December 26, 1999

December Ratings (as of 12 Dec)

There are 3 criteria I use to rate fighters: Quality of Opposition, Performance and Activity. I am ranking the best from 1 to 10; this is to see who deserves a title shot. I rate all 18 divisions, a time-consuming activity to say the least. Therefore, commentary only appears every 3rd month.

Some mistakingly think the Champion in each division is the guy who I think is the best. This is not the case. There are 2 criteria by which I determine Champions: the 1st is lineage (Felix Trinidad beat Oscar de la Hoya who beat Pernell Whitaker); and the 2nd is defeating another fighter also ranked in the top 3 in the division. There is the exception: Bernard Hopkins is one of those rare titlists who has reigned a long time and defeated many contenders. He is the dominant fighter in his weight class and has won, mostly via KO, against a number of different contenders. You could say Iım rewarding him for long and meritorious service.

Heavyweights (over 195 lbs)
Champion: Lennox Lewis (WBC, WBA & IBO)
1. Evander Holyfield
2. Michael Grant (IBC)
3. David Tua
4. Vitali Klitschko (WBO)
5. Oleg Maskaev
6. Derrick Jefferson
7. Larry Donald
8. Wladimir Klitschko
9. Andrew Golota
10. Hasim Rahman

active: Grant, Golota, VKlitschko, Wklitschko, Donald

Crusierweights (195 lbs) Champion: Fabrice Tiozzo (WBA) 1. Juan Carlos Gomez (WBC)
2. Vassili Jirov (IBF)
3. Johnny Nelson (WBO)
4. Carl Thompson
5. Marcelo Dominguez
6. James Toney
7. Arthur Williams
8. Robert Daniels
9. Imamu Mayfield
10. Thomas Hearns (IBO)

active:Thompson, Gomez, Dominguez (out: Norton-displaced)
Inactive list: Daniels, Mayfield

Lt. Heavyweights (175 lbs) Champion: Dariusz Michalczewski (WBO)
1. Roy Jones (WBC, WBA & IBF)
2. David Telesco
3. Michael Nunn
4. Reggie Johnson
5. Clinton Woods
6. Derrick Harmon
7. Antonio Tarver
8. Eric Harding
9. Mohammed Siluvangui
10. Fred Moore

active: none
Inactive list: Nunn

Super Middleweights (168 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Sven Ottke (IBF)
2. Thomas Tate
3. Joe Calzaghe (WBO)
4. Mads Larsen (IBO & WBF)
5. Markus Beyer (WBC)
6. Charles Brewer
7. Byron Mitchell (WBA)
8. Richie Woodhall
9. Bruno Girard
10. David Starie

active: Mitchell, Girard, Ottke, Larsen (out: Liles-inactive & displaced)

Middleweights (160 lbs)
Champion: Bernard Hopkins (IBF)
1. William Joppy (WBA)
2. Keith Holmes (WBC)
3. Antwun Echols
4. Hassine Cherifi
5. Armand Krajnc (WBO)
6. Raymond Joval (WBU)
7. Rito Ruvalcaba
8. Jason Matthews
9. Agostino Cardamone
10. Andrew Council

active: Hopkins, Echols, Krajnc, Matthews (out: Branco-displaced)
Inactive list: Cherifi, Cardamone

Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)
Champion: Javier Castillejo (WBC)
1. Fernando Vargas (IBF)
2. David Reid (WBA)
3. Harry Simon (WBO)
4. Winky Wright
5. Laurent Boudouani
6. Tony Marshall
7. Bronco McKart (IBA)
8. Luis Ramon Campas
9. Keith Mullings
10. Emmett Linton

active: Vargas, Wright, McKart, Campas
Inactive list: Boudouani

Welterweights (147 lbs)
Champion: Felix Trinidad (IBF & WBC)
1. Oscar de la Hoya
2. James Page (WBA)
3. Shane Mosley
3. Oba Carr
4. Vernon Forrest
5. Shannon Taylor
7. Willy Wise
8. Ahmed Kotiev (WBO)
9. Michele Piccirillo (WBU)
10. Kofi Jantuah

active: Kotiev, Jantuah (out: Quartey-inactive)
Inactive list: Page

Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)
Champion: Kostya Tszyu (WBC)
1. Antonio Diaz (IBA)
2. Thomas Damgaard
3. Randall Bailey (WBO)
4. Sharmba Mitchell (WBA)
5. Zab Judah
6. Terronn Millett (IBF)
7. Shea Neary
8. Miguel Angel Gonzalez
9. Diobelys Hurtado
10. Mickey Ward

active: Diaz, Bailey, Hurtado (out:)
Inactive list: Neary

Lightweights (135 lbs)
Champion: Stevie Johnston (WBC)
1. Paul Spadafora (IBF)
2. Angel Manfredy
3. Ivan Robinson
4. Cesar Bazan
5. Artur Grigorijan (WBO)
6. Israel Cardona
7. Gilberto Serrano (WBA)
8. Julien Lorcy
9. Jean-Baptiste Mendy
10. John-John Molina

active: Johnston, Robinson, Grigorijan, Lorcy, Mendy, Molina (out: Dunne-inactive)

