Original 8 weight classes year ended 2013 comparison.

[Humean]

One problem with comparisons over time is that the junior divisions have diluted the talent in the original eight divisions, so here is a list of the rankings if we still had only the "original" eight today plus the Cruiserweight which is the only new division that I think is definitely necessary. Compare it with to see the annual ratings of the past.

How do you think various divisions fair against the state of these divisions in particular years in the past?


Heavyweight 200 +
Cruiserweight 175-200
Light Heavyweight/Super Middleweight 160-175
Middleweight/Junior Middleweight 147-160
Welterweight/Junior Welterweight 135-147
Lightweight/junior lightweight 126-135
Featherweight/Junior Featherweight 118-126
Bantamweight/Junior Bantamweight 112-118
Flyweight/Junior Flyweight/Minimumweight###-112

Heavyweight 200 +
C: Wlad Klitschko IBF,WBO,WBA SUPER
1: Pulev
2: Povetkin
3: Fury
4: Thompson
5: Adamek
6: Cunningham
7: Stiverne
8: Jennings
9: Chisora
10: Perez

Cruiserweight 175-200
C: Hernandez IBF
1: Huck WBO
2: Jones
3: Wlodarczyk WBC
4: Lebedev WBA
5: Afolabi
6: Drozd
7: Arslan
8: Mchunu
9: Makabu
10: Chakhkiev

Light Heavyweight/Super Middleweight 160-175
C: Ward WBA SUPER 168
1: Stevenson WBC 175
2: Froch WBA WORLD, IBF 168
3: Kovalev WBO 175
4: Hopkins IBF 175
5: Stieglitz WBO 168
6: Kessler
7: Pascal
8: Abraham
9: Bute
10: Shumenov WBA SUPER 175



Middleweight/Junior Middleweight 147-160
C: Martinez WBC 160
1: MayweatherWBC, WBA SUPER 154
2: Golovkin WBA WORLD 160
3: Lara WBA 154
4: Sturm IBF 160
5: Quillin WBO 160
6: Canelo
7: Trout
8: Cotto
9: Geale
10: Murray


Welterweight/Junior Welterweight 135-147
C: Mayweather WBC 147
1: Pacquiao
2: Bradley WBO 147
3: Marquez
4: Garcia WBA SUPER, WBC 140
5: Matthysse
6: Provodnikov WBO 140
7: Maidana WBA WORLD 147
8: Porter IBF 147
9: Thurman WBA WORLD 147 (INTERIM)
10: Alexander


Lightweight/Junior Lightweight 126-135
C: Uchiyama WBA SUPER 130
1: Garcia WBO 130
2: Abril WBA WORLD 135
3: Vazquez IBF 135
4: Mendez IBF 130
5: Beltran
6: Burns WBO 135
7: Miura WBC 130
8: R. Martinez
9: Gamboa WBA WORLD 135 (INTERIM)
10: Figueroa WBC 135 (INTERIM)

Featherweight/Junior Featherweight 118-126
C: Rigondeaux WBA SUPER, WBO 122
1: Donaire
2: Vetyeka WBA SUPER 126
3: Gonzalez WBC 126
4: Mares
5: Salido WBO 126
6: Santa Cruz WBC 122
7: Frampton
8: K. Martinez IBF 122
9: Gradovich IBF 126
10: Quigg WBA WORLD 122

Bantamweight/Junior Bantamweight 112-118
C: Moreno WBA SUPER 118
1: Yamanaka WBC 118
2: Narvaez WBO 115
3: Koki Kameda WBA WORLD 118
4: Tomoki Kameda WBO 118
5: Solis
6: Rungvisai WBC 115
7: McDonnell
8: Ruiz
9: Daiki Kameda IBF 115
10: Ceja


Flyweight/Junior Flyweight/Minimumweight #-112
C: Gonzalez
1: Ioka WBA WORLD 108
2: Yaegashi WBC 112
3: Estrada WBO, WBA SUPER 112
4: Hernandez WBC 108
5: Nietes WBO 108
6: Sosa
7: Reveco WBA WORLD 112
8: Casimero IBF 108
9: Viloria
10: Segura

[Ben Bolt]

During the years 2008-12, I was a member of an internet blog. We cast our votes on which we compiled monthly ranking lists (mostly for the fun of it).

