Inoue/Rodriguez
On May 18th, Japan’s Bantamweight, knockout sensation, Naoya Inoue, fights Emmanuel Rodriguez in Glasgow, Scotland.
This fight is for the vacant Ring belt.
It is not, however, for the vacant Bantamweight Lineal Championship.
Photo Credit: @naoyainoue_410
When there is a divisional vacancy, boxing’s traditional World Championship (aka The Lineal Championship), is typically contested via a box-off between the #1 and #2 contenders in a division, or in rare circumstances, a fight between the #1 and #3. Impartial independent opinions/ratings are generally used. Not ratings produced by sanctioning bodies. Famously, in 1906, former Heavyweight Champion, Jim Jeffries, selected the top two contenders who would battle for his vacant crown. By 1930 The Ring had gained prominence, and after the retirement of Gene Tunney, its ratings were referred to when selecting Jack Sharkey and Max Schmeling as the leading two Heavyweights to fight each other for the vacant title. Throughout much of the 20th century, The Ring’s ratings were the leading reference point for those wanting to identify who the top contenders were.
In 2019 there are now many impartial, respected, independent ratings, which are up-to-date, and easily accessible. In order to limit bias when identifying who the top divisional contenders are, LinealBoxingChampion.com does not just refer to one set of rankings – we refer to five trusted sites (Boxing News, Boxing Monthly, TBRB, The Ring, ESPN).
As of May 17th, the Bantamweight ratings stand as follows:
Naoya Inoue: #1 (BM), #1 (Ring), #1 (TBRB), #1 (BN), #2 (ESPN)
Luis Nery: #2 (BM), #4 (Ring), #2 (TBRB), #8 (BN), #1 (ESPN)
Nonito Donaire: #3 (BM), #5 (Ring), #4 (TBRB), #2 (BN), #3 (ESPN)
Zolani Tete: #4 (BM), #2 (Ring), #3 (TBRB), #4 (BN), #4 (ESPN)
Emmanuel Rodriguez: #5 (BM), #3 (Ring), #6 (TBRB), #5 (BN), #6 (ESPN)
When assessing the ratings, Naoya Inoue is the clear choice to be ranked at No.1. With a #1 rating with ESPN, #2 with BM and #2 with the TBRB, Luis Nery is an obvious choice for No.2. Nonito Donaire is ranked in the top 3 by BM, BN and ESPN, so is a good candidate for No.3. Zolani Tete, is rated in the top 3 by both TBRB and Ring, so comes next, at No.4. Emmanuel Rodriguez is rated in the top 3, only by Ring Magazine, with the other four sites having him at #5 or lower – he is No.5
It can be seen that the general consensus is that Inoue/Rodriguez is not a #1 Vs #2 match-up. It is not #1 Vs #3 either. As of May 17th, 2019, Rodriguez may be considered the 5th best Bantamweight in the world.
#1 Vs #5 does not crown a new Lineal Champion.