The Ring Cruiserweight Rankings
Updated: 06 Jan 2021
The Ring Middleweight Rankings
Updated: 06 Jan 2021
The Ring Super Lightweight Rankings
Updated: 06 Jan 2021
The Ring Super Bantamweight Rankings
Updated: 06 Jan 2021
The Ring Bantamweight Rankings
Updated: 06 Jan 2021
The Ring Super Flyweight Rankings
Updated: 06 Jan 2021
The Ring Flyweight Rankings
Updated: 06 Jan 2021


The Ring Jr Flyweight Rankings
Updated: 06 Jan 2021




The Ring Minimumweight Rankings
Updated: 06 Jan 2021



The Ring Magazine Profile
History
The Ring Magazine is an American boxing magazine considered to be the longest-lasting boxing publication in the world. Founded in 1922 by American boxing writer and collector Nathaniel Fleischer and his partners, The Ring has almost uninterruptedly published its magazine and ratings up until today. It remains one of the more reputable entities in boxing.
The first issue was published on 15th February 1922, counting 24 pages and costing 20 cents at that time, close to $3 adjusted for inflation.
Fleischer served as a publisher and editor of the magazine until his death in 1972. The managing editor at that time, Nat Loubet, succeeded Fleischer. Loubet would then have a 7-year tenure as publisher, notable for his initiative to expand The Ring internationally, with versions of the magazine published in Spanish, French, and Japanese.
Following Loubet’s departure, boxing writer and historian Bert Sugar took over as editor-in-chief for the next six years. By 1989, The Ring had neared bankruptcy and ceased publication for almost a year, until getting back to its feet in 1990 under new ownership and management.
It was a former employee, Stanley Weston, who would end up saving the same magazine, 52 years after having worked there as a stock boy when he was just 13 years old. Not only that, but he was also considered responsible for re-establishing the magazine as the leading boxing publication in the world.
Weston would also work at the magazine as an artist, having painted 57 covers for The Ring. His first cover was a painting of light-heavyweight champion Billy Dunn for the December 1939 issue. Over the years, The Ring cover has featured some of the best boxers ever to live, including: Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roy Jones Jr., Julio Cesar Chavez, Manny Pacquiao, and Oscar De La Hoya.
In 1977, female boxer Cathy Davis became the first female to appear on the cover of The Ring.
After Sugar’s departure, the editor-in-chief would change every couple of yours, with the current being Douglass Fischer. The Ring’s headquarters were located in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, until 2011, when it relocated to Los Angeles.
The Ring has changed ownership five times during its existence. The magazine changed hands between founder Nat Fleischer, Dave DeBusschere and Nick Kladis, Stanley Weston and Nick Karabots. Since September 2007, it has been owned by Hall of Fame boxer Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy enterprises.
The Ring Championship
The Ring magazine has awarded its championship in multiple weight-classes since 1922. The first boxer to ever be awarded the honor was famed heavyweight Jack Dempsey and the second was flyweight sensation Pancho Villa.
After Steve Farhood took over duties as editor-in-chief in the 1990s, The Ring stopped awarding its championship. At the essence of The Ring belt is that fighters are not required to pay sanctioning fees for their participation in title fights, against the practice of all other sanctioning bodies.
The magazine would reintroduce their belt in April 2002 with a new strict championship policy. Their goal was to clarify who is the one true champion in a given weight division among all the existing belts from other organizations. Light heavyweight Roy Jones Jr would be the first boxer to be awarded the championship since its restoration.
Under this policy, a fighter could get a hold of the belt in just two ways:
- by beating a current Ring champion
- or if the title is vacant, it could only be won in a contest between The Ring’s number one and two ranked fighters in that weight-division.
A fighter could lose his belt in three ways:
- in the ring
- by moving to a different weight-division
- retiring
Consistently having numerous title vacancies throughout the years prompted a new, less strict championship policy introduced in May 2012. According to their official website, a championship vacancy can be filled in either of the following ways:
- The Ring’s number 1 and number 2 contenders fight each other
- The Ring’s number 1 or number 2 contender fights any of the contenders ranked 3, 4 or 5, if the editorial board deems the contenders in question worthy
There are now seven scenarios through which a fighter could also be stripped of his Ring belt:
- losing a fight
- moving to another weight-division (for at least two fights)
- not scheduling a fight in any division for 18 months
- not scheduling a fight in his division for 18 months
- not planning a fight against a top-5 contender in any weight-division for two years
- retiring
- testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance and being suspended or penalized by a relevant athletic commission or sanctioning body
How The Ring Rankings Work
The first boxing rankings ever were published by The Ring in its February issue in 1925. Nat Fleischer introduced the idea of ranking boxers after being inspired by Walter Camp’s annual All-America football team, given annually to the best college players at their respective positions.
