The junior middleweight class is among the hottest in the sport with several quality fighters who can legitimately claim to be the best in the world. Now, as a bit of fun – I stress again, a bit of fun – I have compiled my own personal Top 10.
Some didn’t quite make it, like Charles Conwell for reasons that I explain, there’s no place for Erickson Lubin due to inactivity (he's set to return in May), and Keith Thurman recently blowing out a wildly overmatched opponent wasn’t quite enough to merit consideration.
Feel free to scorn in the comments below, my skin is leathery enough to cope. And already I think I’ve placed Jesus Ramos too high…
1. Terence Crawford, 41-0 (31 KOs), 37 years old
Can an inactive fighter who has only once campaigned at 154lbs really be the leader of this talent-rich division? Those who say no won’t get any argument here. But this is Terence Crawford we’re talking about – we must rate him somewhere and if not at junior middle, where? His lofty placement is frankly a nod to an overall body of work which saw him clear out several weight classes, with at times breath-taking poise and panache, before making his move to junior middleweight. And though his arrival coincided with what many label his least convincing performance to date – a points victory over Israil Madrimov last August – picking him to lose to any of the fighters below him would be a brave call. However, with Crawford pencilled in to fight Canelo Alvarez in September, expecting him to fight anyone else at 154 is unrealistic, particularly when one considers he’s 37 and has long been the least active elite boxer of the current era.
Ideal next fight: Vergil Ortiz. The Canelo superfight is perfectly appealing but in the spirit of picking on – or being picked on by – someone your own size, a showdown with his closest rival at 154 would be the traditionalist’s choice.
2. Vergil Ortiz Jnr, 23-0 (21 KOs), 26 years old
Though unbeaten and fan-friendly, Ortiz remains somewhat unappreciated and, by some observers, underrated. Though us hardcore boxing fans have long known that comparing performances against common opponents offers only questionable evidence when attempting to decipher which of two fighters is better, Ortiz certainly deserves kudos for outboxing Madrimov more convincingly than Crawford managed to. Throw in a (not as convincing) points victory over Serhii Bohachuk alongside his demolitions of Fredrick Lawson and Thomas Dulorme, and there’s an argument for him to be atop the pile.
Ideal next fight: A shot at Crawford would be the money fight. A brawl with Bakhram Murtazaliev is the thrilling fight.
3. Bakhram Murtazaliev, 23-0 (17 KOs), 32 years old
The transformation in Murtazaliev in the space of six months – from flawed to unstoppable – was so astonishing it surely can’t be true, at least not completely. Yes, he did look sensational while marmalizing Tim Tzsyu in October but to go to that after taking his time to break down Jack Culcay, who took rounds from the Russian, suggests some recency bias from those quick to name him the best in the world. But he’s certainly got our attention and if that performance is indeed a precursor for what’s to come, the rest of the division might want to take cover.
Ideal next fight: Ortiz. Walk through him and the Russian’s prowess won’t be questioned again.
4. Sebastian Fundora, 22-1-1 (14 KOs), 27 years old
Fourth might be deemed a little harsh on this wiry, spiteful specimen. Fundora claimed his two alphabet straps when he upset Tszyu 12 months ago and was impressive enough against Chordale Booker in his first defense. There’s still a sense that Fundora needs to prove his worth, however. The victory over Tszyu came with the Aussie blinded by a mask of his own blood, Brooker was a rank outsider, and memories of the ‘Towering Inferno’ blazing to the floor after taking a sizeable whack from Brian Mendoza in 2023 still feel relatively fresh. But Fundora, and his almost impossible dimensions, shouldn’t be discounted against any of his peers.
Ideal next fight: Bohachuk is a tough fight for anyone but accomplished enough, and just about beatable enough, for Fundora to strengthen his foundations for supremacy. Xander Zayas, who might be in the driving seat for the Fundora gig, isn’t a bad option either.