Jr. Lightweights (130 lbs)
Champion: Floyd Mayweather (WBC)
1. Derrick Gainer
2. Acelino Freitas (WBO)
3. Diego Corrales (IBF)
4. Jong Kwon Baek (WBA)
5. Lakva Sim
6. Robert Garcia
7. Goyo Vargas
8. Yongsoo Choi
9. Anatoly Alexandrov
10. Dennis Holbaek Pedersen (IBC)

active: Corrales, Gainer, Pedersen
Inactive list: Vargas

Featherweights (126 lbs)
Champion: Naseem Hamed (WBO & WBC)
1. Luisito Espinosa
2. Fred Norwood (WBA)
3. Juan Manuel Marquez
4. Cesar Soto
5. Carlos Rios
6. Paul Ingle (IBF)
7. Guty Espadas
8. Angel Vazquez
9. Cassius Baloyi (WBU)
10. Mbulelo Botile

active: Marquez, Vazquez, Botile (out: Medina-displaced)
Inactive list: Baloyi

Jr. Featherweights (122 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Erik Morales (WBC)
2. Marco Antonio Barrera (WBO)
3. Nestor Garza (WBA)
4. Danny Romero
5. Nana Konadu
6. Michael Brodie
7. Carlos Contreras (WBU)
8. Lehlo Ledwaba (IBF)
9. Antonio Cermeno
10. Yober Ortega

active: Garza, Romero, Contreras (out: Navarro-lost, Bungu-inactive)
Inactive list: Konadu

Bantamweights (118 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Paul Ayala (WBA)
2. Veeraphol Sahaprom (WBC)
3. Johnny Bredahl (IBC)
4. Johnny Tapia
5. Jorge Julio (WBO)
6. Cuahtemoc Gomez
7. Tim Austin (IBF)
8. Adan Vargas
9. Mauricio Martinez
10. Arthur Johnson

active: Gomez (out: Romero-moved up in weight, Gamboa-inactive)
Inactive list:

Jr. Bantamweights (115 lbs)
Champion: In-Joo Cho (WBC)
1. Mark Johnson (IBF)
2. Samson 3K Battery (WBF)
3. Gerry Penalosa
4. Mauricio Pastrana (IBO)
5. Hideki Todaka (WBA)
6. Eric Morel
7. Joel Luna-Zarate
8. Jesper Jensen (IBC)
9. Adonis Rivas (WBO)
10. Diego Morales

active: Johnson, Morel (out: Rojas-displaced)
Inactive list: Luna-Zarate

Flyweights (112 lbs)
Champion: Medgoen 3K Battery (WBC)
1. Manny Pacquiao
2. Chartchai Sasakul
3. Jose Antonio Lopez-Bueno
4. Alejandro Montiel
5. Sornpichai Kratingdaeng (WBA)
6. David Guerault
7. Jose Lopez
8. Leo Gamez
9. Ruben Sanchez-Leon
10. Isidro Garcia

active: Sasakul, Lopez (out: Juarez-lost)
Inactive list: Sanchez-Leon

Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)
Champion: Yeosam Choi (WBC)
1. Ricardo Lopez (IBF)
2. Pichit Chor Siriwat (WBA)
3. Saman Sorjaturong
4. Michael Carbajal (WBO)
5. Melchor Cob-Castro (IBA 112#)
6. Will Grigsby
7. Jorge Arce
8. Hawk Makepula (WBU)
9. Chana Porpaoin
10. Daniel Reyes

active: Arce (out: Voraphin-lost)
Inactive list: Siriwat

Strawweights (105 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Wandee Singwancha (WBC)
2. Rosendo Alvarez
3. Noel Arambulet (WBA)
4. Joma Gamboa
5. Zolani Petelo (IBF)
6. Kermin Guardia (WBO)
7. Wolf Tokimitsu
8. Songkram Porpaoin
9. Lindi Memani
10. Satoru Abe

active: Gamboa, Petelo, Abe
Inactive list: Porpaoin, Memani

World Champions: 13 (of 17)