The Ring’s official ratings policy pays attention to the following:
- fighter’s results
- fighter’s performance, in a victory or defeat
- fighter’s recent fight record and quality of opposition
The ratings are compiled by a three-member editorial board, with the help of The Ring’s rating panel of international boxing journalists. According to Fischer, the committee meets every Sunday and reflects on the boxing action happening during the week. Then the editorial board reviews all suggestions and has the final verdict on the rankings, with Fischer stating that about 90% of the time, the decision is the same as the majority of the panel.
Some critics have raised questions on the independence of the ratings given that current owner Oscar De La Hoya is still very much involved in the sport, managing and promoting numerous fighters through his own Golden Boy Promotions. Editor-in-chief Doug Fischer has refuted those claims, stating that the panel is in good hands, with 15-20 boxing journalists from around the world working independently and carefully following all contenders and prospects close to cracking into their rankings.
The Ring tries to offer a more simplified and unambiguous view of which fighters in the sport can be considered the best. Their ratings are recognized as official by various US media outlets, most notably ESPN, and now Box.Live!
Current The Ring World Champions
The Ring Heavyweight Champion: Tyson Fury (United Kingdom) - 30-0-1The Ring Cruiserweight Champion: Mairis Briedis (Latvia) - 27-1-0
The Ring Light Heavyweight Champion: Vacant
The Ring Super Middleweight Champion: Saul Canelo (Mexico) - 54-1-2
The Ring Middleweight Champion: Vacant
The Ring Junior Middleweight Champion: Jermell Charlo (United States) - 34-1-0
The Ring Welterweight Champion: Vacant
The Ring Junior Welterweight Champion: Josh Taylor (United Kingdom) - 17-0-0
The Ring Lightweight Champion: Teofimo Lopez (United States) - 16-0-0
The Ring Junior Lightweight Champion: Vacant
The Ring Featherweight Champion: Vacant
The Ring Junior Featherweight Champion: Vacant
The Ring Bantamweight Champion: Naoya Inoue (Japan) - 20-0-0
The Ring Junior Bantamweight Champion: Juan Estrada (Mexico) - 41-3-0
The Ring Flyweight Champion: Vacant
The Ring Junior Flyweight Champion: Hiroto Kyoguchi (Japan) - 14-0-0
The Ring Strawweight Champion: Vacant
Current The Ring Rankings
The Ring Heavyweight Rankings
Champion: Tyson Fury (United Kingdom) - 30-0-1- Anthony Joshua (United Kingdom) - 24-1-0
- Deontay Wilder (United States) - 42-1-1
- Alexander Povetkin (Russian Federation) - 36-2-1
- Dillian Whyte (United Kingdom) - 27-2-0
- Luis Ortiz (Cuba) - 32-2-0
- Andy Ruiz Jr (Mexico) - 33-2-0
- Joseph Parker (New Zealand) - 27-2-0
- Michael Hunter (United States) - 19-1-1
- Oscar Rivas (Colombia) - 26-1-0
- Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine) - 18-0-0
The Ring Cruiserweight Rankings
Champion: Mairis Briedis (Latvia) - 27-1-0- Yuniel Dorticos (Cuba) - 24-2-0
- Ilunga Makabu (Congo) - 28-2-0
- Krzysztof Glowacki (Poland) - 31-2-0
- Kevin Lerena (South Africa) - 26-1-0
- Andrew Tabiti (United States) - 17-1-0
- Lawrence Okolie (United Kingdom) - 15-0-0
- Arsen Goulamirian (Armenia) - 26-0-0
- Thabiso Mchunu (South Africa) - 22-5-0
- Aleksei Papin (Russian Federation) - 12-1-0
- Michal Cieslak (Poland) - 20-1-0
The Ring Light Heavyweight Rankings
Champion: Vacant- Artur Beterbiev (Russian Federation) - 15-0-0
