The Ring first introduced its division rankings in 1925. Nearly a century later, it is no exaggeration to say that these independent rankings are the most respected and discussed in world boxing.

The Ring Ratings Panel consists of over a dozen experts from around the world. Opinions are shared, debate ensues, and the final decision on who should be ranked is made democratically every week. It sounds straightforward, but it can be a tedious and time-consuming process.

I will go through each division in reverse order, going from strawweight to heavyweight, and look at the performance of each fighter I evaluate. Then I will look into my crystal ball to see what may await me.

Next up is middleweight (160 pounds), which is one of boxing’s weakest divisions and is in dire need of a facelift.

As always, please enjoy the debate and respect other people’s opinions.

No. 1 – ŻANIBEK ALIMKHANUŁA

RECORD: 15-0 (10 KOs)

PAST: Alimkhanuly won gold at the 2013 World Championships before representing Kazakhstan at the 2016 Olympics, where he lost in the quarterfinals. As a professional, he moved quickly and scored impressive victories over Rob Brant (RTD 8) and Hassan N’dam (TKO 8). Alimkhanuly defeated Danny Dignum (KO 2) to win the vacant WBO interim title. When Demetrius Andrade did not return to middleweight, Alimkhanuly was promoted to full champion. The 31-year-old southpaw looked average in his match against Denzel Bentley (UD 12), but then returned to impressive form by defeating Steven Butler (KO 2). He stopped Vincenzo Gualtieri (TKO 6) to add an IBF unification title last October.

FUTURE: He was scheduled to defend his titles in July against Andrei Mikhailovich, but had to withdraw after he fainted while trying to gain weight. The fight ended in a bid, which Mikhailovich’s team won, and now Alimkhanuly will have to travel to Sydney, Australia to put his IBF title on the line on October 4.

🧐 pic.twitter.com/qEHnMuesDV

— Janibek Alimkhanuly (@kazaqstyle) September 24, 2024

No. 2 – HAMZAH SHEERAZ

RECORD: 21-0 (17 KOs)

PAST: Sheeraz became a professional turner at the age of 18 and apprenticed at home in the UK before seeking out Rocky Funez to work at the Ten Goose gym in Los Angeles. It’s no coincidence that since wrestling Bradley, Skeete has become a much more complete fighter. when he had to come on overdue and stop the game in the ninth inning. The towering boxer-puncher scored three early victories over River Wilson-Bent (TKO 2), Dymtro Mytrofanov (TKO 2) and former world title challenger Liam Williams (TKO 1). However, what attracted attention was the stoppage of the fight against undefeated Austin Williams (TKO 11) in June and the destruction of the usually sturdy Tyler Denny (TKO 2) in the fight for the European champion.

FUTURE: He may face Denzel Bentley for the WBO interim title later this year.

No. 3 – CARLOS ADAMES

RECORD: 24-1 (18 KOs)

PAST: Adames was first noticed in the junior middleweight division, where he defeated Frank Galarza (TKO 4) and Patrick Day (UD 10). Adames was upset with Patrick Teixeira (UD 12) as he tried to win the vacant WBO interim title. After returning to action, he won two fights, followed by the best victory in his career over Sergiy Derevyanchenko (UD 10). The powerhouse fighter from the Dominican Republic became the interim WBC title holder (unrecognized by The Ring) when he knocked out Juan Macias Montiel (KO 3) and defended his title by defeating former unified junior middleweight champion Julian Williams (TKO 9). The 30-year-old became the full champion and defended the title in a fight against Terrell Gausha (UD 12).

FUTURE: Next, he can defend his title against the hazardous Meiirim Nursultanov.

No. 4 – ERISLANDY LARA

RECORD: 31-3-3 (19 KOs)

PAST: The Cuban amateur was the favorite to win Olympic gold in 2008, but he defected earlier. He became a cornerstone of the junior middleweight division, defeating Austin Trout (UD 12), Vanes Martirosyan (UD 12) and Terrell Gausha (UD 12). He was never convincingly defeated. Lara gave Paul Williams (L SD 12), Canelo Alvarez (L SD 12) and Jarrett Hurd (L SD 12) all they could handle in narrow points defeats. The 41-year-old southpaw moved up to middleweight and won four fights to claim the WBA title, most recently defeating former two-division champion Danny Garcia (RTD 9).

FUTURE: I fought recently, so I won’t fight for the rest of the year.

No. 5 – CHRIS EUBANK JR.

RECORD: 33-3 (24 KOs)

PAST: Eubank learned on the job as a professional before narrowly making the decision in favor of the much more experienced Billy Joe Saunders (UD 12). He moved up to 168 pounds and defeated Arthur Abraham (UD 12) and Avni Yildirim (KO 3) before taking a decision to George Groves (UD 12) in the World Boxing Super Series tournament. He bounced back with a win over James DeGale (UD 12) and has since dropped down to 160 pounds. The 35-year-old defeated Liam Williams four times en route to a 12-round unanimous decision and was shockingly stopped by Liam Smith (TKO 4), but returned in the rematch with a comprehensive victory (TKO 10).

