DAZN provides a rundown of which divisions are currently the ones to watch
Broadcast giants DAZN tackled one of boxing's most persistent debates about which of the various 17 weight classes in boxing is the best to watch right now.
Given the weight restrictions at a championship level, the sport finds itself divided into groups of competitors and, on any given day, one particular class can stand out above all others as the hottest scene for fight fans to keep tabs on.
From hereon, DAZN will be ranking the top 10 classes each month in their official Divisional Power Rankings.
Here are some of the criteria considered for this list:
Individual talent: The more stars, future stars and active legends a division currently possesses, the more they'll have our attention.
Giving fans what they want: Of course, simply having great boxers in the weight class means nothing if the stars spend their days avoiding each other and clobbering tomato cans. A great division delivers the intriguing clashes, or at least builds up to them.
Quality fights: Regardless of name value, great action will always be important. After all, it's the great fights that enhances reputations in the first place.
Buzz outside the ring: And, at the end of the day, positive PR and fighting talk in interviews and social media builds up interest. On the other hand, the wrong kind of publicity can sour the entire divisional scene.
So, here we go with the latest rankings! (Last updated: Dec. 22, 2021)
1. LIGHTWEIGHT
George Kambosos Jr.'s thrilling upset of Teofimo Lopez in New York was followed by big wins for Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko which ensured the division many tipped to be the one to watch in 2021 finished the year in style. If the aforementioned names clash with one another in 2022, it'll get even bigger.
2. HEAVYWEIGHT
After autumn championship bangers which saw Oleksandr Usyk dethrone Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury wrap up the Deontay Wilder trilogy in style, a December thriller between Joseph Parker and Derek Chisora helped continue the notion that the 'glamour division' is back after years as a sleeping giant of sorts.
3. WELTERWEIGHT
With Terence Crawford retiring the formidable Shawn Porter and Errol Spence Jr set for collision course with Manny Pacquiao conqueror Yordenis Ugas, a division that usually resides near the top of this list remains intriguing. However an eventual Crawford-Spence endgame (or lack thereof) could haunt the scene, even with the likes of Vergil Ortiz Jr., Jaron Ennis and Conor Benn on the rise.
4. BANTAMWEIGHT
Naoya Inoue may be the dominant force at bantamweight but there’s a deep list of contenders ready to take on the Japanese monster. Filipino pair Nonito Donire and John Riel Casimero will want to settle their rivalry in the near future, and their fellow countryman Raymart Gaballo is also climbing the rankings. Guillermo Rigondeaux may feel like he has a point to prove and there’s Gary Antonio Russell threatening to make an impact.
5. SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT
154lbs might not have the marquee names but the depth in the division means that nobody in the top spots is safe. Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano fought to a draw earlier this year when trying to find out who the dominant fighter is, but there’s a lot of fighters underneath them confident of grabbing top spot including Brandon Adams, Tim Tszyu and Erickson Lubin.
6. SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT
Stephen Fulton overcame Brandon Figueroa to unify their two world titles and cap a stellar year both for his own breakout and for the weight class as a whole. Murodjon Akhmadaliev looks a serious fighter with the other two major belts in his possession, and Luis Nery will have a point to prove following his loss to Figueroa.
7. SUPER-FLYWEIGHT
All eyes are rightly on the thrilling rivalry between Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez but below those two outstanding fighters are a number of boxers eager to prove a point. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will believe he’s the best fighter in the division despite a narrow loss to Estrada and you also have quality competitors such as Donnie Nietes and Kazuto Ioka.
8. SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT
Josh Taylor went all out to prove he was the best fighter at 140lbs when defeating Jose Ramirez earlier this year. With his lofty position secured, Taylor, if he decides to stay at super-lightweight long-term, could have his hands full with Mikey Garcia and Gervonta Davis. There’s also the possibility of revisiting past rivalries with Ramirez and Regis Prograis. Montana Love is another fighter worth monitoring too.
9. SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT
Canelo Alvarez has certainly put the 168lbs scene back on the map after collecting all of the major championships within 12 months, but if he does indeed move straight on to shiny new trinkets at cruiserweight or elsewhere, he's very likely to take all of that interest and momentum with him and leave his victims and the unproven fighting for the vacated scraps.
10. SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHT
Shakur Stevenson's superb win against Jamel Herring in October was a star-making performance and it appears that a fight against Oscar Valdez is one of the best to make in boxing. Stevenson is quickly on his way to becoming one of boxing's biggest names so any fight featuring him will be of interest.
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