- Dmitry Bivol (Russian Federation) - 17-0-0
- Sergey Kovalev (Russian Federation) - 34-4-1
- Joe Smith Jr (United States) - 26-3-0
- Jean Pascal (Canada) - 35-6-1
- Badou Jack (Sweden) - 23-3-3
- Eleider Alvarez (Colombia) - 25-2-0
- Marcus Browne (United States) - 23-1-0
- Umar Salamov (Russian Federation) - 25-1-0
- Lyndon Arthur (United Kingdom) - 18-0-0
The Ring Super Middleweight Rankings
Champion: Saul Canelo (Mexico) - 54-1-2- David Benavidez (United States) - 23-0-0
- Caleb Plant (United States) - 20-0-0
- Callum Smith (United Kingdom) - 27-1-0
- Anthony Dirrell (United States) - 33-2-1
- Billy Saunders (United Kingdom) - 30-0-0
- Caleb Truax (United States) - 31-4-2
- John Ryder (United Kingdom) - 29-5-0
- Fedor Chudinov (Russian Federation) - 23-2-0
- David Lemieux (Canada) - 42-4-0
- Daniel Jacobs (United States) - 37-3-0
The Ring Middleweight Rankings
Champion: Vacant- Gennady Golovkin (Kazakhstan) - 41-1-1
- Jermall Charlo (United States) - 31-0-0
- Demetrius Andrade (United States) - 29-0-0
- Sergiy Derevyanchenko (Ukraine) - 13-3-0
- Ryota Murata (Japan) - 16-2-0
- Chris Eubank Jr (United Kingdom) - 29-2-0
- Rob Brant (United States) - 26-2-0
- Liam Williams (United Kingdom) - 23-2-1
- Jaime Munguia (Mexico) - 36-0-0
- Janibek Alimkhanuly (Kazakhstan) - 9-0-0
The Ring Super Welterweight Rankings
Champion: Jermell Charlo (United States) - 34-1-0- Jarrett Hurd (United States) - 24-1-0
- Erislandy Lara (Cuba) - 27-3-3
- Jeison Rosario (Dominican Republic) - 20-2-1
- Julian Williams (United States) - 27-2-1
- Brian Castano (Argentina) - 16-0-1
- Tony Harrison (United States) - 28-3-0
- Erickson Lubin (United States) - 23-1-0
- Michel Soro (France) - 35-2-1
- Patrick Teixeira (Brazil) - 31-1-0
- Tim Tszyu (Australia) - 17-0-0
The Ring Welterweight Rankings
Champion: Vacant- Errol Spence Jr (United States) - 27-0-0
- Terence Crawford (United States) - 37-0-0
- Manny Pacquiao (Philippines) - 62-7-2
- Keith Thurman (United States) - 29-1-0
- Shawn Porter (United States) - 31-3-1
- Yordenis Ugas (Cuba) - 26-4-0
- Danny Garcia (United States) - 36-3-0
- Kudratillo Abdukakhorov (Uzbekistan) - 17-0-0
- Sergey Lipinets (Kazakhstan) - 16-1-1
- Mikey Garcia (United States) - 40-1-0
The Ring Super Lightweight Rankings
Champion: Josh Taylor (United Kingdom) - 17-0-0- Jose Ramirez (United States) - 26-0-0
- Regis Prograis (United States) - 25-1-0
- Jose Zepeda (United States) - 33-2-0
- Viktor Postol (Ukraine) - 31-3-0
- Arnold Barboza Jr (United States) - 25-0-0
- Ivan Baranchyk (Russian Federation) - 20-2-0
- Mario Barrios (United States) - 26-0-0
- Kiryl Relikh (Belarus) - 23-3-0
- Batyrzhan Jukembayev (Kazakhstan) - 18-0-0
- Shohjahon Ergashev (Uzbekistan) - 19-0-0
The Ring Lightweight Rankings
Champion: Teofimo Lopez (United States) - 16-0-0- Vasyl Lomachenko (Ukraine) - 14-2-0
- Ryan Garcia (United States) - 21-0-0
- Devin Haney (United States) - 25-0-0
- Richard Commey (Ghana) - 29-3-0
- Robert Easter Jr (United States) - 22-1-1
- Luke Campbell (United Kingdom) - 20-4-0
- Javier Fortuna (Dominican Republic) - 36-2-1
- Jorge Linares (Venezuela) - 47-5-0
- George Kambosos Jnr (Australia) - 19-0-0
- Masayoshi Nakatani (Japan) - 19-1-0
The Ring Super Featherweight Rankings
Champion: Vacant- Miguel Berchelt (Mexico) - 37-1-0
- Gervonta Davis (United States) - 24-0-0
- Joseph Diaz (United States) - 31-1-0
- Jamel Herring (United States) - 22-2-0