FUTURE: On October 12 in Riyad, he will face former world title contender Kamil Szeremeta.

Hit list #RiyadSeason pic.twitter.com/8cL8nkk9EE

— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) September 8, 2024

NO. 6 – MEIIRIM NURSULTANOW

RECORD: 20-0 (11 KOs)

PAST: Before he began his professional career in America in 2016, Nursultanov was a talented amateur. The 31-year-old boxer has since fought around the world and has victories over Andrey Sirotkin (RTD 5), former world title challenger Marcelo Coceres (UD 10), broke the record of Kazuto Takesako (TKO 8) and defeated Julio Alamosa (UD 12)

FUTURE: He is in talks with WBC champion Adames.

No. 7 – ETINOSA OLIHA

RECORD: 21-0 (9 KOs)

PAST: Oliha won his first 16 fights in his native Italy before impressing during a sparring session with William Scull and being captured by Agon. Now he fights for a German promoter. Since then, the 26-year-old has defeated the undefeated pair of Julio Alamos (UD 12) and Faton Vukshinaj (UD 12), and recently stopped Alexander Pavlov (TKO 3) in an IBF eliminator.

FUTURE: Oliha is fresh off his victory over Pavlov and will be monitoring the situation in the fight for the IBF title on Friday.

No. 8 – KYRONE DAVIS

RECORD: 19-3-1 (6 KOs)

PAST: The Delaware native has been a professional for ten years. He won his first 10 fights before losing to fellow undefeated Junior Castillo (UD 8). Four fights later he lost to Patrick Day (UD 10) in the junior middleweight division. He was offered a super middleweight fight against Anthony Dirrell and a surprise draw for the former titleholder. This result led to a fight with David Benavidez (L TKO 7). This defeat prompted him to return to middleweight, where he won three fights, including a upset victory over Elijah Garcia (SD 10).

FUTURE: He will be hoping to turn Garcia’s victory into something more significant.

No. 9 – TROY ISLAND

RECORD: 13-0 (5 KOs)

PAST: Isley was a standout amateur who represented the U.S. at the 2017 World Championships, where he won bronze, and at the 2020 Olympics (postponed to 2021), where he reached the round of 16. In early 2021, he turned professional and rose through the ranks. The 26-year-old has notable wins over raw spoiler Vladimir Hernandez (UD 8) and most recently against fellow prospect Javier Martinez (UD 10).

FUTURE: Isley will face once-defeated Tyler Howard on November 8 in Norfolk, Virginia.

No. 10 – SHANE MOSLEY JR.

RECORD: 22-4 (12 KOs)

PAST: Mosley followed his legendary namesake father into boxing, and although he suffered a few losses along the way – to Brandon Adams (UD 10) and Jason Quigley (MD 10) – he continues to learn and improve, giving him a five-fight winning streak that has includes victories over crafty veteran Gabe Rosado (MD 10), once-beaten D’Metrius Ballard (7 KO), and most recently overshadowed former champion Daniel Jacobs (UD 10).

FUTURE: He recently made his goal clear on social media.

I’m number one in the WBA!
I want Lara next!!!

—Shane Mosley Jr. (@1ShaneMosleyJr) September 15, 2024

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Manny Pacquiao has been given the chance to share the ring with his former rival after missing out on the opportunity to fight Mario Barrios.

Pacquiao was in line to fight for the WBC welterweight title against Barrios until advisor Sean Gibbons informed World Boxing News that “the boxing legend’s ship has sailed.” The next target of the talks in London was Amir Khan, before Pacquiao’s intentions went tranquil again.

Pacquiao will celebrate his 46th birthday in a few weeks, and the man he defeated in 2011 has taken up the challenge. Shane Mosley, now 53, former Pound for Pound star, wants to do battle with “Pac-Man” after returning to action on the show.

Mosley took part in a “Celebrity Boxing” fight against a trainer from Philadelphia, dominating the competition from start to finish. He looked good for his age, but wasn’t at the level required to face Pacquiao, who is nine years younger.

“Pacquiao. I want to fight Pacquiao, man,” Mosley told Fight Hub TV after his victory over the unheralded Bob Kofroth. Mosley then focused all his attention on Oscar De La Hoya in a fight that never happened. The boss of Golden Boy has already ruled out a return to the ring.

“I would fight Oscar [De La Hoya]but Oscar doesn’t want to fight,” Mosley noted. “He was talking about this whole mess [about me coming back at 53]but he doesn’t want to fight. I don’t understand this. He should keep my name out of his mouth.

“I wasn’t even talking about him, but he came up and started talking about me. He’s just jealous because I beat him twice. But we might as well do it a third time while he talks about this whole mess. But he doesn’t want that smoke. He really doesn’t.