And yes, our rankings only recognized these nine weight classes.

[Ray Corso]

If your up to date on rankings then both Tim & Juan should be ahead of Manny! I do agree with most that Manny won against Tim but Tim made him look bad and Manny looked uninspired! Thats not Tims fault, also Juan stopped Manny so he is automaticly ahead of him.
To have current rankings you must set aside the past history of a great competitor which I think Manny is but a loss is just that. a loss!
I would not recognize Mayweathers junior title over GGG either. You might consider the junior titlist high in the rankings but GGG does hold one of the BS belts and should not be demoded because no one will sign to fight except men looking to raise their stock higher or simply looking for better pay!
Also its obvious that Mayweathers junior middle campaign is as big a sham as his current career at welter!

I am a profound advocate of the 9 classes and weighins being the same day (mornings) of the Title fights! If your the Middleweight Champion of the World you should NOT enter the ring with a scale number from 36 hours prior to the bell. Some of these jackazzez actual exceed the limit by 20 pounds!
Its legit and damn sure not a true meaning of the weight classes to begin with!
I don't like the Cruiser but with the emergence of Ali some 50+years ago being a 6' 3 1/2" 210 to 220 pound man who still remains the fastest hands and fleetest mover I guess the 175 to 225 gap is to much to expect to translate to fair!

I hope we never see 12 oz gloves on the big guys, their defense is at its worse in history as it is! Ray

[Humean]

If your up to date on rankings then both Tim & Juan should be ahead of Manny! I do agree with most that Manny won against Tim but Tim made him look bad and Manny looked uninspired! Thats not Tims fault, also Juan stopped Manny so he is automaticly ahead of him.
To have current rankings you must set aside the past history of a great competitor which I think Manny is but a loss is just that. a loss!
I would not recognize Mayweathers junior title over GGG either. You might consider the junior titlist high in the rankings but GGG does hold one of the BS belts and should not be demoded because no one will sign to fight except men looking to raise their stock higher or simply looking for better pay!
Also its obvious that Mayweathers junior middle campaign is as big a sham as his current career at welter!

I am a profound advocate of the 9 classes and weighins being the same day (mornings) of the Title fights! If your the Middleweight Champion of the World you should NOT enter the ring with a scale number from 36 hours prior to the bell. Some of these jackazzez actual exceed the limit by 20 pounds!
Its legit and damn sure not a true meaning of the weight classes to begin with!
I don't like the Cruiser but with the emergence of Ali some 50+years ago being a 6' 3 1/2" 210 to 220 pound man who still remains the fastest hands and fleetest mover I guess the 175 to 225 gap is to much to expect to translate to fair!

I hope we never see 12 oz gloves on the big guys, their defense is at its worse in history as it is! Ray

My list is somewhat subjective at times in that I also ranked based upon how I saw the outcome in fights and not just the official outcome hence the placement of Pacquiao ahead of Bradley. Mayweather was the only fighter I had in two divisions, I could easily have not included him in the middleweight/junior middleweight division. You can alter the rankings whichever way you like but I think my rankings look broadly right. The important part to it is to see the state of each division compared to history, personally I think it looks pretty good throughout.

As to the weight I think the best system would have to have same day weigh ins plus other weigh ins leading up to the fight. One of the best suggestions I have read came from a doctor who advocated having the day before weigh in and make it so that each fighter must be within 3% of the contracted weight and then on the fight day weigh in the fighter is not allowed to be outside 5% of the contracted weigh in. It really isn't necessary that fighters come under the contracted weight, surely what is important is that the fighters weigh within only a few pounds from each other when in the ring and that the health of the fighter in regards to making weight is sufficiently regulated by the process of the various weigh ins.

During the years 2008-12, I was a member of an internet blog. We cast our votes on which we compiled monthly ranking lists (mostly for the fun of it).

And yes, our rankings only recognized these nine weight classes.