- Tevin Farmer (United States) - 30-5-1
- Shakur Stevenson (United States) - 15-0-0
- Chris Colbert (United States) - 15-0-0
- Roger Gutierrez (Venezuela) - 25-3-1
- Rene Alvarado (Nicaragua) - 32-9-0
- Masayuki Ito (Japan) - 26-3-1
The Ring Featherweight Rankings
Champion: Vacant- Josh Warrington (United Kingdom) - 30-0-0
- Gary Russell Jr (United States) - 31-1-0
- Can Xu (China) - 18-2-0
- Kid Galahad (United Kingdom) - 27-1-0
- Emanuel Navarrete (Mexico) - 32-1-0
- Mark Magsayo (Philippines) - 21-0-0
- Tugstsogt Nyambayar (Mongolia) - 12-1-0
- Jessie Magdaleno (United States) - 28-1-0
- Joet Gonzalez (United States) - 24-1-0
- Ruben Villa (United States) - 18-1-0
The Ring Super Bantamweight Rankings
Champion: Vacant- Rey Vargas (Mexico) - 34-0-0
- Murodjon Akhmadaliev (Uzbekistan) - 8-0-0
- Daniel Roman (United States) - 28-3-1
- Ryosuke Iwasa (Japan) - 27-3-0
- Brandon Figueroa (United States) - 21-0-1
- Angelo Leo (United States) - 20-0-0
- Hiroaki Teshigawara (Japan) - 22-2-2
- Tomoki Kameda (Japan) - 36-3-0
- Azat Hovhannisyan (Armenia) - 18-3-0
- Stephen Fulton (United States) - 18-0-0
The Ring Bantamweight Rankings
Champion: Naoya Inoue (Japan) - 20-0-0- Nonito Donaire (Philippines) - 40-6-0
- Nordine Oubaali (France) - 17-0-0
- John Casimero (Philippines) - 30-4-0
- Emmanuel Rodriguez (Puerto Rico) - 19-2-0
- Zolani Tete (South Africa) - 28-4-0
- Takuma Inoue (Japan) - 13-1-0
- Jason Moloney (Australia) - 21-2-0
- Guillermo Rigondeaux (Cuba) - 20-1-0
- Oscar Negrete (Colombia) - 19-2-2
- Mike Plania (Philippines) - 24-1-0
The Ring Super Flyweight Rankings
Champion: Juan Estrada (Mexico) - 41-3-0- Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (Thailand) - 49-5-1
- Roman Gonzalez (Nicaragua) - 50-2-0
- Kazuto Ioka (Japan) - 26-2-0
- Jerwin Ancajas (Philippines) - 32-1-2
- Kal Yafai (United Kingdom) - 26-1-0
- Joshua Franco (United States) - 17-1-2
- Francisco Rodriguez Jr (Mexico) - 33-4-1
- Andrew Moloney (Australia) - 21-1-0
- Jeyvier Cintron (Puerto Rico) - 11-1-0
- Carlos Cuadras (Mexico) - 39-4-1
The Ring Flyweight Rankings
Champion: Vacant- Kosei Tanaka (Japan) - 15-1-0
- Moruti Mthalane (South Africa) - 39-2-0
- Julio Martinez (Mexico) - 17-1-0
- Artem Dalakian (Azerbaijan) - 20-0-0
- Junto Nakatani (Japan) - 21-0-0
- Masayuki Kuroda (Japan) - 30-8-3
- Cristofer Rosales (Nicaragua) - 31-5-0
- Jay Harris (United Kingdom) - 18-1-0
- Angel Acosta (Puerto Rico) - 21-2-0
- Joselito Velasquez (Mexico) - 12-0-0
The Ring Jr Flyweight Rankings
Champion: Hiroto Kyoguchi (Japan) - 14-0-0- Kenshiro Teraji (Japan) - 17-0-0
- Felix Alvarado (Nicaragua) - 36-2-0
- Hekkie Budler (South Africa) - 32-4-0
- Carlos Canizales (Venezuela) - 22-0-1
- Elwin Soto (Mexico) - 18-1-0
- Tetsuya Hisada (Japan) - 34-10-2
- Edward Heno (Philippines) - 14-1-5
- Sho Kimura (Japan) - 19-3-2
- Agustin Gauto (Argentina) - 16-0-0
- Jesse Rodriguez (United States) - 13-0-0
The Ring Minimumweight Rankings
Champion: Vacant- Thammanoon Niyomtrong (Thailand) - 21-0-0
- Panya Pradabsri (Thailand) - 35-1-0
- Wanheng Menayothin (Thailand) - 54-1-0
- Wilfredo Mendez (Puerto Rico) - 16-1-0
- Byron Rojas (Nicaragua) - 27-4-3
- Vic Saludar (Philippines) - 20-4-0
- Jose Argumedo (Mexico) - 23-4-1
- Simpiwe Konkco (South Africa) - 19-6-0
- Pedro Taduran (Philippines) - 14-2-1
- Melvin Jerusalem (Philippines) - 16-2-0
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