CRAWFORD IS BWAA'S TOP FIGHTER POUND-FOR-POUND
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 04 Oct 2017
Terence Crawford tops the Boxing Writers Association of America's first officially voted list of boxing?s best pound-for-pound fighters. The list is selected by BWAA members from respected news media and sites on a bi-monthly basis. It is decided upon based on points system, with a first-place vote getting 10 points, a second-place vote getting nine points and so forth. Ties are broken with the highest submitted ranking, with the one with the most votes in that rank being chosen.
* * *
With Andre Ward retiring, Crawford, the undisputed junior welterweight champion, leaps from No. 4 to No. 1. Gennady Golovkin slides from No. 2 to No. 3, while Canelo Alvarez, rises from No. 5 to No. 4. Roman Gonzalez drops from the list. Mikey Garcia joins at No. 6, while Naoya Inoue enters at No. 9. Keith Thurman elevates to No. 7 and Errol Spence Jr. to No. 8. Guillermo Rigondeaux climbs from No. 8 to No. 5. Sergey Kovalev falls from No. 7 to No. 10.
* * *
Here's the BWAA top ten fighters pound-for-pound list:
1. Terence Crawford, jr. welterweight, 32-0-0 (23 KOs)
2. Vasyl Lomachenko, jr. lightweight, 9-1-0 (7 KOs)
3. Gennady Golovkin, middleweight, 37-0-1 (33 KOs)
4. Canelo Alvarez, middleweight, 49-1-2 (34 KOs)
5. Guillermo Rigondeaux, jr. featherweight, 17-0-0 (11 KOs)
6. Mikey Garcia, lightweight, 37-0-0 (30 KOs)
7. Keith Thurman, welterweight, 28-0 (22 KOs)
8. Errol Spence Jr., welterweight, 22-0 (19 KOs) 9. Naoya Inoue, jr. bantamweight, 14-0-0 (12 KOs)
10. Sergey Kovalev, light jeavyweight, 30-2-1 (26 KOs)
* * *
Former world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman challenges Hollywood action star Steven Seagal to an open-rules combat sport fight for 10 rounds. The 68-year-old Foreman last fought in 1997 but for some reason wants to reenter the ring against Seagal in Las Vegas, as he posted on Twitter. "Steven Seagal, I challenge you one on one, I use boxing you can use whatever. 10 rounds in Vegas," Foreman called Seagal.
* * *
The 65-year-old Seagal is a 7th-dan Aikido black belt, could not use weapons and will fight hand to hand only as Foreman clarified. Fans reacted negatively on Twitter, but Foreman insisted he was serious with his challenge and believes he could hit Seagal with his famous jab to win the fight. He believed Floyd Mayweather could promote the showdown and that it could be shown as a pay-per-view bout.
* * *
Seagal made recent comments on NFL players who took a knee during the United States national anthem in protest of President Trump. Seagal labelled the pregame protests "outrageous, a joke and disgusting" but had no comment on Foreman's challenge. Foreman holds the record as the oldest heavyweight champion at the age of 45 and used his popularity to earn more money in the cooking business with his famous grill.
* * *
Tickets for the fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux are becoming very rare at the Theater of Madison Square Garden in New York City. The most awaited fight happens on December 9. "Less than a hundred tickets remain," said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. Rigondeaux, the WBA super bantamweight champion, is jumping two weight divisions to face Lomachenko for his WBO super featherweight world title.
* * *
Arum told BoxingScene that people respect the fact that this is a historic kind of fight. "It's never happened before: two, two-time gold medalists fighting each other is something that is extremely unique and so people want and they can see it at home and watch it for free, go to a bar and watch it for free but people want to be there," the veteran promoter said. "It's going to be the biggest gate for boxing in the history of the Theater of Madison Square Garden."
