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The surge of titles makes it difficult for all but the most discerning fans to determine what the season of boxing is.
That’s why Boxing Junkie has introduced a “Great Eight” feature, naming the best boxers in each of the original weight classes – light weight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight , bantamweight and flyweight.
Heavy includes cruiser class (and WBC weighbridge), light heavy includes super medium, etc.
It’s easy to exercise our selection in several departments. For example, Naoya Inoue dominated at 118 pounds that no one in that weight class or 115 was near him.
Other weight classes have to think more. And you’ll notice a change has been made since we last posted Great Eight.
Below are our current rankings.
WEIGHT WEIGHT – Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs): The Gypsy King is not going anywhere until someone beats him, he has a particularly poor performance, or he retires.
LIGHT-WEIGHT – Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs): The 175-pound champion followed up his disappointment over Canelo Alvarez with another sensational performance, deciding in favor of Gilberto Ramirez last Saturday. We hope he meets co-owner Artur Beterbiev so that there is no doubt about who is the No.
MEDIUM – Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs): No one at 160 or 154 can touch the young middleweight champion who can do it all. The top middleweights – including Jermall Charlo, Jermell’s twin – were not as dominant.
WELTERWEIGHT – Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs). Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. there is no doubt chance here but so far no agreement on a super battle. No one else at 147 or 140 was as successful as the big two.
THE LIGHT – Gervonta Davis (27-0.25 KOs): This is a tough pick as strong cases can be made for undisputed 135-pound champions Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson, both talented martial artists. We believe Davis is the most complete boxer at 135 or 130.
WEIGHT WEIGHT – Stephen Fulton (20-0.8 KOs): The junior unified featherweight title winner replaced Gary Russell Jr after Russell lost the featherweight title to Mark Magsayo in January. Rey Vargas, who took Magsayo’s belt, is possibly Fulton’s closest relative.
WEIGHT – Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs): Japanese bantamweight star arguably the best in every weight class. Juan Francisco Estrada, Roman Gonzalez and Bam Rodriguez were featured, but still a significant level behind Inoue.
FLIGHT WEIGHT – Julio Cesar Martinez (18-2, 14 KOs): This position was opened when Junto Nakatani moved to bantamweight. Cases can be made for the talented Martinez and Sunny Edwards. Martinez lost to Roman Gonzalez at 115 pounds but overtook Edwards at a more natural 112.
