Rankings: Khan’s top-10 stay could be short
Amir Khan’s knockout victory over Zab Judah on Saturday was enough to squeeze him past featherweight Yuriorkis Gamboa and into 10th place in the new Yahoo! Sports boxing rankings.
Khan’s stay among the boxing elite may be brief, however.
Khan wouldn’t even be in the Top 10 were Floyd Mayweather Jr. eligible. But because it has been more than a year since he last fought, Mayweather is ineligible. He’ll regain eligibility immediately after he fights Victor Ortiz for a welterweight title on Sept. 17 in Las Vegas and should jump back into the rankings in the next vote after the fight at no worse than No. 2.
Mayweather, alone, isn’t Khan’s only problem in holding onto his spot in the ratings. He plans to fight once more at super lightweight before jumping to welterweight in April. Though Khan has no opponent yet for the December fight, it’s most likely he’ll meet the winner of the Aug. 27 bout in San Jose, Calif., between Robert Guerrero and Marcos Maidana.
Khan needs to root badly for Guerrero, because he’s already beaten Maidana and another win over the Argentinean won’t give him the kind of bounce he wants. That’s particularly critical because when he finally does move to welterweight in April 2012, he’ll face a lower-level opponent the first time out.
As a result, he’s got the looming re-entry of Mayweather into the poll and the potential of two bouts that won’t do much to turn on the voters. Khan’s a talented young man and likely will spend a lot of time by the time his career is done in the Top 10. In the short term, though, he shouldn’t be too comfortable because there is a very good chance his stay will be brief.
And with that, it’s on to the latest rankings.
Pacquiao
1. Manny Pacquiao
Points: 360 (36 of 36 first-place votes)
Record: 53-3-2 (38 KOs)
Title: WBO welterweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Shane Mosley on May 7
Previous ranking: 1
Up next: Nov. 12 vs. No. 4 Juan Manuel Marquez
Analysis: Perhaps also boxing’s pound-for-pound hardest puncher
Martinez
2. Sergio Martinez
Points: 316
Record: 47-2-2 (26 KOs)
Title: Ring, WBC middleweight champion emeritus
Last outing: TKO8 Sergiy Dzinziruk on March 12
Previous ranking: 2
Up next: Oct. 1 vs. Darren Baker
Analysis: Doesn’t have a lot of great options to face at middleweight
Donaire
3. Nonito Donaire Jr.
Points: 264
Record: 26-1 (18 KOs)
Title: WBC, WBO bantamweight champion
Last outing: TKO2 over Fernando Montiel on Feb. 19
Previous ranking: 3
Up next:TBA
Analysis: With contract dispute with Top Rank resolved, should return to action soon
J.M. Marquez
4. Juan Manuel Marquez
Points: 222
Record: 53-5-1 (39 KOs)
Title: WBA, WBO, Ring lightweight champion
Last outing: KO1 over Likar Ramos on July 16
Previous ranking: 4
Up next: Nov. 12 vs. No. 1 Manny Pacquiao
Analysis: Size is biggest question mark against Pacquiao
Ward
5. Andre Ward
Points: 182
Record: 24-0 (13 KOs)
Title: WBA super middleweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Arthur Abraham on May 14
Previous ranking: 5
Up next: Oct. 29 vs. Carl Froch for Super Six championship
Analysis: 2004 Gold medalist hasn’t lost fight in 13 years
W. Klitschko
6. Wladimir Klitschko
Points: 161
Record: 56-3 (49 KOs)
Title: Ring, IBF, WBO heavyweight champion
Last outing: W12 over David Haye on July 2
Previous ranking: 6
Up next:Nothing scheduled
Analysis: Dominant win over Haye establishes him as unquestioned top heavyweight
Bradley
7. Timothy Bradley
Points: 100
Record: 27-0 (11 KOs)
Title: WBO super lightweight champion, WBC super lightweight champion in recess
Last outing: TD10 over Devon Alexander in Pontiac, Mich., on Jan. 29
Previous ranking:7
Up next:TBA
Analysis:Mishandling his career big-time by turning down key fights
Bute
8. Lucian Bute
Points: 66
Record: 29-0 (24 KOs)
Title: IBF super middleweight champion
Last outing: KO4 Jean Paul Mendy on July 9
Previous ranking: 9
Up next: Likely in fall vs. Kelly Pavlik
Analysis:One of boxing's best body punchers
Hopkins
9. Bernard Hopkins
Points: 65
Record: 52-5-2 (32 KOs)
Title: WBC light heavyweight champion
Last outing: W12 over Jean Pascal on May 21
Previous ranking: 8
Up next:Vs. Chad Dawson on Oct. 15
Analysis:Showing few signs of decline, even at age 46
Khan
10. Amir Khan
Points:41
Record: 26-1 (18 KOs)
Title: IBF/WBA super lightweight champion
Last outing: KO5 Zab Judah on July 2
Previous ranking: NR
Up next: In December vs. TBA
Analysis: Emerging talent with all-around game.
Others receiving votes: Yuriorkis Gamboa, 40; Pongsaklek Wonjongkam, 30; Vitali Klitschko, 28; Carl Froch, 21; Miguel Cotto, 18; Chris John, 14; Giovani Segura, 11; Victor Ortiz, 8; Tomasz Adamek, 4; Juan Manuel Lopez, 4; Marco Huck, 3; Steve Cunningham, 2; Anselmo Moreno, 1.
Voting panel: Raul Alzaga, Primera Hora; Al Bernstein, Showtime; Ron Borges, Boston Herald; Damian Calhoun, Orange County Register; Dave Cokin, ESPN Radio 1100, Las Vegas; Mike Coppinger, BoxingScene; Gareth A. Davies, London Telegraph; Andrew Eisele, About.com; Corey Erdman, Sirius/XM; Steve Farhood, Showtime; Nick Giongco, Manila Bulletin; Carlos Gonzalez, Primera Hora; Thomas Gerbasi, BoxingScene.com; Randy Gordon, Sirius/XM; Lee Groves, Ring Magazine; Thomas Hauser, Seconds Out; Keith Idec, The Record; Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports; Michael Katz, Gaming Today; Scott Mallon, Boxing Digest; Rich Marotta, Fox Sports; David Mayo, Grand Rapids Press; Franklin McNeil, ESPN.com; Gunnar Meinhardt, Die Welt; Robert Morales, Los Angeles Daily News; Marty Mulcahey, MaxBoxing.com; Kieran Mulvaney, Reuters; Peter O. Nelson, freelance; Santos Perez, Miami Herald; Martin Rogers, Yahoo! Sports; Cliff Rold, BoxingScene.com; Michael Rosenthal, RingTV.com; Lem Satterfield, RingTV.com; Tim Starks, The Queensbury Rules; T.K. Stewart, BoxingScene.com; Dave Weinberg, Press of Atlantic City.
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