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. Oleg Maskaev
7. Oleg Maskaev
8. Chris Byrd
9. Clifford Etienne
10. Hasim Rahman

active: Byrd, V Klitschko (out: Michael Grant-inactive)

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. Wayne Braithwaite
9. Arthur Williams
10. Jason Robinson

active: Jirov, Nelson, Thompson, Robinson, Azille (out: Dominguez-inactive)

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. Eric Harding
6. Glenn Kelly
7. Greg Wright
8. Julio Gonzalez
9. Montell Griffin (IBC)
10. Chris Johnson

active: Gonzalez (out: Rocchigiani-moved up in weight)
(Inactive list: Wright, Griffin)


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. Danilo Haussler
7. Andrei Shkalikov
8. Charles Brewer
9. Aaron Davis
10. Dave Hilton (WBC)

active: Haussler, Shkalikov, Larsen, Davis (out: Thobela-displaced,
Catley-displaced)


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. Tito Mendoza
7. Raymond Joval (IBO)
8. Howard Eastman
9. Ali Ennebati
10. Antwun Echols

active: Mendoza, Joval, Eastman (out: Allen-displaced)
(Inactive list: Perugino, 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. Harry Simon (WBO)
4. Winky Wright (IBA)
5. Bronco McKart
6. Tony Marshall
7. Rhoshii Wells
8. Luis Ramon Campas
9. Shibata Flores
10. Emmett Linton

active: Simon 
(out: Mendoza-moved up in weight)


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. Thomas Damgaard (IBC)
7. Kofi Jantuah
8. Corey Spinks
9. Daniel Santos-Pena (WBO)
10. Antonio Margarito

active: Damgaard








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. Randall Bailey
6. John-John Molina
7. Sharmba Mitchell
8. Micky Ward
9. Diobelys Hurtado
10. Ray Oliveira

active: Tszyu, Mitchell, Bailey, Camacho
(Inactive list: Julio, Ward)

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

active: Alvarez, Castillo, Bazan, Lorcy 
(out: Mendy-displaced)






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

active: Mayweather, Corrales, Tontchev, Freitas, Juuko, Baek (at 135) (out:
Pedersen-moved up in weight, Alexandrov-lost)


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: none
(Inactive list: Norwood)

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. Willie Jorrin (WBC)
7. Oscar Larios
8. Michael Brodie
9. Yorber Ortega
10. Israel Vazquez

active: Jorrin, Larios, Brodie


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

active: Vargas, Julio 
(out: Pastrana-moved down in weight)

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. Mauricio Pastrana (IBA)
7.  Leo Gamez (WBA)
8. Hideki Todaka
9. Jose Lopez
10. Martin Castillo

active: Pastrana, Lopez, Castillo 
(out: Morales-displaced, Muñoz-displaced)
(Inactive list: Rivas)


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. Fernando Montiel (WBO)
6. Alexandre Mahmutov
7. David Guerault
8. Peter Culshaw (WBU)
9. Isidro Garcia
10. Damaen Kelly (IBO)

active: Kelly 
(out: Lopez-moved up in weight)
(Inactive list: Medgoen)



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

active: Sakreein, Choi, Sorjaturong, Martinez, Arce 
(out: Grigsby-inactive,
Porpaoin-displaced)



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

active: Aguirre 
(out: Tabanas-moved up in weight)
(Inactive list: Petelo, Arambulet, Matsumoto)

See also Phrank Da Slugger's Ratings Archive