Rankings go up on Mondays.
Ranked Matches This Week:
Lightweight: (7) Zaur Abdullaev vs. Jovanni Straffon, Sept. 11 Junior Flyweight: (7) Masamichi Yabuki vs. Thanongsak Simsri, Sept. 10 Women’s P4P: (2) Claressa Shields vs. (8) Savannah Marshall, Women’s P4P September 10: (5) Mikaela Mayer vs. (10) Alycia Baumgardner, September 10
Notes: I keep wondering if I should bring Tyson Fury back, but have decided I will when I officially announce his next fight. Not before that. He wanted to be called “retired,” so that’s fine. We all know he’s not, but whatever.
Regardless, Andy Ruiz Jr remains at No. 4 for now after a narrow victory over Luis Ortiz. He had it for him, 113-112, which is 7-5 Ortiz in rounds but counting three knockdowns. Had he not counted the controversial second knockdown in the second round, he would have had it 113-113 overall. Ortiz can’t complain much here; yes, he won enough rounds to have technically won the fight by rounds alone, but that fight basically went any way Andy Ruiz allowed it to go. When he threw, he was quick enough and did damage, and two of the takedowns were totally legit. When he didn’t, Ortiz was able to cut rounds on a jab that wasn’t even that good, really, but it worked.
It’s a weird fight to take a lot from, but I didn’t think the world of what I saw from any of them. That said, Ruiz won’t fight a lot of guys like Ortiz, for better or worse. He would give her a good chance to look much better against top 10 other guys. But then there’s Deontay Wilder, who he could fight next year, and I don’t think he has a prayer for the power of Wilder’s right hand.
Right now this division is Fury and Usyk on one level, Wilder and Joshua on another, and then the rest of the guys. We will see more what happens with Joyce vs. Parker on September 24; if Joyce wins that in impressive fashion, he’ll jump ahead of Ruiz for me.
As for Ortiz, he drops to No. 10, but I don’t know, I mean, he’s what I thought he was before this fight. He’s old, his legs and chin aren’t what they used to be, he’s really immobile and needs fighters to get close to him (but not too fast!) — and all of that combined with his toughness and skill and experience remaining of him yet. he doesn’t put it any worse than the top 15 in the world. We’ll do another reflection in a couple of weeks, I’m really looking forward to going through Joyce vs. Parker and seeing how things look from there, because there are a lot of questions after the top four. (The last two of the top four have questions, of course, but I think we know the answers with them, too.)
Upcoming fights: (5) Joe Joyce vs. (7) Joseph Parker, Sept. 24…(2) Deontay Wilder vs. Robert Helenius, Oct. 15
Upcoming fights: TBA
Upcoming fights: (1) Dmitry Bivol vs. Zurdo Ramirez, Nov. 5… (2) Artur Beterbiev vs. (9) Anthony Yarde, TBA… (4) Joshua Buatsi vs. (10) Jean Pascal, TBA
Upcoming fights: (1) Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin, Sept. 17
Notes: Eliminating Demetrius Andrade, who vacated the WBO title (now held by Janibek Alimkhanuly, who was promoted from interim status), and plans to take the postponed 168-pound eliminator with Zach Parker. Felix Cash is inside. Not the most inspiring split right now.
Upcoming fights: (1) Gennadiy Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez [super middleweight]Sept. 17 (4) Chris Eubank Jr vs. Conor Benn, Oct. 8…(6) Carlos Adames vs. Juan Macias Montiel, Oct. 8
Notes: Liam Smith stopped Hassan Mwakinyo in four on Saturday. It was a bit of a weird ending, but not that weird, honestly. Mwakinyo stated that he wanted to continue after the fight was stopped, it was a minor task, nobody cares much, in all honesty. Smith still wants a big fight. But the only real “big fight” here is with Jermell Charlo, and Jermell has a mandatory Tim Tszyu, and after that he will be a mandatory Sebastian Fundora, that’s assuming he stays at weight.
But with Charlo not expected to fight Tszyu until January, which isn’t as far away as it might seem at this point, Smith will be left holding out for a while, even if he can finally get a fight for the vacant title.
Upcoming Fights: (3) Sebastian Fundora vs. Carlos Ocampo, Oct. 8 … (1) Jermell Charlo vs. (4) Tim Tszyu, Jan. 28
Notes: Going back to a conversation John and I had on the podcast a few weeks ago, I’m now at the point where I think if we don’t get a Spence vs. Crawford deal with Canelo vs. GGG by the weekend, we’re not getting the fight in 2022. The boxing world for major fights in the US will close on Saturday December 17, maybe Sunday December 18, but there will be nothing major on Christmas weekend or New Year’s weekend New. It’s not a Spence vs. Crawford type of fight. And they’ll want time to promote, at least eight weeks. If it’s not done and resolved by September 17, which would mean a fight in mid-November, I don’t think we’ll see it this year.
