Great Eight: The No. 1 boxer in each of the original eight divisions

Great Eight: The No. 1 boxer in each of the original eight divisions.

Who are the best boxers in each of the original eight weight classes? Check out Boxing Junkie’s “Great Eight” feature.

***

The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine the cream of the boxing crop.

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight and so on.

It was easy to make our selection in some divisions. For example, heavyweight, which will continue to be ruled by Tyson Fury until someone takes him down.

Other weight classes took more thought. And you’ll notice that several changes have been made since the last time we posted Great Eight.

Here are our current rankings.

 

HEAVYWEIGHT – Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs): Who else?

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs): The 175-pound champion delivered a break-through victory over Canelo Alvarez on May 7.

MIDDLEWEIGHT – Junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) claimed this spot with his victory over Brian Castano last Saturday.

WELTERWEIGHT – Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs): Crawford edges out Errol Spence Jr. Will they settle it in the ring?

LIGHTWEIGHT – George Kambosos (20-0, 10 KOs): The Aussie earned it with his stunning upset of former 135-pound king Teofimo Lopez.

FEATHERWEIGHT – Unified junior featherweight titleholder Stephen Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) supplants Gary Russell Jr.

BANTAMWEIGHT – Bantamweight star Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs): The Japanese star might be the best of any weight.

FLYWEIGHT – Junto Nakatani (23-0, 18 KOs): The 112-pound titleholder takes over from Julio Cesar Martinez.

Great Eight: The No. 1 boxer in each of the original eight divisions

Great Eight: The No. 1 boxer in each of the original eight divisions.

Who are the best boxers in each of the original eight weight classes? Check out Boxing Junkie’s “Great Eight” feature.

***

The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine the cream of the boxing crop.

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight and so on.

It was easy to make our selection in some divisions. For example, heavyweight, which will continue to be ruled by Tyson Fury until someone takes him down.

Other weight classes took more thought. And you’ll notice that several changes have been made since the last time we posted Great Eight.

Here are our current rankings.

 

HEAVYWEIGHT – Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs): Who else?

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs): The 175-pound champion delivered a break-through victory over Canelo Alvarez on May 7.

MIDDLEWEIGHT – Junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) claimed this spot with his victory over Brian Castano last Saturday.

WELTERWEIGHT – Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs): Crawford edges out Errol Spence Jr. Will they settle it in the ring?

LIGHTWEIGHT – George Kambosos (20-0, 10 KOs): The Aussie earned it with his stunning upset of former 135-pound king Teofimo Lopez.

FEATHERWEIGHT – Unified junior featherweight titleholder Stephen Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) supplants Gary Russell Jr.

BANTAMWEIGHT – Bantamweight star Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs): The Japanese star might be the best of any weight.

FLYWEIGHT – Junto Nakatani (23-0, 18 KOs): The 112-pound titleholder takes over from Julio Cesar Martinez.

Great Eight: The No. 1 boxer in each of the original eight divisions

Great Eight: The No. 1 boxer in each of the original eight divisions.

Who are the best boxers in each of the original eight weight classes? Check out Boxing Junkie’s new “Great Eight” feature.

***

The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine the cream of the boxing crop.

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight and so on.

It was easy to make our selection in some divisions. For example, heavyweight, which will continue to be ruled by Tyson Fury until someone takes him down.

Other weight classes took more thought.

Here are our final rankings of 2021.

 

HEAVYWEIGHT – Tyson Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs): Who else?

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – Canelo Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs): The Mexican is by far the most accomplished among 168- and 175-pounders.

MIDDLEWEIGHT – Gennadiy Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs): Triple-G is still the highest-ranked 154- or 160-pounder on our pound-for-pound list. Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano lurk.

WELTERWEIGHT – Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs): Crawford edges out Errol Spence Jr. Will they settle it in the ring?

LIGHTWEIGHT – George Kambosos (20-0, 10 KOs): The Aussie earned it with his stunning upset of former 135-pound king Teofimo Lopez.

FEATHERWEIGHT – Gary Russell Jr. (31-1, 18 KOs): Talented Stephen Fulton is closing in on the quick-handed veteran.