5. Serhii Bohachuk, 25-2 (24 KOs), 29 years old
He gave Ortiz hell for 12 rounds last year and plenty of observers felt him unlucky not to get the nod at the end. His only other loss, to Brandon Adams four years ago, came after Bohachuk had bossed most of the fight but the nature of that KO loss might have been a cause for concern if he hadn’t then proved his toughness against Ortiz. The Ukrainian is a serious force and, like anyone in the talent-laden top 5, if he gets the right opportunities the division might be his for the taking. Will those chances come? One would hope so given Bohachuk occupies the No. 1 position in the WBC rankings but with belt-holders starting to stockpile – Fundora holds the full fat strap while Ortiz wears the interim trinket – it might be a while before some sort of order occurs.
Ideal next fight: Fundora. Style-wise it makes sense and the winner would fill certain boxes with much-needed ticks.
6. Israil Madrimov, 10-2-1 (7 KOs), 30 years old
One of the first rules of ranking boxers should be to not rate a losing boxer too highly after they exceeded all expectations in defeat. We all likely broke that rule, and went a little too gaga over Madrimov, following his tight loss to Crawford last year. What followed was a showdown with Ortiz, and though Madrimov again had his moments, his shortcomings at elite level were also exposed to a degree. That’s not to say Madrimov can’t come again; boxers with skills as balletic as his should never be written off. Yet a perceived lack of firepower cost him when he needed it most against Ortiz and he seemed reluctant at times to stray from Plan A. Even so, one senses there is still more chapters to be written in the Madrimov story.
Ideal next fight: He needs a victory so let’s not throw him back in with one of the leaders just yet. He’d likely be backed to defeat the 36-year-old Keith Thurman, though.
7. Jesus Ramos, 23-1 (19 KOs), 24 years old
The streaking southpaw has won three on the bounce since losing to Erickson Lubin who, incidentally, doesn’t make this list because he hasn’t fought since outpointing Ramos in September 2023. Ramos appears to be improving and those victories over solid but unspectacular opposition – Johan Gonzalez, Jeison Rosario and Guido Schramm – edge him ahead of Tszyu, who is in the thick of a crisis. Ramos will need better opponents, however, to advance any further but he’s being smartly moved for the time being.
Ideal next fight: Puerto Rico’s Xander Zayas would guarantee fireworks. The winner marches on, the loser is young enough to regroup.
8. Tim Tszyu, 24-2 (17 KOs), 30 years old
This would have been an unthinkable placement 12 months ago. Then along came the spidery Fundora to trigger what – for now – appears to be a rapid and shocking decline. That first defeat was largely forgiven, because of its nature, but the subsequent hammering he endured at the fists of Murtazaliev is markedly harder to write off as just another bad day at the office. Tszyu, however, still has a strong body of work in his recent past and he won’t be the first boxer in history to rebound from consecutive defeats should he manage to rebuild. But he will need a string of victories before we can move on from how delicate he looked in October.
Ideal next fight: Joey Spencer, who he fights next month, is perfect at this juncture.
9. Yoenis Tellez, 10-0 (7 KOs), 24 years old
Almost a coin toss as to which rising upstart – Tellez or Xander Zayas – should be higher. Zayas has had more fights and might be the better known but he’s yet to step beyond 10-round level. In his most recent outing, Tellez took that step himself and outpointed the fading Julian Williams over the 12-round championship distance to pick up a daft interim bauble along the way. Tellez showed plenty of potential, too. He’s got a substantial tool kit from which he crafts varied attacks; he expertly took the wind from Williams early on with raids to the stomach. Still far too early to know how far he goes but we will watch with interest.
Ideal next fight: A matchup with Zayas would be fascinating.
10. Xander Zayas, 21-0 (13 KOs), 22 years old
If Tellez just pips Zayas for ninth, then Zayas just pips Charles Conwell for 10th. Zayas’ record is a little stronger than Conwell’s though both remain at 10-round level for now. The 22-year-old southpaw sits at No. 1 in the WBO rankings (one place above Conwell) and there’s talk that he’s next in line for champion Fundora. Zayas might benefit from a little more seasoning before taking that jump but there’s enough about the Puerto Rican to suggest he might be one of those special talents who thrives on the biggest stage.
Ideal next fight: Trumping one of his fellow up-and-comers, like Tellez or Conwell, would do plenty for his development but his challenge to Fundora is certainly intriguing.
