Junior Welterweight Division Rankings
Published by: Jake Emen
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 March 2012
- Timothy Bradley – Bradley is moving up to welterweight to challenge Manny Pacquiao, but I have my suspicions he'll be back down here when that fight is done and over with. For the time being then, I'll leave him at the top spot, as his body of work here certainly warrants that.
- 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. Rematch against Khan is official for May.
- 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. His handling of the loss is pretty telling, in my opinion, but he'll get his change for vengeance with the rematch.
- Juan Manuel Marquez - Marquez has a fight for a vacant, interim, who-cares-what title in the division scheduled for April. It's noteworthy because it means it looks like he'll be camping out at junior welterweight here for at least a few fights. Even before he debuts, he gets slotted into the top 5.
- Danny Garcia - After thoroughly outclassing the past his best Nate Campbell, Garcia continued to prove his worth by handling a hungry Kendall Holt, and then getting past Erik Morales to win a title in the division. It was a solid win for Garcia, but he didn't "wow" with the performance. It will be interesting to see who he is lined up against next.
- Marcos Maidana – You know what you're going to get against Maidana, so it's just a question of whether you have the skills and the grit to handle it and survive. He fought Devon Alexander, but it was at welterweight, and he seemed out of sorts there. He's dropping back down to 140 lbs and should be in line for another fun fight in short order. It's been a long time since he scored a big win.
- Zab Judah - Judah's win over Vernon Paris, the start of his now 73rd career comeback trail, was probably his most impressive outing in seven years, since his win over Cory Spinks. A rematch against Khan should be avoided, for his own good. But how about a fight against Danny Garcia in an intriguing battle that makes sense for both men?
- 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, and now he's slated to take on Humberto Soto in what should be a good opportunity for him to finally score a nice W.
- Mike Alvarado - Alvarado looked great in a fun fight against Breidis Prescott, and now he's lined up to take on upset-minded Mauricio Herrera. If he survives that test, will it finally be title shot time, or what?
- Ajose Olusegun - Olusegun has been angling for a title shot for quite some time, and now he's finally in the mandatory position to take on Danny Garcia. He's undefeated, and edges out guys like Kendall Holt and the inactive Andriy Kotelnik to sneak into the top 10 of the division.
More Contenders
Kendall Holt, Andriy Kotelnik, Erik Morales, Vernon Paris, Nate Campbell, Jessie Vargas, Humberto Soto, Victor Cayo, Juan Urango, Ricardo Torres, Kaizer Mabuza, Tim Coleman, Paul McCloskey, Joan Guzman, Ashley Theophane
More Boxing Weight Division Rankings
- 130-135 lbs – Boxing Lightweight Division Rankings
- 140-147 lbs – Boxing Welterweight Division Rankings
Lets not forget about Zab Judah that has moved back down to junior welter weight back in Nov of 09 and has already won three fights two of those fights came by way of knock out at 140pounds and might i add is looking very sharp by adding another trainer i think ZAB can be a title holder by the end of the year.
How could your ratings for the 140 Jr. Welterweight not include Ray “the Emperor” Narh? 25-1 (21 KOs). If you are not a believer watch Narh battle Mike Alvarado on the Pacquiao/Mosely undercard on May 7th. C’mon man!