“Sugar” Shane is already showing signs of wear and tear when he speaks, so it would be best to avoid any notions of Pacquiao. The De La Hoya fight isn’t impressive in itself, but it still sparks debate about boxers fighting in their 50s.

WBN talked about this possibility ten years ago and the writing was on the wall then. Ten years later, it may still take some catastrophic incident before retired fighters fully understand the message.

The next fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will take place on November 15.

In terms of critical pedigree, few boxing biopics can match the double Oscar-winning film documenting the lives and times of Micky Ward and his brother Dicky Eklund, “The Fighter.”

The film was nominated for Best Picture of 2011, with Christian Bale as Dicky and Melissa Leo as family matriarch Alice winning top awards for Best Supporting Actor.

It’s demanding to argue with critics.

Mark Wahlberg plays Micky Ward and the movie was his idea. The actor reportedly always wanted to star in a boxing movie, and he and Ward had known each other for years.

“The Fighter” presents a slice of Ward’s life and the ups and downs of his relationship with his trainer and brother, as well as his life in and out of the ring.

Bale stole the show in the nearly two-hour film, and those looking for flaws from a boxing perspective had a field day.

This was Hollywood – not a documentary after all. Which seemed pointless, because Micky and Dicky’s story was dramatic enough.

The period captured in the film was also met with criticism. For example, it stopped after Ward won the lesser-known WBU title with a victory over Shea Neary in London.

It did not include the period when Ward reached the height of his fame towards the end of his career, especially thanks to the trilogy with Arturo Gatti, which went down in boxing history as one of the greatest rivalries. There is some archived footage of these wild fights in the end credits, but that’s about it.

And the fact that the storytelling skipped that timeline always left a glimmer of hope that there would be a sequel – something Ward wanted and Wahlberg sometimes joked about.

Unfortunately, it was never meant to be.

What remains is an excellent biopic that falls into the “based on true events” category, documenting Eklund’s struggle with addiction and Ward’s career as a down-on-his-luck fighter, all set against the backdrop of a messy family.

Eklund is portrayed as a lovable if infuriating bastard, which could pass for fair commentary.

The brothers’ relationship was one of helping each other as best as they could, in their own way. It was as if Micky’s routine and discipline helped give Dicky structure, while Dicky, who had learned some of the hardest lessons in life, was able to pass on lessons about some of his many mistakes to his younger brother by saying: “do what I say.” , not like me” share this wisdom.

Wahlberg delivers an underrated and underappreciated performance as Ward. He is flawless and was probably his hardest job in the film. How can you play the role of an ordinary guy who still makes a living by paving roads? How do you make it believable without making it jump off the screen? That’s a challenge in itself, because despite all of Micky’s fame and his fights of the year against the likes of Emanuel Augustus, Gatti and Neary, and despite the movie and the fact that he was played by a star, Ward never changed.

I met Micky in 2001, a few weeks after the first fight with Gatti, while visiting him at his home in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Over the next 20 years I made many wonderful memories with Micky. I went back to his house in Lowell several times. Despite everything – distinctions; movies; success – never moved. He never changed his number. He remains everything you would want a worker’s idol to be – self-deprecating, humble and forthright.

If anyone watched “The Fighter” and felt inspired, Ward doesn’t fall into the category of heroes you’ll never meet.

In fact, when I left Micky’s house one day – and with a long journey ahead of me – he insisted on taking me out for food and coffee.

On another trip to Boston, I visited Micky to record my “Boxing Life Stories” podcast with him, and what we recorded is a faithful reflection of our friendship over the years, with some laughs and some somber moments along the way. While in the area, Dicky and I went out to lunch and he and I recorded another podcast episode. I thought Dicky would talk about his wild life and wasted youth, but he was actually demanding to figure out. I remember him telling me that wasn’t the case then it was bad and he argued: “The newspapers made me look like Al Capone.”

We often meet at the International Boxing Hall of Fame. I took my wife there on vacation one year and we met Micky and Dicky at Graziano’s, which was demolished by bulldozers.

Micky and I went and sat in the cabin to talk while Dicky could court my wife.

You should have seen the look on her face when Micky and I rejoined them at the bar 30 minutes later!

Micky’s paths also crossed with mine when I was writing “Damage” and I read in his excellent biography “A Warrior’s Heart” that he donated his brain to research when he passed an exam as part of an significant brain study for athletes and competitors in Boston.

As always, he jokes, “It’s not like I used it too much!”

Of course, Ward underestimates his price, but a brain is one thing and a heart is another thing entirely, and it’s the latter that he’s best known for.

And that’s where “The Fighter” best showcases Ward, both in and out of the ring. Micky Ward was always full of heart.

That’s why the title was so poignant. In Micky’s case, there are no heirs or favors. I’ve never been. He was and always will be a warrior.