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World Rankings as of January 14, 2001
by Phrank Da Slugger
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 (Dariusz Michalczewski beat Virgil Hill who beat Henry Maske); 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 I¹m rewarding him for long and meritorious service.

[Editor's note: bracket indications as to CBZ Lineal champions were added by me for convenience of readers who are interested. So, don't blame Phrank. -- Mike DeLisa]


Heavyweights (over 195 lbs)
Champion: Lennox Lewis (WBC, IBF, IBO)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Evander Holyfield (WBA)
2. Wladimir Klitschko (WBO)
3. Kirk Johnson
4. Mike Tyson
5. David Tua
6. Michael Grant
7. Oleg Maskaev
8. Chris Byrd
9. Clifford Etienne
10. Hasim Rahman


active: none
(Inactive list: Grant, Rahman)

Crusierweights (195 lbs)
Champion: Virgil Hill (WBA)
1. Vassili Jirov (IBF)
2. Juan Carlos Gomez (WBC)
3. Johnny Nelson (WBO)
4. Carl Thompson
5. Fabrice Tiozzo
6. Louis Azille
7. James Toney
8. Marcelo Dominguez
9. Wayne Braithwaite
10. Arthur Williams

active: Gomez
(Inactive list: Dominguez, Braithwaite, Williams)

Lt. Heavyweights (175 lbs)
Champion: Dariusz Michalczewski (WBO)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Roy Jones (WBC, WBA, IBF, NBA, IBO)
2. Clinton Woods
3. Reggie Johnson
4. Derrick Harmon
5. Graciano Rocchigiani
6. Eric Harding
7. Greg Wright
8. Glenn Kelly
9. Montell Griffin (IBC)
10. Chris Johnson

active: Michalczewski, RJohnson, 
CJohnson (out: Tarver-inactive)
(Inactive list: Wright)

Super Middleweights (168 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Joe Calzaghe (WBO)
2. Sven Ottke (IBF)
3. Mads Larsen (WBF)
4. Bruno Girard (WBA)[CBZ Lineal]
5. Thomas Tate
6. Charles Brewer
7. Andrei Shkalikov
8. Dave Hilton (WBC)
9. Dingaan Thobela
10. Glenn Catley

active: Hilton, Thobela, Ottke, 
Calzaghe (out: Woodhall-lost)
(Inactive list: Tate)

Middleweights (160 lbs)
Champion: Bernard Hopkins (IBF, IBC)
1. William Joppy (WBA)
2. Armand Krajnc (WBO)
3. Antonio Perugino (WBU)
4. Keith Holmes (WBC)
5. Carl Daniels
6. Raymond Joval
7. Ali Ennebati
8. Antwun Echols
9. Howard Eastman
10. Robert Allen

active: Daniels
(Inactive list: Holmes, Ennebati)
***PLEASE NOTE: It freakin' KILLS me not to have Trinidad as the 154-lb Champion. But if you believe in linear Championships, then you must agree with me that Castillejo beat Mullings who beat Norris. Obviously, Trinidad would beat Castillejo (I¹d give it no more than 2 rounds), and I think any of the top 8 would as well, but here we are. This reminds me of the situation for a couple years at Feather when Hamed was far and away the best fighter there, but was not the true Champion. Emails about how stupid I am to have to have Trinidad rated "second" will be ignored.
Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)
Champion: Javier Castillejo (WBC)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Felix Trinidad (WBA & IBF)
2. Fernando Vargas
3. Winky Wright (IBA)
4. Harry Simon (WBO)
5. Bronco McKart
6. Tito Mendoza
7. Tony Marshall
8. Rhoshii Wells
9. Luis Ramon Campas
10. Shibata Flores

active: Wright (out: Quartey-inactive)
(Inactive list: Marshall)

Welterweights (147 lbs)
Champion: Shane Mosley (WBC, IBA)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Oscar de la Hoya
2. Oba Carr
3. Vernon Forrest
4. Shannon Taylor
5. Michele Piccirillo (WBU)
6. Kofi Jantuah
7. Thomas Damgaard (IBC)
8. Corey Spinks
9. Daniel Santos-Pena (WBO)
10. Antonio Margarito

active: Spinks, Santos-Pena, Carr

Jr. Welterweights (140 lbs)
Champion: Kostya Tszyu (WBC)
1. Zab Judah (IBF)
2. Ener Julio (WBO)
3. Hector Camacho, Jr.
4. Antonio Diaz (IBA)
5. Sharmba Mitchell (WBA)
6. Randall Bailey
7. John-John Molina
8. Micky Ward
9. Diobelys Hurtado
10. Ray Oliveira

active: Oliveira, Judah (out: Tackie-displaced)
(Inactive list: Julio, Ward)

