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Ring Ratings Update: Garcia gets to keep RING featherweight title

Fighters Network
19
Jun

A busy weekend of boxing did not bring about any significant changes in THE RING’s divisional ratings but there were many fights worth mentioning.

At heavyweight, Bryant Jennings had a little trouble but finally got the job done by stopping Andrey Fedosov in the sixth round.

Polish standout Arthur Szpilka beat Brian Minto on points. Former title challenger Manuel Charr stayed busy by stopping journeyman Olesksly Mazkin in the third round.

THE RING’s No. 9-rated Denis Boystov went to Germany to stop Oleksandr Nesterenko in the third round. New Zealand prospect Joseph Parker had a nice win over ancient Frans Botha with a second round KO. No changes in the heavyweight rankings.



At cruiserweight, Pawel Kolodziej won an eight-round unanimous decision over Cesar Crenz. No changes.

At light heavyweight, No. 3-rated Sergei Kovalev stopped Cornelius White by TKO in the third. Swedish prospect Erik Skoglund scored a unanimous decision over Lorenzo Di Giacomo. No changes.

At middleweight, Patrick Nielsen continues to develop scoring a KO over Crispulo Andino. Nielsen has top ten potential in the future. Unbeaten Matt Korobov stopped the durable Ossie Duran by TKO in the third. No changes.

At junior middleweight, No. 5-rated Vanes Martirosyan stopped journeyman Ryan Davis in the second round. No changes.

At welterweight, Canadian prospect Mikael Zewski looked OK with his unanimous decision over Damian Frias. No changes.

At junior welterweight, undefeated Robert Ortiz got a 10th-round KO over Jorge Romero. No changes.

At lightweight, talented prospect Terrence Crawford scored an impressive TKO in the sixth over Alejandro Sanabria. Crawford is moving close to a top-10 rating. No changes.

At featherweight, RING and WBO champion Mikey Garcia stopped Juan Manuel Lopez in the fourth round. However, the Oxnard, Calif. native lost his WBO title on the scales when he failed to make the 126-pound featherweight limit the day before the HBO-televised fight. Garcia (32-0, 27 knockouts) weighed two pounds over the limit.

After the fight, Garcia said he can still fight at 126 pounds or move up to the 130-pound division. It has been mentioned in the media that a matchup between Garcia and 130-pound beltholder Rocky Martinez is possible.

Should Garcia fight Martinez and decide to stay at junior lightweight, THE RING’s featherweight title would be declared vacant. However, for the time being, the magazine will continue to recognize Garcia, who says he missed weight because of illness during his training camp for Lopez, as the featherweight champion.

According to THE RING Ratings rules, a RING champion can lose his belt in six situations:

1. The Champion loses a fight in the weight class in which he is champion.

2. The Champion moves to another weight class.

3. The Champion does not schedule a fight in any weight class for 18 months.

4. The Champion does not schedule a fight at his championship weight for 18 months (even if he fights at another weight).

5. The Champion does not schedule a fight with a Top-5 contender from any weight class for two years.

6. The Champion retires.

Since THE RING is not a boxing sanctioning body, and after much discussion with the Panel, Garcia will still be THE RING featherweight champion. We will wait until Garcia’s next fight is scheduled, see what weight it will be at and make an appropriate decision at that time.

Lopez (33-3, 30 KOs), who has suffered three knockout losses in his last six bouts, was dropped from the No. 10 spot in the ratings and replaced with undefeated Ronny Rios.

At bantamweight, Juan Carlos Payano stopped Jundy Maraon in seven in an entertaining match. No changes.

At junior bantamweight, Yota Sato has retired so everyone rated No. 6 to No. 10 moves up one spot and Liborio Solis enters at No. 10 in the ratings.

Nice revenge win by Edrin Dapudong over Gideon Buthelizi in a single round rematch having lost a decision last time.

Strawweight, No. 7-rated Hekki Budler shocked No. 3-rated Nkosinathi Joyi winning a split decision. Budler is moved to No. 3, Joyi drops to No. 4, aligning everyone else behind them accordingly.

 

 

Photo / Naoki Fukuda

Chuck Giampa is the Chairman of THE RING Ratings Committee. He can be emailed at [email protected]

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