USA Has The Number But Mexico Has More Quality Boxing Champions
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 11 May 2021
The US still tops in the number of reigning world professional boxing titleholders but Mexico has more quality, enduring champions holding even multiple titles in more than a division.
Led by ethnic Dominican unified WBC super, WBA, IBF, WBO as well as Ring Magazine lineal world lightweight champion Teofimo 'The Takeover' Lopez, the USA has 15 world super and regular titlists.
Though with just nine, Mexico has the world's best pound for pound and arguably now the most popular and commercially successful fighter in Canelo Alvarez who holds the WBC super crown at middleweight and all but one of the trinkets at super middleweight following a recent decisive 8th round TKO over erstwhile WBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders in the highest attended live boxing title bout under the current pandemic with approximately 73,000 live paying spectators. Alvarez who at one time also held the WBO light heavyweight crown following a shock 11th round knockout of the once feared Sergei Kovalev, is looking next to add the IBF tiara of Caleb Plant to complete his collection.
The other reigning world boxing champions from the USA included Trevor Bryant (WBA regular heavyweight), Joe Smith (WBO light heavyweight), Caleb Plant (IBF super middleweight), Demeterius Andrade (WBO middleweight), Jarmall Charlo (WBC regular middleweight), Jarmell Charlo (WBC, WBA and IBF super welterweight), Errol Spence (WBC and IBF welterweight), Terrence Crawford (WBO welterweight), Mario Barrios (WBA regular super lightweight ), Gervonta Davis (WBA super featherweight), Jamel Herring (WBO super featherweight), Gary Russell (WBC featherweight) Stephen Fulton (WBO super bantamweight) and Joshua Franco (WBA regular super flyweight). Only Jarmall Charlo, Crawford, Valdez and Davis have won world titles in more than one weight class with Crawford winning in three, at 135, 140 and 147 lbs.
On the other hand, six of the current nine world boxing champions from Mexico have won titles in more than two weight classes namely:
Canelo, Oscar Valdez (WBC super featherweight, also formerly WBA featherweight titlist), Leo Santacruz (WBA featherweight, formerly WBC bantamweight, WBC super bantamweight and WBA super featherweight champion), Emanuel Navarrete (WBO featherweight, formerly WBO super bantamweight titlist), Luis Nery (WBC super bantamweight, formerly WBC bantamweight titlist) and Juan Francisco Estrada (WBC and WBA unified super flyweight, formerly WBA and IBF unified flyweight champion).
The other Mexican current world champions are Jose Ramirez who holds the WBC and WBO unified super lightweight crowns, Julio Cesar Martinez (WBC flyweight) and Elwin Soto (WBO light flyweight).
The United Kingdom which used to rival the US in the number of reigning world boxing titlists is down to five with the recent defeat of Saunders. They are Anthony Joshua (WBA super, IBF and WBO heavyweight), Tyson Fury (WBC heavyweight), Lawrence Okolie (WBO cruiserweight), Josh Taylor (WBA and IBF unified super lightweight champion) and Sunny Edwards (IBF flyweight ).
Japan vaults ahead of the UK with a total of six reigning world champions led by WBA, IBF and Ring Magazine recognized lineal world bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue. The other Japanese reigning world boxing champions are Ryota Murata (WBA middleweight), Kazuto Ioka (WBO super flyweight), Junto Nakatani (WBO flyweight), Hiroto Kyugochi ( WBA and Ring lineal light flyweight) and Kenshiro Teraji (WBC light flyweight).
The Philippines is down to four with the stripping of the WBA welterweight super belt from Manny Pacquiao who has been relegated as champion in recess, leaving just Jerwin Ancajas (IBF super flyweight), Johnriel Casimero (WBO bantamweight), Rene Mark Cuarto (IBF minimumweight) and Vic Saludar (WBA regular minimumweight) as regular world titlists.
But with two more of its fighters vying for world crown including former multi division world champion Nonito Donaire in the next two months, the country stands to improve on its harvest.
Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have a combined six world champions namely Mairis Breidis (IBF cruiserweight), Dmitry Bivol (WBA light heavyweight), Arthur Betervev (WBC and IBF unified light heavyweight), Gennady Golovkin (IBF middleweight), Murodjun Akhmadaliev (WBA and IBF unified super bantamweight), Artem Dalakian (WBA flyweight).
Cuba has three in Erislandy Lara (super welterweight), Yordenis Ugas (WBA welterweight super champion) and Guillermo Rigondeaux (WBA bantamweight regular).
Thailand has still two namely Panya Pradabsri (WBC minimumweight) and Knockout C P Freshmart (WBA munumumweight super champion).
France also has two in Arsen Goulamarian (WBA cruiserweight super champion) and Nordine Oubaali (WBC bantamweight champion).
Puerto Rico and Nicaragua both has one world champion each in Wilfredo Mendez (WBO minimumweight) and Felix Alvarado ( IBF light flyweight).
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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