BANTAMWEIGHT – Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs): The Japanese star might be the best of any weight.

FLYWEIGHT – Julio Cesar Martinez (18-1, 14 KOs): The Mexican is hot little fighter.

 

Great Eight: The No. 1 boxer in each of the original eight divisions

Great Eight: The No. 1 boxer in each of the original eight divisions.

Who are the best boxers in each of the original eight weight classes? Check out Boxing Junkie’s new “Great Eight” feature.

***

The proliferation of titles makes it difficult for all but the most astute fans to determine the cream of the boxing crop.

That’s why Boxing Junkie came up with its “Great Eight” feature, which names the best fighter in each of the original eight weight classes –heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Heavyweight includes cruiserweight (and the WBC’s bridgerweight), light heavyweight includes super middleweight and so on.

It was easy to make our selection in some divisions. For example, heavyweight, which will continue to be ruled by Tyson Fury until someone takes him down.

Other weight classes took more thought.

Here are our final rankings of 2021.

 

HEAVYWEIGHT – Tyson Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs): Who else?

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – Canelo Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs): The Mexican is by far the most accomplished among 168- and 175-pounders.

MIDDLEWEIGHT – Gennadiy Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs): Triple-G is still the highest-ranked 154- or 160-pounder on our pound-for-pound list. Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano lurk.

WELTERWEIGHT – Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs): Crawford edges out Errol Spence Jr. Will they settle it in the ring?

LIGHTWEIGHT – George Kambosos (20-0, 10 KOs): The Aussie earned it with his stunning upset of former 135-pound king Teofimo Lopez.

FEATHERWEIGHT – Gary Russell Jr. (31-1, 18 KOs): Talented Stephen Fulton is closing in on the quick-handed veteran.

BANTAMWEIGHT – Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs): The Japanese star might be the best of any weight.

FLYWEIGHT – Julio Cesar Martinez (18-1, 14 KOs): The Mexican is hot little fighter.

 

Great Eight: Who are the biggest threats to our champions?

We wanted to remind you who comprises our Great Eight and present the single fighter we believe is the biggest threat to each man.

Who are the best boxers in each of the original eight weight classes? Check out Boxing Junkie’s new “Great Eight” feature.

***

Welcome back to the Great Eight, the best fighters in each of the original eight weight classes – heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

Our list has been frozen for lack of action as a result of the coronavirus pandemic but the boxing gears are turning and the sport is expected to restart next month.

With that in mind, we wanted to remind you who comprises our Great Eight and – for the purposes of this post – present the single fighter we believe is the biggest threat to each man on our elite-of-the-elite list.

Remember: The heavyweight division includes cruiserweights, light heavyweight includes super middleweights, middleweight includes junior middleweights … all the way down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweights and strawweights.

Here we go.

HEAVYWEIGHT

Anthony Joshua had reason to be pleased with himself after embarrassing Andy Ruiz Jr. in their rematch. Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

Champion: Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs)

Biggest threat: Anthony Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs). The emphatic nature of Fury’s seventh-round knockout victory over Deontay Wilder in February seems to have eliminated Wilder as a serious threat, although one never knows because of his punching power. That leaves fellow Briton Anthony Joshua as the only man who could challenge Fury. Andy Ruiz Jr. shocked the world by stopping Joshua last June, raising questions about his toughness, but Joshua bounced back to easily outpoint Ruiz in their rematch in December. We would favor Fury to beat Joshua but the latter has the tools to give our champion some trouble. Oleksandr Usyk? Too small.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Dmitriy Bivol (left, against Lenin Castillo) could give Artur Beterbiev all kinds of trouble. Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA

Champion: Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs)

Biggest threat: Dmitry Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs). Beterbiev proved in his 10th-round knockout of Oleksandr Gvozdyk in October that his combination of ability and strength is likely to overwhelm even an elite opponent. The potential problem here is that Bivol seems to be better Gvozdyk. Beterbiev’s fellow Russian doesn’t have tremendous punching power but he has baffled one opponent after another with his special skill set. If he can handle Beterbiev’s unusual strength and ability to hurt his opponents – a big “if” – he might be able to take down the most dominating fighter among 175- and 168-pounders.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Canelo Alvarez (left) would be favored to beat Gennadiy Golovkin if they met a third time. Joe Camporeale / USA TODAY Sports

