Pacquiao Leads 9 Other Pinoys In Ring Magazine World Ranking
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 25 May 2021
Although returning to the exclusive Ring Magazine's all weight top pound for pound list remains, at best still a prospect, ten magnificent Filipino fighters led by Manny Pacquiao made it to the latest Ring's divisional world ranking.
Pacquiao, who has recently made it official that he would facing Errol Spence in August, is listed as Ring #3 at welterweight behind Spence who is #1 in the division above #2 Terrence Crawford but eerily, only #5 pound for pound below #3 P4P Crawford.
According to the official Boxrec.com, the Pacquiao versus Spence bout scheduled for August 21 will be a unification with Manny's WBA belt and Spence's WBC and IBF unified belts on the line fueling speculations that the WBA will be prompted to reinstate Manny as its super champion.
The oddness of the situation is brought home by the fact that Yurdenis Ugas, the man WBA supplanted Manny as super champion is rated only #6 by the Ring behind ex WBA super titlist Keith Thurman and two time former WBC titleholder Shawn Porter, #4 and #5, respectively.
With #1 Spence meeting #3 Pacquiao, there is also a big chance that the Ring may be prompted to recognize the winner as its legitimate welterweight champion, leaving Crawford in a much more awkward situation in its pound for pound rating where he is listed higher than Errol.
If Manny wins, most likely, he will also merit at the very least, consideration in the Ring, and any major ratings body's pound for pound list.
The highest Pinoy in the Ring's divisional rating is former multi weight classes world champion Nonito "The Filipino Flash" Donaire who is listed #1 at bantamweight behind Ring recognized champion Naoya Inoue but above #2 Nordine Oubaali of France, the WBC titlist.
Donaire will challenge Oubaali for the WBC crown this coming weekend, May 29 in Carson City, California.
Inoue, on the other hand will defend his unified WBA super, IBF and Ring lineal belts against Filipino IBF mandatory Michael Dasmariñas in June also in the US. Hall of Fame Top Rank promoter Bob Arum has earlier ruled against Inoue making a defense in Japan as existing health protocols there renders it impossible for any visiting challenger to put up a good fight much less, win.
Another Pinoy, WBO champion Johnriel Casimero is listed at #3 behind Oubaali. Casimero is set to meet WBA regular champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, listed #6 in a unification fight also in the US. A win by Casimero will put him in the line against the winners of the Oubaali-Donaire and Inoue-Dasmariñas fights.
Odd but another Pinoy, reigning WBC interim champion Reymart Gaballo is not listed but the fellow he beat last December for his title, Puerto Rican ex IBF titlist Emmanuel Rodriguez is listed #4!
However, highly promising Mike "Magicman" Plania makes it three Pinoys as #9 among the bantamweights.
Other Filipinos who make the latest Ring divisional rating are reigning IBF super flyweight champion Jerwin Ancajas, #4 behind Juan Francisco Estrada, Srisaket Sor Rungvusai and Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez in that order; Mark "Magnifico"Magsayo, #7 at featherweight; Edward "El Heneral" Heno, #6 at light flyweight and the trio of WBA regular titlist Vic Saludar, IBF champion Rene Mark Cuarto and ex IBF titlist Pedro "General" Taduran, #6, #9 and #10 respectively all in the minimumweight.
Topping the list at featherweights are Gary Russell of the US, the streaking Emanuel Navarrete of Mexico and China's lone world titlist Xu Can.
Dominating the ratings at light flyweights are the duo of Japanese world champions Kenshiro Teraji and Hiroto Kyugochi and Nicaragua's IBF world titleholder Felix Alvarado who won his world championship in Manila a few years back.
A trio of reigning and former world champions from Thailand hold sway at the lowest boxing division of minimumweight or strawweight with WBA titlist Knockout CP Freshmart, new WBC titleholder Pechmanee Pradabsri and ex long reigning WBC champion Wanheng Menayothin hugging the top three slots.
The Ring all weight top ten pound for pound fighters are:
01. CANELO ALVAREZ, Mexico
02. NAOYA INOUE, Japan
03. TERRENCE CRAWFORD, US
04. OLEKSANDER USYK, Ukraine
05. ERROL SPENCE, US
06. TEOFIMO LOPEZ, US
07. JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA, Mexico
08. VASILY LOMACHENKO, Ukraine
09. JOSH TAYLOR, UK (Finally!)
10. KAZUTO IOKA, Japan (despite his marijuana scandal ?)
N.B.: Pacquiao, Donaire and now comebacking Donnie "Ahas" Nietes used to be in there, with Manny and Nonito even at top 5. Well, they are still fighting. Who knows?
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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