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The junior welterweight division - or super lightweight, if you prefer - has been one of the hottest, deepest divisions in the sport over the past few years. A lot of talented, big name fighters who have moved onto greener pastures at 147 lbs, but nonetheless, the division remains bubbling. Here's the top 10 of the current crop at 140 lbs in our junior welterweight division rankings.

Junior welterweight division rankings last updated December 2011.

1. Timothy Bradley – Bradley's ranking as the number 1 guy at junior welterweight got cemented not from his own recent activity, but from Khan's loss to Peterson. Not only does that knock Khan down, but that makes Bradley's dominant showing over Peterson look that much better, too. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I just won't pick against this guy until I actually see him lose a bout. He wins.
2. Lamont Peterson - Say what you will about the point deductions and the scorecards, but Peterson pulled off a tough, hard-fought fight against Khan thanks to his gritty fighting, his intensive and excellent body work, and his heart. He deserves all the credit for his landmark win, and he vaults into the top of the division as a result.
3. Amir Khan – Maybe King Khan was a bit too focused on landing a fight with Floyd Mayweather, instead of handling Lamont Peterson in front of his hometown fans. Khan could have won the fight, but didn't do enough to have any real claim of "robbery" or an unjust situation. He'll be back, but will he skip the Peterson rematch and move straight to welterweight next?
4. Marcos Maidana – I'd love to downgrade Maidana after his less than stellar performances against the likes of DeMarcus Corley and Erik Morales, however Alexander looked worse, and lost, in his latest fight, and Maidana at least got the W. Meanwhile, it was really the Khan performance which showed all sides of Maidana - the easily out-boxed and out-maneuvered slugger, the pure power and aggression which can ruin anyone's night, but also a lack of technical ability which would make him even tougher to deal with.
5. Brandon Rios - How does a guy without a legit fight at junior welterweight jump right up into the middle of the top 10? Because Rios was a dominant force at lightweight, and his frame is clearly built for this division. As soon as he begins campaigning here, he's going to be a real force.
6. Devon Alexander – Alexander drops down after suffering the first loss of his career to Timothy Bradley. He was unable to get much going against Bradley and seemed to be stuck in one "gear" without the ability to shift it up higher. He looked to be suffering from some of the same issues against Lucas Matthysse, getting another questionable win - after the disputed decision over Kotelnik - in the process.
7. Lucas Matthysse - Matthysse isn't going to wow you with his skills. He certainly isn't flashy, and he isn't a technical fighter in the least. However, he packs that punch, and he brings that pressure, so you better watch out. Two tough losses to Judah and Alexander, but he'll be back in there soon and will be looking to take things out of the hometown judges' hands.
8. Danny Garcia - After thoroughly outclassing the past his best Nate Campbell, Garcia continued to prove his worth by handling a hungry Kendall Holt, to get the biggest win of his career. For "Swift", now's the time to take a crack at one of the big boys and try to grab up a title.
9. Andriy Kotelnik – Kotelnik holds a win over Maidana, which looks all the more impressive after Maidana's recent action at the top of the division. Many thought he then beat Devon Alexander in an ugly bout in which Alexander was supposed to dominate. It didn't go his way though, and he's been inactive since, and one has to wonder if he's continuing to realistically pursue another go at a title. Drops down due to inactivity.
10. Erik Morales - Morales shut the critics up with his gutsy performance in a close loss against Marcos Maidana, and then gritted out a win over a young guy, but one who simply wasn't in his class. His title in the division is bogus, that's for sure, but nonetheless he'll be angling for a major fight now. Still, how much could possibly be left in the tank?

More Contenders

Robert Guerrero, Vernon Paris, Jessie Vargas, Zab Judah, Humberto Soto, Victor Cayo, Juan Urango, Ricardo Torres, Kaizer Mabuza, Kendall Holt, Mike Alvarado, Tim Coleman, Paul McCloskey, Joan Guzman, Ashley Theophane,  Ajose Olusegun

More Boxing Weight Division Rankings

• 130-135 lbs – Boxing Lightweight Division Rankings
• 140-147 lbs – Boxing Welterweight Division Rankings

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