Champion: Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs)

Biggest threat: Gennadiy Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs). Triple-G might the only threat to Alvarez here. It’s difficult to imagine the Mexican star fighting anyone else at 160 pounds, as he seems to be transitioning into a super middleweight. And who knows? Even a third fight between them could take place at a catch weight between 160 and 168. Let’s assume that they’ll meet a third time at 160, though. Most knowledgeable observers say Golovkin is in decline at 38, an opinion based on so-so performances against Steve Rolls and Sergey Derevyanchenko. We would favor the younger, fresher Alvarez, too. However, we’re not willing to write off an old warrior who will be motivated to demonstrate that he remains formidable. Triple-G is a real threat.

WELTERWEIGHT

A fight between Errol Spence Jr. (right, against Shawn Porter) and Terence Crawford is necessary to determine the best welterweight. AP Photo / Ringo H.W. Chiu

Champion: Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs)

Biggest threat: Errol Spence Jr. (26-0, 21 KOs). Will we ever see the dream welterweight matchup? The feeling here is that Crawford is the slightly better, more-dynamic fighter of the two but Spence makes up for that infinitesimal disadvantage with an edge in natural size, although Crawford might be stronger than many realize. This is essentially a 50-50 fight, meaning Spence would be a bona fide threat to Crawford’s position here. We can only hope that it happens soon. For the record: Others in a deep division – including Shawn Porter and Manny Pacquiao – also are a threat to Crawford, just not to the extent Spence is.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Teofimo Lopez (right, against Richard Commey) has the ability to push the great Vasiliy Lomachenko. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Champion: Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs)

Biggest threat: Teofimo Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs). The beauty of this entry is that Lomachenko and Lopez are en route to a meeting before the end of the year. Lomachenko (our No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound) is the best boxer in the world. And while the Ukrainian has had only 15 pro fights, he had a zillion as a decorated amateur. That means he’d have an advantage over Lopez in terms of experience, too.  The Honduran-American shouldn’t be overlooked, though. He has an impressive skill set built on his own solid amateur foundation, is an excellent athlete, has one-punch knockout power and has a killer’s mentality. He’s a genuine threat to the 32-year-old Lomachenko.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Does Shakur Stevenson have enough seasoning to challenge Gary Russell Jr.? Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Champion: Gary Russell Jr. (30-1, 18 KOs)

Biggest threat: Shakur Stevenson (13-0, 7 KOs). Russell hasn’t had what might be described as a defining victory even though he turns 32 on June 5, but we have a good idea of what he brings to the ring. The 2008 U.S. Olympic has a sound fundamental foundation and possibly the fastest hands in the sport, which can overwhelm his opponents. We’d favor Russell to beat anyone between 122 and 126 pounds. Stevenson might push him, though. He, too, is quick, athletic and a former U.S. Olympian. He won a silver medal in 2016. Stevenson’s obvious deficiency is a lack of experience. He’s only 22 and has never faced anyone near Russell’s level. We’d learn a great deal about Stevenson if this fight happened. Leo Santa Cruz? We think he’s finished at 126.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Juan Francisco Estrada (left, against Victor Mendez) is a threat to Naoya Inoue if he can handle his strength. John McCoy / Getty Images

Champion: Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs)

Biggest threat: Juan Francisco Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs). Nonito Donaire proved in defeat that the gifted Inoue is human, although he battled through injuries to beat the tough veteran by a unanimous decision in November and preserve his place among the best in the sport. Fellow 118-pounders Guillermo Rigondeaux and John Riel Casimero might have the ability to push Inoue but his biggest threat currently fights at 115. Estrada is a superb all-around boxer who has proven himself over and over again against elite opposition on big stages. He definitely has the ability to threaten Inoue. The question would be size. Could the Mexican move up to 118 and handle a beast like Inoue? That could determine the winner.

