History is made in this month’s edition of the BoxingWatchers.com Power Rankings: For the first time since we dreamed these rankings up a few years ago, there is absolutely no change in the top 10 list from last month.
That’s no necessarily a good thing, because it’s mostly a symptom of how quiet the sport of boxing has been (at least at the top level) during the second half of the summer. Only one guy in our top 10, Alfredo Angulo, fought since August 1, and the caliber of his opponent was so low that his first round KO earned Perro exactly zero points toward his ranking.
Fortunately, now that the calendar has flipped to September, things are going to start happening quickly. Three of our top five guys are in action over the next three weeks. Everyone else except for Angulo and Wladimir Klitschko (who fought in July) has something scheduled before the end of the year.
That means our end of the year list could look quite a bit different than this one. It also means we’ll probably see some exciting bouts between world class boxers before 2011 is over. And I think I speak for all boxing fans when I say we will all be thankful for that.
For those of you who’ve never seen these rankings before, click here for a quick explanation. For everyone else, enjoy this list, same as the previous list:
1. Vitali Klitschko – 22.36 – Believe it or not, Vitali turned 40 during the summer. With all due respect to Bernard Hopkins, that is getting up there for a world champion boxer. Klitschko may not be long for the sport, but his next title defense is less than two weeks away as he tries to fend off Tomasz Adamek.
2. Lucian Bute – 21.35 – It would have been nice to see Bute take on Mikkel Kessler or Kelly Pavlik, but neither of those fights worked out. Instead, he’ll battle Glen Johnson in early November, and at least we know the Road Warrior will come to fight.
3. Nonito Donaire – 20.43 – I’m not sure if the Filipino Flash has quite progressed to the point where he is a must-see attraction regardless of who he fights. But everyone better hope so, because his upcoming opponent, Omar Narvaez, doesn’t bring much name value to their October 22 bout. Interestingly, Donaire’s team has already said he’s moving up to 122 pounds after the fight, where there should be more recognizable foes waiting.
4. Yuriorkis Gamboa – 18.43 – I wish I was going to Gamboa’s September 10 fight with Daniel Ponce de Leon, as Atlantic City is a pretty manageable drive from BW headquarters. Gamboa is quickly becoming one of my favorite fighters to watch.
5. Tomasz Adamek – 14.83 – No doubt Adamek has the spirit and heart to challenge Vitali Klitschko, but does he have enough physical tools? I’d feel better about his chances if he was a big one-punch knockout artist, but he’s not.
6. Wladimir Klitschko – 14.12 – With the anticlimactic showdown with David Haye in his rearview mirror, what’s next for big Wlad? It’s hard to quickly think of a challenger that would excite the boxing world.
7. Amir Khan – 14.01 – Though Khan won’t fight again until December, his score in our rankings will actually improve next month. Why? Because his stunning loss to Breidis Prescott will exit our three-year rolling window. Hard to believe it was that long ago.
8. Manny Pacquiao – 13.67 – It seems most people expect him to have an easier time with Juan Manuel Marquez in November than he did during their first two meetings. Either a Pacquiao KO or a JMM win would probably (finally!) settle this feud for good.
9. Alfredo Angulo – 12.60 – Angulo wasn’t tested at all by Joseph Gomez, but at least he’s fighting again. He’s overdue to be in the ring with a legitimate top-ranked foe, so hopefully it happens early in 2012.
10. Juan Manuel Marquez – 12.30 – JMM is already a Hall of Famer, but a victory over Pacquiao at a time few are giving him much of a chance would elevate him to an even loftier status. The spirit is beyond willing, but we’ll have to see if the flesh proves to be too weak.
The next 7: Sergio Martinez, Victor Ortiz, Andre Ward, Felix Sturm, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Tavoris Cloud
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