* * *
Lomachenko (9-1, 7 KO's) has stopped Jason Sosa in nine rounds on April 8 and then halted Miguel Marriaga in seven on August 5. Rigondeaux (17-0, 11 KO's) was involved in a first round no-contest after hitting mandatory challenger Moises Flores after the bell on June 17. The fight was originally declared as a first round knockout, but later the decision was amended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after reviewing video replay of the fight.
* * *
The Gennady Golovkin-Canelo Alvarez controversy keeps hugging the headlines almost three weeks after their world middleweight title fight. Adelaide Byrd scored the fight 118-100 for Alvarez. Dave Moretti recorded it 115-113 for Golovkin, while Don Trella had it a 114-114 draw. Tom Loeffler, Golovkin's promoter said Moretti, who?s from Nevada, had GGG winning by a point, and they thought either one round or two rounds ahead for GGG was the right score.
* * *
And then Trella, who was a neutral judge from Connecticut scored the seventh round for Canelo, which Loeffler thought was one of Golovkin?s best rounds of the fight. And that's how it resulted in a draw in his scorecard. So even though Byrd took a lot of criticisms because of her huge margin score, and had Trella scored it the way Moretti saw it, then we would not be talking anymore about this controversial split draw, added Loeffler.
* * *
The youngest boxer to win a world title is Wilfred Benitez at 17. On March 6, 1976, with his high school classmates witnessing the fight, he face WBA light welterweight champion Antonio Cervantes. The 30-year-old champion had a record of 74-9-3 with 35 KO's, and had made 10 title defenses. The result was a fifteen-round split decision in Benitez's favor. He also later on became the WBC welterweight titlist and WBC light middleweight champion.
* * *
Cavaliers All-Star Kevin Love will move from forward to center, coach Tyronn Lue announced Monday night. Lue has tried with Love at center during training camp and discovered that the new lineup will create matchup problems for other teams' centers as well as open the floor for LeBron James, Derrick Rose and others. Center Tristan Thompson will come off the bench, and newly acquired player Jae Crowder from the Kyrie Irving trade will take Love's forward position.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Filipino FIDE Master Mario Mangubat is the new FIDE World Senior 65 over category Rapid Champion
Sun, 24 Nov 2024Thunderdome 48 - Jude Grant vs Fano Kori
Sun, 24 Nov 2024World Boxing backs plan to create a new Confederation in Asia
Sun, 24 Nov 2024The message is clear – Asian Boxing Confederation remains united with the IBA
Sun, 24 Nov 2024OSCAR DE LA HOYA FOUNDATION HOSTS 25TH ANNUAL TURKEY GIVEAWAY FOR EAST LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY
Sun, 24 Nov 2024Life vs. Death: The Ultimate Ringside Showdown Immortalized in Pierce Egan’s Boxiana
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, Sat, 23 Nov 2024SPORTS SHORTS 284: TEAM MARK MAGSAYO CONFIRMS RETURN TO THE RING ON DECEMBER 14
By Maloney L. Samaco, Sat, 23 Nov 2024RJP Boxing promotes in Bucana on Dec. 17
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 23 Nov 2024Good Prospects at Minimumweight, Light Fly, Super Bantam and Super Feather in 2025
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Sat, 23 Nov 2024Filipino International Master Chito Danilo Garma is the new World Senior Blitz champion; Filipino FIDE Master Mario Mangubat takes the bronze medal
By Marlon Bernardino, Sat, 23 Nov 2024KAMBOSOS JR SIGNS CO-PROMOTIONAL DEAL WITH MATCHROOM
Sat, 23 Nov 2024INTERNATIONAL BOXING HALL OF FAME TO ANNOUNCE CLASS OF 2025 ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5th
Sat, 23 Nov 2024Ring Master promotes in Calinan on Dec. 21
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 22 Nov 2024NP Bansalan boxing team in Matalam
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 22 Nov 2024New York, Minnesota Biggest Trade Gainers; Los Angeles Has the Rookie Draft Steal
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, Fri, 22 Nov 2024