares. Cermeno should be on the way to a crack at Moreno…Agbeko-Perez looks a go for the end of the year and could be brutal...Geography could prevent the full renaissance this classic division deserves.
Previous Champion: Bernardo Pinango (1986-87, Vacated)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal: Manuel Ortiz - 15
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Other: Orlando Canizales (IBF) – 16
Key Upcoming Bantamweight Contests
11/07: #9 Sasha Bakhtin vs. Seung-Suk Chae (16-1, 6 KO)
Jr. Bantamweight (113-115 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
09/04: Martin Sonsona (14-0, 12 KO) UD12 #4 Jose Lopez (39-8-2, 32 KO, WBO)
09/15: Simphiwe Nongqayi (16-0, 6 KO) UD12 #4 Jorge Arce (52-6-1, 40 KO); vacant IBF belt
09/30: #2 Nobuo Nashiro (13-1-1, 8 KO, WBA) D12 #6 Hugo Cazares (30-6-2, 22 KO)
World Jr. Bantamweight Champion: Vic Darchinyan (32-2-1, 26 KO, Lineal/WBC/WBA Super)
Lineage Descends From: Darchinyan KO 9 Mijares 11/01/08; Fernando Montiel Officially Leaves Division 03/28/09
Top Ten Contenders
1. Nonito Donaire (22-1, 14 KO, WBA interim)
2. Nobuo Nashiro (13-1-1, 8 KO, WBA Regular, 2 Defenses)
3. Simphiwe Nongqayi (16-0, 6 KO, IBF, 0 Defenses)
4. Hugo Cazares (30-6-2, 22 KO)
5. Alexander Munoz (33-3, 27 KO)
6. Z Gorres (30-2-2, 17 KO)
7. Evans Mbamba (16-0, 8 KO)
8. Martin Sonsona (14-0, 12 KO, WBO, 0 Defenses)
9. Kohei Kono (23-4, 8 KO)
10. Roberto Vasquez (27-3, 20 KO)
Ratings Notes…Even in defeat one class up, Darchinyan remains the champion at 115, forced to give up the IBF belt or not…Munoz returned after over a year away. A fight with Darchinyan would be a war if it could be made but Munoz is being rated by some sanctioning bodies at 118 and returned there. He may need to come out of this classes ratings…Donaire rests at #1. While the Concepcion win was his first at 115 since 2007, he has something no one else in class does: a knockout win over the champ…Cazares performed well enough against Nashiro that, combined with his previous win over Vasquez, he moves up without winning. Now let’s hope for Nashiro-Cazares II…Martin Sonsona crashes the ratings at number eight after a rousing win over veteran Jose Lopez, giving a fresh infusion of new blood to the scene. A 115 lb. class which looked endangered by the exit of Cristian Mijares and potential exit of Vic Darchinyan is clearly heating up again…Nongqayi moves up a place after reconsidering the relative inactivity of Munoz who drops from third to fifth.
Previous Champion: Masamori Tokuyama (2005-06, Retires)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal: Masamori Tokuyama - 8
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Other: Khaosai Galaxy (WBA) - 19
Current Champion – Defenses: 0 - Lineal; 1 - WBC/WBA/IBF
Key Upcoming Jr. Bantamweight Contests
12/12: World Champion Vic Darchinyan vs. Tomas Rojas (31-11-1, 22 KO)
Flyweight (109-112 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
10/06: #2 Denkaosan Kaovitchit (48-1-1, 20 KO, WBA) MD12 Daiki Kameda (15-2, 11 KO)
World Flyweight Champion: Daisuke Naito (35-2-2, 22 KO, Lineal/WBC)
Lineage Descends From: Canto MD15 Oguma, 01/08/1975*
Top Ten Contenders
1. Omar Narvaez (30-0-2, 19 KO, WBO, 16 Defenses)
2. Denkaosan Kaovichit (47-1-1, 20 KO, WBA, 1 Defense)
3. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (73-3-1, 39 KO, WBC Interim)
4. Takefumi Sakata (34-5-2, 15 KO)
5. Julio Cesar Miranda (30-4-1, 23 KO)
6. Koki Kameda (20-0, 13 KO)
7. Luis Concepcion (17-1, 12 KO)
8. Moruti Mthalane (23-2, 16 KO)
9. Rayonta Whitfield (22-1, 11 KO)
10. Jesus Jimenez (26-5, 19 KO)
* Canto, a WBC champion, was regarded by some, including Ring Magazine, as lineal champ as early as 1975 for defeating Shoji Oguma; became clear champion when twice defended against foe Betulio Gonzalez became WBA champ on 08/13/1978
Ratings Notes…Naito and Wonjongkam may be inevitable for a fifth fight. Wonjongkam leads the series at 2-1-1 so far. The big obstacle is Kameda, who has a shot at Naito in the fall…the pressure will be on Koki after brother Daiki fell short in his second title try…A dip in level of opposition has improved considerably for Narvaez this year and the Argentine deserves a chance to see if he is the best Flyweight in the world. He probably won’t get it…Jesus Jimenez enters at #10 with thirteen wins in a row, 12 by knockout, and top ten ratings from the WBC, WBA, and WBO.
Previous Champion: Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (2001-08)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal or Other: Pongsaklek Wonjongkam – 17
Current Champion – Defenses: 5 - Lineal/WBC
Key Upcoming Flyweight Contests
11/29: World Champion Daisuke Naito vs. #6 Koki Kameda
Strawweight (105 lbs.)
Notable Recent Results
09/12: #4 Donnie Nietes (25-1-3, 14 KO, WBO) SD12 #9 Manuel Vargas (26-4-1, 11 KO)
10/02: #6 Milan Melindo (19-0, 5 KO) UD10 Guadalupe Martinez (7-2-1, 7 KO)
World Strawweight Champion: Vacant
Top Ten Contenders
1. Roman Gonzalez (24-0, 20 KO, WBA, 2 Defenses)
2. Oleydong Sithsamerchai (32-0, 12 KO, WBC, 3 Defenses)
3. Raul Garcia (27-0, 16 KO, IBF, 4 Defenses)
4. Donnie Nietes (25-1-3, 14 KO, WBO, 3 Defenses)
5. Juan Palacios (26-2, 20 KO, WBC Interim)
6. Milan Melindo (19-0, 5 KO)
7. Nkosinathi Joyi (20-0, 15 KO)
8. Yasutaka Kuroki (22-3-1, 14 KO)
9. Manuel Vargas (26-4-1, 11 KO)
10. Muhammad Rachman (62-8-5, 31 KO)
Ratings Notes…The top three fighters in this division, with about twenty more pounds on them, would force screams for confrontation. They don’t have those pounds and so a potentially thrilling division meanders on…Of the top three, Gonzalez stands out as the best potential heir in the division to the great Ricardo Lopez…Garcia continues to win with a stern test from Joyi coming as another divisional mandatory…Nietes got through a tough challenge from Vargas in a competitive fight which sees both remain as they were in the ratings…Melindo continues to win and is positioned #1 by the WBO while being within title shot range in the WBA and IBF ratings.
Previous Champion: Ricardo Lopez (1990-99, Vacated)
Consecutive Title Defense Record, Lineal or Other: Ricardo Lopez – 22
Key Upcoming Strawweight Contests
None at the time of this update.
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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