FLYWEIGHT

Moruti Mthalane (right, against Masayuki Kuroda) still has the goods at 37. Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images

Champion: Kosei Tanaka (15-0, 9 KOs)

Biggest threat: Moruti Mthalane (39-2, 26 KOs). Tanaka announced that he plans to move up to 115 pounds, which means he isn’t likely to fight again in our flyweight-junior flyweight-strawweight division. However, we’re going to wait for him to sign a contract to fight at 115 before removing him. The next best – and certainly the most proven – at 112 and below is Mthalane, the 37-year-old South African. Mthalane hasn’t lost since he was stopped by a prime Nonito Donaire 2008 and seems to be as good as ever even at an advanced age. We’d favor a gifted young fighter like Tanaka over Mthalane but one never knows when it comes to a crafty veteran. One could also make a case for unbeaten junior flyweight Ken Shiro as the best of the bunch.

Great Eight: Tyson Fury leaves no doubt that he is No. 1

Tyson Fury disassembled Deontay Wilder on Saturday to reclaim a major title and leave no doubt that he is the best active heavyweight.

Who are the best boxers in each of the original eight weight classes? Check out Boxing Junkie’s new “Great Eight” feature.

***

Thank you, Tyson Fury. You made our job easy.

The “Gypsy King” disassembled Deontay Wilder on a dramatic Saturday night in Las Vegas to reclaim a major title and leave no doubt whatsoever — at least in our collective opinion — that he is the best heavyweight in the world.

Thus, the colorful and remarkably skillful Englishman supplants Wilder as the heavyweight champ in Boxing Junkie’s Great Eight feature, in which we determine the best boxer in each of the original eight weight classes — heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

It’s difficult to imagine that anyone will have a problem with our decision but hardened cynics are out there.

They might point to Anthony Joshua, who holds three of the four recognized sanctioning-body titles. We roll our collective eyes at that notion. Joshua had his behind handed to him by chubby underdog Andy Ruiz Jr. two fights ago, losing his belts in the process, before rebounding with an uninspiring points victory in the rematch.

We feel that Joshua is still rebuilding what he lost in the first fight with Ruiz, if that’s even possible.

And think about what Fury has done. He stunned the boxing world by easily outpointing seemingly untouchable Wladimir Klitschko to become the heavyweight champion in 2015 only to leave the sport to battle his inner demons for a few years.

Then, after losing about 150 pounds of blubber, he comes back (probably too soon) and outboxes Wilder in the opinion of most observers but has to settle for a draw in 2018. And, finally, with a new trainer and a new, aggressive style, he pummels and then stops his then-unbeaten rival in less than seven full rounds.

That’s legendary stuff.

The only remaining argument against Fury is that a victory over Wilder is overrated because Wilder is a crude boxer who has only one weapon, his big right hand.

We don’t buy that. Forty-one of Wilder’s 42 victories have come by knockout. He doesn’t have the skill set of, say, Fury, but that punching power ends up being the deciding factor in virtually all of Wilder’s fights. And, in this case, Fury just didn’t allow it to play a role in the outcome.

Brilliant performance, exceptional fighter. Fury arguably is the best big man since countryman Lennox Lewis was at the top of his game a generation ago.

Check out our Great Eight below.

 

HEAVYWEIGHT – Tyson Fury (30-0-1, 21 KOs)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs)

MIDDLEWEIGHT – Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs)

WELTERWEIGHT – Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs)

LIGHTWEIGHT – Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs)

FEATHERWEIGHT – Gary Russell Jr. (30-1, 18 KOs)

BANTAMWEIGHT – Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs)

FLYWEIGHT – Kosei Tanaka (15-0, 9 KOs)

 

Great Eight: Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury to decide who’s No. 1

The Feb. 22 rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will determine the Great Eight heavyweight representative.

Who are the best boxers in each of the original eight weight classes? Check out Boxing Junkie’s new “Great Eight” feature.

***

The Great Eight, Boxing Junkie’s list of the best fighters in each of the original eight weight divisions, could look different soon.

