Nine Filipino Boxers in Yearender Ring Magazine Divisional Ratings
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 20 Dec 2021
Bucking the title defeat and eventual retirement of long time and multi-division world champion Manny Pacquiao last August, Filipino fighters continued to rival Japan as Asia's leading boxing power as nine Pinoys made it to the elite Ring Magazine divisional Ratings as of December 2021.
The Filipino fighters are lead by WBC world bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire and his WBO counterpart Johnriel Casimero who remained rated as #1 and #2 respectively in the 118 lbs class behind Ring and unified WBA-IBF titlist Naoya Inoue of Japan.
Also rated high are featherweight, Mark Magsayo, the WBC mandatory challenger who is ranked #4; long reigning IBF super flyweight titlist Jerwin Ancajas who is rated #5 and the threesome of WBA and IBF regular champions Vic Saludar and Rene Cuarto and ex IBF titleholder Pedro Taduran who are listed respectively at #6, #7 and #8 at minimumweight division.
Making it back in the Ring divisional rankings is former multi division world champion Donnie Nietes who is listed as #8 also in the loaded super flyweight class headed by Ring and unified WBC-WBA champion Juan Francisco Estrada of Mexico.
The ninth Pinoy in the Ring divisional rankings is ex WBO world bantamweight titlist Marlon Tapales who made it to #9 at the equally loaded super bantamweight class after sensationally winning his recent world title eliminator by 2nd round knockout of Japanese Hiroaki Teshigawara. He is set to battle unified WBA-IBF champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev early next year possibly in Tashkent.
Donaire's liver punch that takes out Gaballo.
Donaire made a successful comeback after a fighting loss to Inoue in 2019 by winning this year the WBC title by KO over Nordine Oubaali of France and defending the same also by KO over fellow Pinoy Reymart Gaballo. He is gunning for a rematch versus Inoue next year.
Casimero made a successful second defense of his WBO crown by outpointing Cuban great Guillermo Rigondeux but a controversial no show in his next title defense versus another ex-bantamweight titlist Paul Butler of the UK slated in Dubai recently due to reported stomach viral infection. His case is pending review by the WBO.
Hard luck also hit Ancajas whose unification bout with Japanese WBO titlist Kazuto Ioka in Tokyo supposedly set for New Year's eve was cancelled due to travel restrictions on account of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. It is the first time that Ancajas failed to fight even once in his career. His fight versus Ioka is set for early 2022 assuming Ioka defends his title against a substitute fellow Japanese this yearend.
Magsayo drops Ceja.
Magsayo earned the right to challenge WBC champion Gary Russell Jr of the US by stopping Mexican veteran and ex titlist Julio Ceja last August in the USA. Strangely, Russell is not listed in the latest Ring Magazine's divisional ranking.
Nietes comeback also hit a snag when he was forced to a draw against Dominican Republic's Norbelto Jimenez in Dubai recently.
Saludar is set to defend his WBA title against Erick Rosa Paheco also of the Dominican Republic in Sto Domingo this December 21. Vicious Vic won the vacant crown by outpointing fellow Pinoy Robert Paradero early this year.
Meanwhile Cuarto has yet to defend his IBF belt he wrested on points over fellow Pinoy Taduran but there are talks of a possible rematch in 2022.
Japan has the most number of Ring rated fighters from Asia with twelve namely WBA titlist Ryota Murata at middleweight, IBF champion Kenichi Ogawa at super featherweight, Ryosuke Iwasa at super bantamweight, Naoya and Takuma Inoue at bantamweight, WBO champion Kazuto Ioka at super flyweight, WBO titlist Junto Nakatani at flyweight, Ring and WBA belt holder Hiroto Kyoguchi, new WBC titlist Masamachi Yabuki and ex WBC ruler Ken Shiro at light flyweight and the trio of new WBO champion Masataka Taniguchi, brothers Ginjiro and Yudai Shigeoka at minimumweight.
Thailand has four: WBA super champion Thamanon Niyomtrong, WBC titlist Panya Pradabsri and former long time WBC titleholder WanghengMenayothin at minimumweight and former WBC titlist Srisaket Sor Rungvusai at super flyweight.
Uzbekistan has three namely unified WBA-IBF titleholder Morudjon Akhmadaliev, super welterweight Israil Madrimov.and super lightweight Shohjahon Ergashev.
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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