How can the RING possibly justify ranking Cotto as the #1 Junior-Middleweight?

[littlemac]

Cornelius Bundrage is the current lineal champ @ 154 and yet he's ranked #7 by the RING? WTF?

Bundrage is the only guy in the division outside of Canelo who's last victory was over a top 10 ranked opponent.

How does the RING justify putting non-title holders like Molina, Angulo, Lara (coming off a loss and a draw) and Vanes over the lineal champ of the division? And placing Cotto @ #1 when his only wins in the division are over a paper titlist with no successful defenses, and a old shot fighter who hadn't won a meaningful fight in the division in 6 YEARS.

Anybody here agree with the RING's Junior-Middleweight rankings? Or am i just nutts for thinking the guy who holds the lineage in the division, should be the #1 guy in the division?

Have you just been watching latety? Everything is BS now....you ata know that by now.

[shadeyfizzle]

Doesn't matter if he's "favored" in a hypothethical fantasy matchup. Bundrage is the more accomplished fighter in the division and is the only one that holds the sole title that actually matters in the sport of boxing, other than the RING title, which is the LINEAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

Why should all of these underaccomplished paper titlists (and those that don't even hold titles) rank ahead of the only legitimate champ in the division?

Cotto is the much more accomplished fighter overall. Thats why. I dont agree with it either but it at least makes sense why they do it. They made pacquiao #1 at welter with just a win over dlh over much more accomplished cotto and margarito. They also did it with bhop at supermiddle with a loss and a win over pavlik who had never fought there.

[fitefanSHO]

Bundrage took the linear crown from Spinks, who became the lineal champ after Paul Williams vacated his title that he won from Verno Phillips (lineal champ) and moved up to Middleweight.

Phillips then retired, next in line to claim the lineage was Spinks.


This is all according to the RINGs own rankings.

Ya, I'm not quite sure that's how it works, at least IMO.

[Deal With It]

Cotto is the much more accomplished fighter overall. Thats why. I dont agree with it either but it at least makes sense why they do it. They made pacquiao #1 at welter with just a win over dlh over much more accomplished cotto and margarito. They also did it with bhop at supermiddle with a loss and a win over pavlik who had never fought there.

This isn't a P4P ranking, it's a DIVISIONAL ranking. What Cotto has done @ 154 thus far should not be sufficient for a #1 ranking.

Beating a C-level paper titlist and a old shot fighter who hadn't won a meaningful fight @ 154 in 6 years shouldn't magically bump you up to the #1 spot pass the lineal divisonal champ.

If you ain't the lineal or RING champ you ain't shit.

[ИATAS]

Cotto is the much more accomplished fighter overall. Thats why. I dont agree with it either but it at least makes sense why they do it. They made pacquiao #1 at welter with just a win over dlh over much more accomplished cotto and margarito. They also did it with bhop at supermiddle with a loss and a win over pavlik who had never fought there.

The Ring never ranked Hopkins at SMW.

Also, Pacquiao wasn't #1 at WW after he beat Oscar, he was ranked in the top 5 but wasn't #1 until he beat Cotto.

[Deal With It]

Ya, I'm not quite sure that's how it works, at least IMO.

Then how does it work? Educate me. Who has more of a claim to the #1 spot based on what they've accomplished @ 154 than Bundrage?

The 2 paper titlists Cotto & Canelo?

[ИATAS]

This isn't a P4P ranking, it's a DIVISIONAL ranking. What Cotto has done @ 154 thus far should not be sufficient for a #1 ranking.

Beating a C-level paper titlist and a old shot fighter who hadn't won a meaningful fight @ 154 in 6 years shouldn't magically bump you up to the #1 spot pass the lineal divisonal champ.

If you ain't the lineal or RING champ you ain't shit.

So who should be #1 then? Are you really arguing K9 should be #1? Winning a lineal belt doesn't necessarily mean you're the best in the division, or else Zsolt Erdei would have been the #1 LHW for years.

[shadeyfizzle]

This isn't a P4P ranking, it's a DIVISIONAL ranking. What Cotto has done @ 154 thus far should not be sufficient for a #1 ranking.

Beating a C-level paper titlist and a old shot fighter who hadn't won a meaningful fight @ 154 in 6 years shouldn't magically bump you up to the #1 spot pass the lineal divisonal champ.

If you ain't the lineal or RING champ you ain't shit.

Dude why are u arguing with me? I agree with you. Im just explaining the likely reasoning they have behind making cotto #1. Its also not like its the first time the ring had done this. Theyve done it repeatedly in all divisions. Chris john for example is the most accomplished featherweight in the world and he's ranked lower than gamboa whos fought less accomplished competition than chris john.

[Deal With It]

The Ring never ranked Hopkins at SMW.

Also, Pacquiao wasn't #1 at WW after he beat Oscar, he was ranked in the top 5 but wasn't #1 until he beat Cotto.

And that's some Ass backwards shit. Becoming #1 in a division without actually beating the #1 in the division.

[P4P Opinion]

Cornelius Bundrage is the current lineal champ @ 154 and yet he's ranked #7 by the RING? WTF?

Bundrage is the only guy in the division outside of Canelo who's last victory was over a top 10 ranked opponent.

How does the RING justify putting non-title holders like Molina, Angulo, Lara (coming off a loss and a draw) and Vanes over the lineal champ of the division? And placing Cotto @ #1 when his only wins in the division are over a paper titlist with no successful defenses, and a old shot fighter who hadn't won a meaningful fight in the division in 6 YEARS.

Anybody here agree with the RING's Junior-Middleweight rankings? Or am i just nutts for thinking the guy who holds the lineage in the division, should be the #1 guy in the division?

How did you work that out? The lineal line was broken in 1982 when Sugar Ray Leonard moved up to Middleweight. Even if you recognise Thomas Hearns as the next lineal champion having beaten Wilfred Benitez, as most boxing fans and The Ring did, the line is broken again by Hearns. The Ring did not recognise a light middleweight champion after that until Oscar De La Hoya, and that line does not lead to Cornelius Bundrage. Even if you take the WBC line, who recognised Duane Thomas as the light-middleweight champion having beaten John Mugabi, the line does not lead to Cornelius Bundrage. If you take the WBA line, who recognised Tadashi Mihara as champion having beaten Rocky Fratto, the line does not lead to Cornelius Bundrage.

The only line that leads to Cornelius Bundrage is the IBF line, a line that is most certainly not lineal, considering the many occasions the line is broken and replaced by baffling vacancy bouts. Not that I value the WBC or the WBA lines any higher.

Cotto is recognised by The Ring as the number one contender because he beat Yuri Foreman, who beat Daniel Santos, who was generally considered to be the best 154 pound fighter in a weak and somewhat fractured division.

I really don't see your point, at all.