Image via Complex Original
The last year was an interesting one, to say the least, for the sport of boxing. Floyd Mayweather fought an undeserving Andre Berto in his 49th fight, and “retired.” At the end of November, Wladimir Klitschko put his three heavyweight titles and the lineal heavyweight championship on the line against Tyson Fury, and lost. While Floyd’s retirement was predictable, given he had reached the pinnacle of the monster contract he signed with Showtime in 2013, most fans and media didn’t see Klitschko ’s historic run of dominance coming to an end just yet. Regardless, these two events opened up what had been major logjams, both at the top of the sport and in boxing’s two glamour divisions as well (Heavyweight and Welterweight).
As we head into the spring and summer months of 2016, boxing is on the precipice of a new era. Exciting matchups between young, prime, talented fighters are on the horizon in almost every weight class. And while we could go on about all the fascinating possible fights in each division, that’s not what we’re here for.
Here is A Definitive Ranking of Boxing’s Weight Classes.
17. Strawweight
Boxing’s smallest weight class might be last on this list, but that doesn’t mean it’s without talent. “The Hexecutioner” Hekkie Budler is on a roll and has defended his strawweight title four straight times. Challengers to his throne include Jose Argumedo, Kosei Tanaka, Wanheng Menayothin, and Knockout CP Freshmart (who is a real person and is also the mandatory challenger for Budler’s title).
16. Junior Flyweight
While you may not see these 108-pounders on premium cable anytime soon, there is an exciting crop of young fighters coming up in the division. The Philippines’ Donnie Nietes is now a two-division titleholder and has looked strong in recent wins, including against Mexico’s Juan Alejo. Akira Yaegashi, Ganigan Lopez, and former champ Pedro Guevara could also all make a case for the top spot in 2016.
15. Bantamweight
Although it may lack big names, the Bantamweight division is certainly not lacking in talent. Shinsuke Yamanaka, Juan Carlos Payano, Anselmo Moreno, Jamie McDonnel, Lee Haskins, and Rau’shee Warren comprise the elite of a weight class that is up for the taking.
14. Junior Bantamweight
The 115-pound junior bantamweight division is on the rise. Led by 21-year-old Japanese prodigy, Naoya Inoue, these little guys are looking to make themselves heard in 2016. With a strong class of fighters like Carlos Cuadras, Kohei Kono, McJoe Arroyo, and Zolani Tete, there are definitely matchups worthy of premium cable.
13. Cruiserweight
Last year, long-reigning cruiserweight titlist Marco Huck was upset in a thrilling fight-of-the-year candidate by undefeated Krzysztof Glowacki. While the 200-pound division is often overshadowed by their heavyweight counterparts, the weight class boasts a strong top 10, which includes American Steve Cunningham, Denis Lebedev, Victor Emilio Ramirez, and a possible future star in Oleksandr Usyk.
12. Lightweight
While not the most glamorous division, and lacking in big names, lightweight is another deep class with a solid top 10. Jorge Linares leads the pack here, but he is by no means far ahead of a pack that includes Anthony Crolla, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Anthony Crolla, Dejan Zlaticanin, Terry Flanagan, and Rances Barthelemy.
11. Super Middleweight
With Andre Ward moving up in weight, and Carl Froch retiring, the super middleweight division is suddenly without its two most recognizable faces. Fortunately, there’s enough prime, young talent to keep this weight class moving forward. IBF titlist James Degale and contender Gilberto Ramirez are perhaps the most talented of the group that also includes WBO Titlist Arthur Abraham, contender George Groves, the Dirrell brothers, and WBC Titlist Badou Jack.
10. Junior Middleweight
Led by young, undefeated talent, junior middleweight could make some serious noise in 2016. Julian “J Rock” Williams, the Charlo twins, Demetrius Andrade, and Liam Smith all have yet to taste defeat. With the possible return of Miguel Cotto to the division for a meeting with fellow surefire Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez, junior middleweight could be invading televisions everywhere.
9. Junior Featherweight
Although it’s a bit top-heavy, the best five fighters in the junior featherweight division all possess the potential pound-for-pound skill. Guillermo Rigondeaux, the former two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and undefeated pro, has been searching for another big fight ever since he dethroned Nonito Donaire. Carl Frampton, Hugo Ruiz, Scott Quigg, and the aforementioned Donaire, who is back at 122 pounds after moving up in weight, round out the elite of a weight class ready to shine in 2016.
8. Junior Lightweight
One could certainly make the case for junior lightweight to be higher on this list. The resurgent weight class has a bevvy of talent from top to bottom. Takashi Uchiyama, Francisco Vargas, Roman Martinez, Orlando Salido, Javier Fortuna, and Nicholas Walters could all be the top dog on any given Saturday.
7. Heavyweight
Boxing’s true glamor division is once again very intriguing. After Wladimir Klitschko’s historic nine-and-a-half-year reign officially came to an end at the hands of Tyson Fury, the heavyweight division burst wide open. Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Luis Ortiz, and Alexander Povetkin, are all angling for the throne.
6. Light Heavyweight
With the addition of pound-for-pound level talent Andre Ward, light heavyweight is officially one of the hottest weight classes in boxing. Ward is on track for a HUGE fall showdown with division boogeyman Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev, a fight that for once gives fans what they want to see: the best versus the best. Further yet, light heavyweight is stacked with punchers like lineal champ Adonis Stevenson, up-and-comer Artur Beterbiev, and Andrzej Fonfara. With all of the possible matchups, 2016 could be an explosive year for light heavyweight.
5. Junior Welterweight
Rounding out the top five is a stacked junior welterweight division led by the 2014 BWAA Fighter of the Year, Terrance “Bud” Crawford. This division is also the home of Viktor Postol (who scored a major upset against Lucas Matthysse last year), perennial noisemaker Adrien Broner, Lamont Peterson, Ruslan Provodnikov, and the aforementioned Matthysse.
4. Flyweight
In 2015, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez burst into public consciousness with two devastatingly flawless performances on HBO. Many in the media have pegged young Chocolatito as the pound-for-pound heir to Money Mayweather, which is enough to give flyweight a boost in any ranking. Add to that notable talents like Juan Francisco Estrada, Kazuto Ioka, and Amnat Ruenrong, and all of a sudden you have a top-five weight class. Whoever said little guys couldn’t bang?
3. Middleweight
Perhaps the most buzzworthy weight class on this list, middleweight has undergone a renaissance of sorts in recent years and is poised to showcase a number of huge fights in 2016 and beyond. Led by Triple G and Canelo Alvarez, the current crop of middleweights hearkens back to the glory days of Hagler, Hearns, and Leonard. While established veterans like Miguel Cotto still hold the financial keys to the kingdom, young up-and-comers like Danny Jacobs and Bill Joe Saunders seem ready to challenge the status quo.
2. Featherweight
You could arguably make the case for featherweight to be number one on this list, since, in the words of Mugatu, this division is “so hot right now.” Stacked with pound-for-pound level talent, the number of possible marquee matchups is virtually endless. With fighters like Vasyl Lomachenko, Leo Santa Cruz, Lee Selby, and Jesus Cuellar, the featherweights of this era are set to rival any other.
1. Welterweight
Welterweight has always been a historically great weight class, and this year is no different. Even without Floyd Mayweather, the division boasts a deep and talented class of both young and veteran fighters. Manny Pacquiao, Tim Bradley, Keith Thurman, Amir Khan, Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, and Kell Brook all make their home in the welterweight division.