by Matt McGrain: Another busy month for boxing has seen fewer changes to the Trans Boxing Rankings than November but drama abounded at the top of more than one division, not least lightweight where a new #1 contender was installed. Adrien Broner isn’t to everyone’s taste as a man, but as a fighter he was deemed deserving of the #1 spot after his one-sided domination of former #1 Antonio DeMarco on the 17th of last month.
DeMarco slips to fourth and everyone below him drops a spot with Mercito Gesta’s tenancy of the #10 spot limited to just a month as he makes way for Broner’s sensational entry at #1. With Ricky Burns sticking at #2 the mooted meeting between these two would crown a new Champion at the weight.
Also vacating a #10 spot is Diego Magdaleno at Junior Lightweight, pushed out by a resurgent Yuriorkis Gamboa who is introduced at #7 after his win over Michael Farenas. The other mover below lightweight is Juan Francisco Estrada who debuts at #10 based upon his worthy effort versus Roman Gonzalez.
Above lightweight, the big news was at welterweight and junior –middleweight. At 147lbs. Robert Guerrero overhauls Zaveck, Ortiz and Lopez to gatecrash the top 5 whilst Juan Manuel Marquez batters his way into the #2 spot just as he battered perennial rival Manny Pacquiao to the canvas this past Saturday night. He also replaces Pacquiao as the only fighter that can crown a genuine welterweight Champion in a contest with Floyd Mayweather, although there may be no appetite for that rematch based upon the one-sided drubbing Floyd handed Juan Manuel in their original meeting. Pacquiao drops to #3.
At 154lbs, the unheralded Austin Trout usurps defeated foe Miguel Cotto at #2 setting up another possible title fight and an intriguing one at that. Mayweather is the keymaster at each of these divisions and could legitimately annex both titles this year should he find the time to match Marquez and Trout at their respective weights – though one or the other would be more than welcome. The storied Miguel Cotto drops to #5.
At middleweight Martin Murray (TKO6 Jorge Navarro) nips in ahead of Dmitry Pirog, but these two have almost nothing between them and will likely continue to leapfrog one-another for as long as they continue to win – or settle matters in the ring.
A quieter month at the higher weight has seen no movers.
You can see the TRB rankings at the home page, http://www.tbrb.org or view the official boxing rankings of ESB on this website.
The Transnational Boxing Rankings is an organisation for non-profit, internationally represented in the truest sense and strives to recognise and is willing to confront those in boxing abusing the sport and confusing the public. These rankings are created with only the boxing fan in mind and we welcome your support.