I think it gives a better look at the sport in an historical context by making it easier to make comparisons. Also there is some wisdom in not seeing the junior divisions as necessary in respect to the weight because so many of the junior divisions fights have guys fighting on fight night at the exact same weight as fighters in the 'original' divisions are fighting at. Example is that Golovkin weighs about 170 on fight night and both Canelo and Trout weighed the same when they fought at 154. Another example is that Broner fought Rees at lightweight earlier last year and weighed 150 on fight night, when he moved up two weight classes to fight Maidana he weighed 155 on fight night. He moved up two weight classes and ended up only 5 pounds heavier!

[billeau2]

My list is somewhat subjective at times in that I also ranked based upon how I saw the outcome in fights and not just the official outcome hence the placement of Pacquiao ahead of Bradley. Mayweather was the only fighter I had in two divisions, I could easily have not included him in the middleweight/junior middleweight division. You can alter the rankings whichever way you like but I think my rankings look broadly right. The important part to it is to see the state of each division compared to history, personally I think it looks pretty good throughout.

As to the weight I think the best system would have to have same day weigh ins plus other weigh ins leading up to the fight. One of the best suggestions I have read came from a doctor who advocated having the day before weigh in and make it so that each fighter must be within 3% of the contracted weight and then on the fight day weigh in the fighter is not allowed to be outside 5% of the contracted weigh in. It really isn't necessary that fighters come under the contracted weight, surely what is important is that the fighters weigh within only a few pounds from each other when in the ring and that the health of the fighter in regards to making weight is sufficiently regulated by the process of the various weigh ins.



I think it gives a better look at the sport in an historical context by making it easier to make comparisons. Also there is some wisdom in not seeing the junior divisions as necessary in respect to the weight because so many of the junior divisions fights have guys fighting on fight night at the exact same weight as fighters in the 'original' divisions are fighting at. Example is that Golovkin weighs about 170 on fight night and both Canelo and Trout weighed the same when they fought at 154. Another example is that Broner fought Rees at lightweight earlier last year and weighed 150 on fight night, when he moved up two weight classes to fight Maidana he weighed 155 on fight night. He moved up two weight classes and ended up only 5 pounds heavier!

Thats a good suggestion regarding weight ins. I.e having a couple of official weigh in and doctors... Something should be done, if we could project a trend we may well be looking at guys weighing in exhorbinantly, fights being dropped to 10 rounds as fighters get injured....essentially from getting hit by 155 pound guys when being the size of Gavin Reese. And gloves being the size of "socker boppers!"

While I am exxagerating there has been a trend with guys weighing in bigger.

[RINGG]

Not sure about cruiserweight as the "eight original" being that cruiser weight wasn't even created until 1979. 17 years after the creation of light middleweight.

[Humean]

Thats a good suggestion regarding weight ins. I.e having a couple of official weigh in and doctors... Something should be done, if we could project a trend we may well be looking at guys weighing in exhorbinantly, fights being dropped to 10 rounds as fighters get injured....essentially from getting hit by 155 pound guys when being the size of Gavin Reese. And gloves being the size of "socker boppers!"

While I am exxagerating there has been a trend with guys weighing in bigger.

Funnily enough Rees weighed 150 against Broner also, Rees actually used to fight at 140 and was a title holder there. Rees is really short but he has a large frame for his height. Having said that i'm sure he was carrying more fat on his body than Broner. What is certainly the case though is that if both fighters are weighing 150 in the ring and they are fighting for the 135 lightweight belt then something has went awry. The fight night weights do make a mockery of the weight class system and create too much room for unnecessary risk to fighters health, both from being punched by heavier men and by the adverse effects from cutting too much weight.

Not sure about cruiserweight as the "eight original" being that cruiser weight wasn't even created until 1979. 17 years after the creation of light middleweight.

Did you read my first paragraph? I know when the various divisions were established.

[Anthony342]

With so many dull fights these days, except for the very best ones each year, I wouldn't actually mind if fights were only 10 rounds.

[Humean]

With so many dull fights these days, except for the very best ones each yea, I wouldn't actually mind if fights were only 10 rounds.

Were you not watching in 2013? 2013 was a great year of many great fights throughout practically all the divisions.

[greeh]

The 112 lbs. division may very well be the deepest division in boxing right now, but it would get incredible much deeper if the 108 lbs. and especially 105 lbs. division would be removed and the dilution of the flyweight division would be stopped for good.

The sad part is that it will probably never happen.