Upcoming Fights: (7) Conor Benn vs. Chris Eubank Jr [middleweight]October 8th
Notes: For what it’s worth, I don’t trust “MarvNation”, who overpaid for Prograis vs Zepeda in a money offer, to actually make that fight, and if they can and plan to take it to PPV, they will. lose their shirts. This is very “Triller buys Lopez vs Kambosos for way more money than anyone who knew better knew it was worth,” and we saw how it turned out.
José Pedraza and Richard Commey went to a drawing on August 27 or whatever date it was. Two Saturdays ago. I thought Pedraza had done just enough to get through it, but the result was fine with me. Pedraza maintains his No. 10 spot, but he’s floundering, and someone else can impress and take him, maybe.
Upcoming fights: (6) Subriel Matias vs. Jeremias Ponce, Oct. 15… (8) Teofimo Lopez vs. TBA, Dec. 10… (3) Regis Prograis vs. (5) Jose Zepeda, TBA
Notes: Isaac Cruz outclasses JoJo Diaz and Zaur Abdullaev, thanks to his strong showing against Tank Davis last year and two destructive wins since then. It’s one where there’s not much separating those guys, or Michel Rivera, in terms of who they’ve beaten, so you start doing an eye test and what you think could happen. I think Cruz beats all those guys, but let me just say that I would love to see a fight between Cruz and Diaz. We won’t, but I’d love to see it.
Upcoming fights: (7) Zaur Abdullaev vs. Jovanni Straffon, Sept. 11… (1) Devin Haney vs. (3) George Cambosos Jr., Oct. 15… (5) JoJo Diaz vs. William Zepeda, November 15; 5… (2) Vasily Lomachenko vs. Jamaine Ortiz, TBA
Upcoming fights: (1) Shakur Stevenson vs. (5) Robson Conceicao, Sept. 23… (3) Joe Cordina vs. (4) Shavkat Rakhimov, Nov. 5
Upcoming fights: (2) Maurico Lara vs. (4) Leigh Wood, Sept. 24… (3) Rey Vargas vs. (8) Leo Santa Cruz, TBA
Notes: With Danny Roman retiring from the sport, a spot opened up. That spot at No. 10 goes to Marlon Tapales.
Most notably, I’m giving Ra’eese Aleem a good jump. Watch this division right now and you’ll see two extremely clear top two, any way you put them, and then a lot of guys who are way behind them. Aleem looked very good on Sunday as he dominated Mike Plania. Angelo Leo hasn’t fought in 15 months and he has nothing scheduled, and he didn’t look good in that fight with Aaron Alameda, honestly. I’ve never been sold to Nery at 122, and they’re both still in my top five. That tells you a bit about what 122 is right now. I love “Crazy A” Hovhannisyan, but he’s not a true top-tier fighter either.
Of the “rest”, I think Aleem deserves the number 3 spot right now. He is partially the division, but he really is a talented fighter, and with 32 PBC he should try to give him his chance, especially if Fulton vs. Akhmadaliev isn’t going to happen.
Upcoming fights: TBA
Upcoming fights: (6) Emmanuel Rodriguez vs. (9) Gary Antonio Russell, Oct. 15… (1) Naoya Inoue vs. (8) Paul Butler, Dec. 13
Notes: Juan Francisco Estrada returned and had to beat Argi Cortés, but the most important news is that his trilogy with Chocolatito González is official for December 3.
I’m keeping Estrada in first place for now, but he’s unstable. Ioka has a claim. Chocolatito has a claim, if you think he deserved the win over Estrada in his second fight earlier in 2021. Bam Rodriguez has also defended himself, his two wins at weight this year stack up nicely compared to the others, and he has a much bigger future. The other three are finishing their careers, more or less, although they are still great fighters. Bam is starting up.
No, I don’t think Argi Cortes is now a top 10 fighter. But maybe the excitable Jessie Vargas is right and I’m wrong.
Upcoming Fights: (4) Jesse Rodriguez vs. Israel Gonzalez, Sept. 17…(6) Fernando Martinez vs. (9) Jerwin Ancajas, Oct. 8…(1) Juan Francisco Estrada vs. (3) Chocolatito Gonzalez, Dec. 3
Upcoming fights: (10) Giemel Magramo vs. Taku Kuwahara, Oct. 25
Notes: Sivenathi Nontshinga won a war against Hector Flores on Saturday to claim the vacant IBF title, but his position remains the same here for now. It’s a fight that calls for a rematch and for both guys to get better paydays and a brighter spotlight. I said before, not saying they should try to headline a DAZN card with them, I understand why you don’t want to do that, but give them some good card slot on a more notable Matchroom USA show, maybe, even if it’s opening. a four-fight main card that will see more people than Estrada vs. Cortes. If you didn’t see the fight, go see it. it was great
Upcoming fights: (7) Masamichi Yabuki vs. Thanongsak Simsri, Sept. 10
Notes: Petchmanee made a successful defense on August 31.
Upcoming fights: TBA
Upcoming fights: (2) Claressa Shields vs. (8) Savannah Marshall, Sept. 10… (5) Mikaela Mayer vs. (10) Alycia Baumgardner, Sept. 10… (7) Jessica McCaskill vs. (9) Chantelle Cameron , November 5th