On Feb. 22, Deontay Wilder defends his sanctioning-body heavyweight title in a rematch with Tyson Fury at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. And Canelo Alvarez could announce that he’s finished at middleweight, although he hasn’t ruled out another fight at 160 pounds.

The Wilder-Fury fight is unusual in that the winner will be recognized as the top big man even though Anthony Joshua holds three of the four major belts.

Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs) and Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs), who fought to a draw in December 2018, remain unbeaten. By comparison, Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) was put down four times and stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr. to lose his belts this past June and regained them in a convincing, but safety-first manner in December.

Thus, the Feb. 22 winner will be the Great Eight heavyweight. (Boxing Junkie loves when such things are decided in the ring.)

Meanwhile, Alvarez still holds two middleweight titles but – having fought as heavy as 175 pounds – it seems inevitable that he’ll give up his 160-pound belts and settle in as a 168-pounder in the near future.

Who could replace him at middleweight in the Great Eight? No-brainer: Gennadiy Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs).

Triple-G has accomplished a tremendous amount in his career and is only a hair behind Alvarez at 160 pounds right now. He’s the obvious candidate to step in if Alvarez leaves.

That said, Golovkin will be 38 on April 8. We don’t know whether he has begun to decline but that or possibly retirement can’t be far off. Among those in position to replace him: Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, Daniel Jacobs and Sergey Derevyanchenko.

Who knows who might emerge or move up from 154 pounds and make a statement at 160.

And we should consider one last thing: Alvarez could decide to fight Golovkin for a third time at 160 pounds. In that case, of course, they would decide Great Eight matters in the ring.

The others six fighters in our Great Eight seem to firmly ensconced at the moment but, as we know, things change quickly in boxing.

Stay tuned. And check out our Great Eight below.

 

HEAVYWEIGHT – Deontay Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs)

MIDDLEWEIGHT – Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs)

WELTERWEIGHT – Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs)

LIGHTWEIGHT – Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs)

FEATHERWEIGHT – Gary Russell Jr. (30-1, 18 KOs)

BANTAMWEIGHT – Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs)

FLYWEIGHT – Kosei Tanaka (15-0, 9 KOs)

 

Great Eight: Boxing Junkie’s best fighters in each of original divisions

Boxing Junkie has established its Great Eight, in which we determine the best boxers in each of the original weight classes.

Who are the best boxers in each of the original eight weight classes? Check out Boxing Junkie’s new “Great Eight” feature.

***

Sadly, the proliferation of sanctioning body titles has diluted the value of once-precious championship belts.

If we accept that there are four major sanctioning organizations and allow each of them one “champion,” then we have 68 titleholders. That ridiculous number, which grows when the organizations add even more self-serving belts, drives boxing aficionados who want the best for the sport absolutely mad.

In effect, the sanctioning body titles mean next to nothing unless they’re unified. And even then, they’re value is often limited.

That’s why some of us look back longingly at a time when boxing had only eight divisions and one true champion in each of them. Everyone knew who the champions were and they had tremendous respect.

With that in mind, Boxing Junkie has decided to turn back the clock and establish its Great Eight, in which we determine the best boxers in each of the original weight classes – heavyweight, light heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight and flyweight.

To be clear, heavyweight includes cruiserweight, light heavyweight includes super middleweight, middleweight includes junior middleweight … all the way down to flyweight, which includes junior flyweight and strawweight.

Also, pound-for-pound has nothing to do with this. We believe the fighters selected in each division would defeat anyone else at that weight.

And, finally, this feature will be presented periodically.

Have a look:

HEAVYWEIGHT – Deontay Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs)

MIDDLEWEIGHT – Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs)

WELTERWEIGHT – Terence Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs)

LIGHTWEIGHT – Vasiliy Lomachenko (14-1, 10 KOs)

FEATHERWEIGHT – Gary Russell Jr. (30-1, 18 KOs)

BANTAMWEIGHT – Naoya Inoue (19-0, 16 KOs)

FLYWEIGHT – Kosei Tanaka (15-0, 9 KOs)