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Ring Rankings The Real Deal? Take A Second Peek
By George Elsasser
Ring Magazine was founded by the late Nat Fleischer in 1922 - and today still carries the logo "The Bible of Boxing." When last peeked it is Nigel Collins at the helm.
On that note, "We report, you decide."
Happened by chance to stumble onto the November 23 Ring rankings … the "real" ones as the today self anointed "experts" like to call it - and a few of the listed top-10 placements quickly had me more ready to clinch than fight.
Read on:
Heavyweights
Champ: Vitali Klitschko 34-2 (33)
1. Chris Byrd 38-2-1 (20)
2. John Ruiz 41-5-1 (28)
3. Hasim Rahman 40-5-1 (33)
4. James Toney 68-4-2 (43)
5. Monte Barrett 30-3 (6)
GEL ~ don’t touch that dial … my "BW" could do as well with heavyweights.
Light Heavyweights
Champ: Antonio Tarver 22-2 (18)
1. Glen Johnson 41-9-2 (28)
2. Zsolt Erdei 21-0 (13)
3. Roy Jones 49-3 (38)
GEL ~ No need to dig any deeper … Tarver-Johnson a coin flip - but Hungarian goulash with 21 trips to the bank and 13 scalps while feasting on home cooking, and ahead of Jones Jr.? Maybe a seance with founder Fleischer would help.
Super Middleweights
Champ: Vacant
GEL ~ Forget the ranking order. I fail to see a Jeff "Left-hook" Lacy at #8 beneath Calzaghe, Mikkel Kessler, Anthony Mundine, Antwun Echols, Danny Green, Mads Larsen, Robin Reid - you find the best spot from one to three.
Middleweights
Champ: Bernard Hopkins 45-2-1 (32)
1. Howard Eastman 40-1 (35)
2. Oscar De La Hoya 37-4 (29)
3. Felix Sturm 21-1 (9)
4. Felix Trinidad 42-1 (35)
GEL ~ Good grief - is there a doctor in the house? Lesse now, Tito stops Hoya who is gifted with Sturm decision, and both rank above Trinidad? Any takers we invite them to a winner take all with Tito? Think not!
Middleweights
Champ: Winky Wright 48-3 (25)
1. Kassim Ouma 20-1-1 (13)
2. Shane Mosley 39-4 (35)
GEL ~ Any division with a Fraudulent Fernando Vargas in #5 slot is in need of plasma. Switch Ouma with Mosley and you got it right. If Wright is short on TNT, like him or not, Kassim baby fires nothing bigger than pellets.
Welterweights
Champ: Cory Spinks 34-2 (11)
1. Antonio Margarito 30-4 (21)
2. Zab Judah 32-2 (23)
GEL ~ At present Spinks, Margarito, Judah is the entire division … could use a merge with Jr. Welters.
Jr. Welterweights
Champ: Kostya Tszyu 31-1 (25)
1. Arturo Gatti 38-6 (29)
2. Vivian Harris 25-1-1 (17)
3. Floyd Mayweather 32-0 (21)
4. Sharmba Mitchell 55-4 (31)
5. Miguel Cotto 21-0 (17)
6. Ricky Hatton 37-0 (27)
7. DeMarcus Corley 28-3-1 (16)
8. Lovemore Ndou 39-7-1 (25)
GEL ~ Nigel, no time for humor … this is Ring Ranking not USA Today. Get serious. OK with Tszyu as champ since he’s whacked both Judah, and Sharmba twice. But Gatti numero uno? Biggest blood donor among jr. welters doesn’t translate to top spot. Mayweather third, and Cotto, Hatton beneath Sharmba in fourth and Harris in second is troubling to the senses.
Lightweights
Champ: Jose Luis Castillo 50-6-1 (45)
1. Diego Corrales 39-2 (32)
2. Juan Lazcano 33-3-1 (25)
3. Julio Diaz 30-2 (22)
4. Juan Diaz 26-0 (12)
GEL ~ I’ll give you Castillo as champ - the resumé supports - tough call numbers one through four. My coin flip sees Juan Diaz in second and readying to pass Corrales in run to the wire.
Featherweights
Champ: Manny Pacquiao 38-2-2 (29)
1. Juan Manuel Marquez 43-2-1 (33)
2. Marco Antonio Barrera 58-4 (41)
3. Scott Harrison 23-2-1 (13)
GEL ~ Tell you wot … you can go with the ******* starting wild winging southpaw power puncher … I’ll go with the more complete Marquez … return sees Juan via KO. And does anybody in the joint see a Rocky Juarez at #6 and Zahir Raheem #7 … I didn’t think so.
Closing Comments ~ Fleischer remained with Ring from 1922 thru 1972 … magazine held the line under the reign as "Bible of Boxing." But then the changes and mediocrity with competitive fite magazines set in. Some that followed Nat as editor over the last 25 years or so and listed in no special order; Bert Randolph Sugar, Nat Loubet, Randy Gordon, Eric Raskin, Steven Farhood, Joseph Santoliquito.
PS. Before shooting the messenger I suggest catching ShoBox "New Generation" with Nick Charles doing blow by blow and Farhood with the color commentary. End of story.