Lightweights (135 lbs)
Champion: Jose Luis Castillo (WBC)
1. Steve Johnston
2. Paul Spadafora (IBF)
3. Cesar Bazan
4. Julien Lorcy
5. Takanori Hatakeyama (WBA)
6. Arnulfo Castillo
7. Colin Dunne
8. Artur Grigorijan (WBO)
9. Fred Neal
10. Jean-Baptiste Mendy

active: Castillo, Neal, Spadafora 
(out: Leija-moved up in weight)

Jr. Lightweights (130 lbs)
Champion: Floyd Mayweather (WBC)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Diego Corrales (IBA)
2. Acelino Freitas (WBO)
3. Joel Casamayor (WBA)
4. Steve Forbes (IBF)
5. Dennis Holbaek Pedersen
6. Jesus Chavez
7. John Brown
8. Jong Kwon Baek
9. Anatoly Alexandrov
10. Robert Garcia

active: Casamayor, Garcia, Freitas, Chavez
(Inactive list: Baek)

Featherweights (126 lbs)
Champion: Naseem Hamed (WBO)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Derrick Gainer (WBA)
2. Guty Espadas (WBC)
3. Erik Morales
4. Mbulelo Botile (IBF)
5. Augie Sanchez
6. Victor Polo
7. Juan Manuel Marquez
8. Cassius Baloyi (WBU)
9. Johnny Tapia
10. Fred Norwood


active: Morales (out: Ingle-lost, Espinosa-lost)

Jr. Featherweights (122 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Marco Antonio Barrera (WBO)
2. Manny Pacquiao
3. Bones Adams (WBA, IBA)
4.Danny Romero
5. Lehlo Ledwaba (IBF)
6. Oscar Larios
7. Willie Jorrin (WBC)
8. Michael Brodie
9. Yorber Ortega
10. Israel Vazquez

active: Vazquez (out: Contreras-displaced)

Bantamweights (118 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Paul Ayala (WBA)
2. Veeraphol Sahaprom (WBC)
3. Johnny Bredahl (IBC)
4. Adan Vargas
5. Jorge Lacierva (IBA)
6. Mauricio Pastrana (IBA 115)
7. Tim Austin (IBF)
8. Mauricio Martinez (WBO)
9. Luigi Castiglione (IBC)
10. Genaro Garcia

active: Martinez, Garcia
(out: Barajas-displaced, Armour-displaced)
(Inactive list: Austin)

Jr. Bantamweights (115 lbs)
Champion: Masamori Tokuyama (WBC)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Samson Lukchaopormasak (WBF)
2. In-Joo Cho
3. Gerry Penalosa
4. Felix Machado (IBF)
5. Adonis Rivas (WBO)
6. Leo Gamez (WBA)
7. Hideki Todaka
8. Martin Castillo
9. Diego Morales
10. Alex Muñoz

active: Machado (out: Castiglione-moved up in weight)

Flyweights (112 lbs)
Champion: Malcolm Tuñacao (WBC)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Alejandro Montiel
2. Eric Morel (WBA)
3. Medgoen Kratingdaeng Gym
4. Irene Pacheco (IBF)
5. Jose Lopez
6. Fernando Montiel (WBO)
7. Alexandre Mahmutov
8. David Guerault
9. Peter Culshaw (WBU)
10. Isidro Garcia

active: Morel, Lopez, FMontiel, Garcia 
(out: Sornpichai-lost,
Kelly-inactive)

Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)
Champion: Yeosam Choi (WBC)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Ricardo Lopez (IBF)
2. Hawk Makepula (WBU)
3. Pichit Chor Siriwat
4. Saman Sorjaturong
5. Bebis Mendoza (WBA)
6. Rosendo Alvarez
7. Jorge Arce
8. Jake Matlala
9. Will Grigsby
10. Chana Porpaoin

active: none
(Inactive list: Mendoza, Matlala, Grigsby)

Strawweights (105 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Jose Aguirre (WBC)
2. Keitaro Hoshino (WBA)
3. Joma Gamboa
4. Nohel Arambulet
5. Zolani Petelo (IBF)
6. Hiroshi Nakajima
7. Wandee Chor Chareon
8. Yutaka Niida
9. Wolf Tokimitsu
10. Andy Tabanas

active: Niida
 (out: Matsumoto-displaced, Palma-displaced)
(Inactive list: Petelo, Tabanas)

World Champions:  12 (of 17)

See also Phrank Da Slugger's Ratings Archive
Divisions
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Light Heavies
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