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World Rankings for May 2001 (as of 4/16) 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 I'm rewarding him for long and meritorious service.

[Editor's note: I added the bracket indications as to CBZ Lineal champions.
So, don't blame Phrank.-- Mike DeLisa
]


Heavyweights (over 195 lbs)
Champion: Hasim Rahman (WBC, IBF, IBO)[CBZ Lineal]
1. A HREF="lennox.htm">Lennox Lewis 
2. Wladimir Klitschko (WBO)
3. Kirk Johnson
4. David Tua
5. Mike Tyson
6. John Ruiz (WBA)
7. Mount Whitaker
8. Evander Holyfield
9. Chris Byrd
10. Fres Oquendo

active: Rahman, Lewis, Byrd, Johnson (out: Vitali Klitschko-displaced)
(Inactive list: Tyson)

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

active: Toney, Jirov (out: Robinson-displaced)

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. Glenn Kelly
5. Eric Harding
6. Bruno Girard
7. Antonio Tarver
8. Derrick Harmon
9. Julio Gonzalez
10. Montell Griffin (IBC)

active: Michalczewski, Girard, Griffin (out: Wright-inactive)


Super Middleweights (168 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Joe Calzaghe (WBO)
2. Sven Ottke (IBF)
3. Mads Larsen (WBF)
4. Thomas Tate
5. Danilo Haussler
6. Andrei Shkalikov
7. Charles Brewer
8. Aaron Davis
9. Omar Sheika
10. Byron Mitchell (WBA)

active: Tate, Calzaghe (out: Girard-moved up in weight)


Middleweights (160 lbs)
Champion: Bernard Hopkins (IBF, IBC)
1. Felix Trinidad (WBA)
2. Armand Krajnc (WBO)
3. Carl Daniels
4. Howard Eastman
5. William Joppy
6. Tito Mendoza
7. Antonio Perugino (WBU)
8. Raymond Joval (IBO)
9. Keith Holmes
10. Christian Sanavia

active: Trinidad, Joppy, Joval, Perugino, Mendoza (out: Echols-displaced,
Ennebati-displaced)

Jr. Middleweights (154 lbs)
Champion: Javier Castillejo (WBC)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Fernando Vargas
2. Harry Simon (WBO)
3. Winky Wright (IBA)
4. Bronco McKart
5. Alex Bunema
6. Rhoshii Wells
7. Shibata Flores
8. Luis Ramon Campas
9. Kirino Garcia
10. Tony Marshall

active: Vargas, Flores, McKart
(Inactive list: Campas)


Welterweights (147 lbs)
Champion: Shane Mosley (WBC, IBA)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Oscar de la Hoya
2. Andrew Lewis (WBA)
3. Thomas Damgaard (IBC)
4. Michele Piccirillo (WBU)
5. Rafael Pineda
6. Corey Spinks
7. Vernon Forrest (IBF)
8. Oba Carr
9. Shannon Taylor
10. Kofi Jantuah

active: Damgaard, Lewis, Forrest, Piccirillo


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

active: Camacho, Magee, Diaz (out: Molina-lost)
(Inactive list: Julio)

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

active: Lazcano, Johnston, Spadafora, Lorcy (out: Yoshimura-displaced)
(Inactive list: Dunne)

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

active: Zepeda, Casamayor, Brown  (out: Juuko-lost)


Featherweights (126 lbs)
Champion: Marco Antonio Barrera (WBO)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Naseem Hamed 
2. Derrick Gainer (WBA)
3. Erik Morales (WBC)
4. Guty Espadas
5. Augie Sanchez
6. Johnny Tapia(IBA)
7. Frank Toledo (IBF)
8. Juan Manuel Marquez
9. Mbulelo Botile
10. Daniel Seda

active: Seda (out: Baloyi-displaced)


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

active: Ledwaba, Pacquiao, Contreras (out: Barrera-moved up in weight)
(Inactive list: Romero, Ortega)

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. Hugo Dianzo
7. Jorge Julio
8. Tim Austin (IBF)
9. Mauricio Martinez (WBO)
10. Nicky Booth

active: Sahaprom, Lacierva (out: Barajas-lost)

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. Celes Kobayashi (WBA)
8. Hideki Todaka
9. Jose Lopez
10. Diego Morales

active: Samson, Penalosa (out: Morales-displaced)
(Inactive list: Todaka)

Flyweights (112 lbs)
Champion: Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (WBC)
1. Alejandro Montiel (IBA)
2. Eric Morel (WBA)
3. Irene Pacheco (IBF)
4. Alexandre Mahmutov
5. Fernando Montiel (WBO)
6. Medgoen Lukchaopormasak
7. Malcolm Tuñacao 
8. David Guerault
9. Peter Culshaw (WBU)
10. Damaen Kelly (IBO)

active: AMontiel, Mahmutov
(Inactive list: Pacheco, Medgoen)


Jr. Flyweights (108 lbs)
Champion: Yosam Choi (WBC)[CBZ Lineal]
1. Ricardo Lopez (IBF)
2. Hawk Makepula (WBU)
3. Rosendo Alvarez (WBA)
4. Bebis Mendoza
5. Jorge Arce
6. Jake Matlala (WBU)
7. Zolani Petelo
8. Jesus Martinez
9. Hidenobu Honda
10. Juanito Rubillar

active: Rubillar, Honda, Petelo (out: Siriwat-inactive,
Sorjaturong-inactive, Dieppa-displaced)
(Inactive list: Makepula)


Strawweights (105 lbs)
Champion: TITLE VACANT
1. Jose Aguirre (WBC)
2. Chana Porpaoin (WBA)
3. Roberto Leyva (IBF)
4. Keitaro Hoshino
5. Joma Gamboa
6. Hiroshi Nakajima
7. Wandee Chor Chareon
8. Wolf Tokimitsu
9. Kermin Guardia (WBO)
10. Daniel Reyes

active: Leyva, Reyes, Gamboa, Nakajima (out: Petelo-moved up in weight,
Niida-drew with a nobody)
(Inactive list: Chareon)
Divisions
Heavyweights
Cruiserweights
Light Heavies
Super Middles
Middleweights
Jr. Middles
Welterweights
Jr. Welterweights
Lightweights
Jr. Lightweights
Featherweights
Jr. Featherweights
Bantamweights
Jr. Bantams
Flyweights
Jr. Flyweights
Strawweights
Ratings Archive

Lennox Lewis

Wladimir Klitschko

Rahman

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