GEL
11-27-04
Ring Magazine was founded by the late Nat Fleischer in 1922 - and today still carries the logo "The Bible of Boxing." When last peeked it is Nigel Collins at the helm.
On that note, "We report, you decide."
Happened by chance to stumble onto the November 23 Ring rankings … the "real" ones as the today self anointed "experts" like to call it - and a few of the listed top-10 placements quickly had me more ready to clinch than fight.
Read on:
Heavyweights
Champ: Vitali Klitschko 34-2 (33)
1. Chris Byrd 38-2-1 (20)
2. John Ruiz 41-5-1 (28)
3. Hasim Rahman 40-5-1 (33)
4. James Toney 68-4-2 (43)
5. Monte Barrett 30-3 (6)
GEL ~ don’t touch that dial … my "BW" could do as well with heavyweights.
Light Heavyweights
Champ: Antonio Tarver 22-2 (18)
1. Glen Johnson 41-9-2 (28)
2. Zsolt Erdei 21-0 (13)
3. Roy Jones 49-3 (38)
GEL ~ No need to dig any deeper … Tarver-Johnson a coin flip - but Hungarian goulash with 21 trips to the bank and 13 scalps while feasting on home cooking, and ahead of Jones Jr.? Maybe a seance with founder Fleischer would help.
Super Middleweights
Champ: Vacant
GEL ~ Forget the ranking order. I fail to see a Jeff "Left-hook" Lacy at #8 beneath Calzaghe, Mikkel Kessler, Anthony Mundine, Antwun Echols, Danny Green, Mads Larsen, Robin Reid - you find the best spot from one to three.
Middleweights
Champ: Bernard Hopkins 45-2-1 (32)
1. Howard Eastman 40-1 (35)
2. Oscar De La Hoya 37-4 (29)
3. Felix Sturm 21-1 (9)
4. Felix Trinidad 42-1 (35)
GEL ~ Good grief - is there a doctor in the house? Lesse now, Tito stops Hoya who is gifted with Sturm decision, and both rank above Trinidad? Any takers we invite them to a winner take all with Tito? Think not!
Middleweights
Champ: Winky Wright 48-3 (25)
1. Kassim Ouma 20-1-1 (13)
2. Shane Mosley 39-4 (35)
GEL ~ Any division with a Fraudulent Fernando Vargas in #5 slot is in need of plasma. Switch Ouma with Mosley and you got it right. If Wright is short on TNT, like him or not, Kassim baby fires nothing bigger than pellets.
Welterweights
Champ: Cory Spinks 34-2 (11)
1. Antonio Margarito 30-4 (21)
2. Zab Judah 32-2 (23)
GEL ~ At present Spinks, Margarito, Judah is the entire division … could use a merge with Jr. Welters.
Jr. Welterweights
Champ: Kostya Tszyu 31-1 (25)
1. Arturo Gatti 38-6 (29)
2. Vivian Harris 25-1-1 (17)
3. Floyd Mayweather 32-0 (21)
4. Sharmba Mitchell 55-4 (31)
5. Miguel Cotto 21-0 (17)
6. Ricky Hatton 37-0 (27)
7. DeMarcus Corley 28-3-1 (16)
8. Lovemore Ndou 39-7-1 (25)
GEL ~ Nigel, no time for humor … this is Ring Ranking not USA Today. Get serious. OK with Tszyu as champ since he’s whacked both Judah, and Sharmba twice. But Gatti numero uno? Biggest blood donor among jr. welters doesn’t translate to top spot. Mayweather third, and Cotto, Hatton beneath Sharmba in fourth and Harris in second is troubling to the senses.
Lightweights
Champ: Jose Luis Castillo 50-6-1 (45)
1. Diego Corrales 39-2 (32)
2. Juan Lazcano 33-3-1 (25)
3. Julio Diaz 30-2 (22)
4. Juan Diaz 26-0 (12)
GEL ~ I’ll give you Castillo as champ - the resumé supports - tough call numbers one through four. My coin flip sees Juan Diaz in second and readying to pass Corrales in run to the wire.
Featherweights
Champ: Manny Pacquiao 38-2-2 (29)
1. Juan Manuel Marquez 43-2-1 (33)
2. Marco Antonio Barrera 58-4 (41)
3. Scott Harrison 23-2-1 (13)
GEL ~ Tell you wot … you can go with the ******* starting wild winging southpaw power puncher … I’ll go with the more complete Marquez … return sees Juan via KO. And does anybody in the joint see a Rocky Juarez at #6 and Zahir Raheem #7 … I didn’t think so.
Closing Comments ~ Fleischer remained with Ring from 1922 thru 1972 … magazine held the line under the reign as "Bible of Boxing." But then the changes and mediocrity with competitive fite magazines set in. Some that followed Nat as editor over the last 25 years or so and listed in no special order; Bert Randolph Sugar, Nat Loubet, Randy Gordon, Eric Raskin, Steven Farhood, Joseph Santoliquito.
PS. Before shooting the messenger I suggest catching ShoBox "New Generation" with Nick Charles doing blow by blow and Farhood with the color commentary. End of story.
GEL
11-27-04
Gran Campeon
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