March 2020 Ratings - Updates
Junior Featherweight:Mayerlin Rivas enters at #3 after an impressive unanimous decision over Laura Ledezma. Mercado, Thorslund and Zarika each move down one place, and Segolene Lefebvre exits.
Super Middleweight: The investigation into Alejandra Jimenez’ positive PED test for her recent fight with Franchon Crews Dezurn is still ongoing – no official verdict has yet been reached. If found guilty, the contest may be declared a “No Contest,” in which case the Lineal Championship in this weight class will be become “Vacant.”
Heavyweight: Lorissa Rivas exits due to inactivity. Laura Ramsey enters at #5. Claire Hafner drops to #2 after losing her last fight, allowing Annie Mazerolle to move to #1. Alrie Meleisea and Nadia Meknouzi both move up a place.
*Light Heavyweight? In the last two months BoxRec have begun rating fighters at 175lbs, presumably, in part, to align with the WBO who have Geovana Peres as their belt holder. Here at Lineal Boxing Champion we do not recognise Light Heavyweight in women’s boxing. Why? Because it is unnecessary. Consider this: Since BoxRec moved Geovana Peres and Claire Hafner to their new 175lbs ratings, the site now has Laura Ramsey, Gwendolyn Bell, and Carlette Ewell as its top 3 Heavyweights (as of March 17th, 2020). These three women have a combined age of 148 years, and a combined weight of over 720lbs. 5’5” Ramsey’s only win in the last four years was her KO of 50-year-old Bell, and Bell had not fought for almost for years herself. “Light Heavyweight” Geovana Peres would be favoured to beat all three. Super Middleweight, Savannah Marshall – who is due to fight Peres in April - is taller (5 inches taller than Peres), arguably bigger framed and likely a heavier puncher than all of these women. Ramsey was 256lbs for her last fight, but has fought as low as 158lbs as a professional, where as Peres has never been lower than 171lbs. The total number of active female boxers in the world above 168lbs is a mere 25 – diluting this further (15 at Heavyweight and 10 at Light Heavyweight), sucks the competition out of the weight class. A primary purpose of having different weight classes is to separate heavier fighters from having large physical advantages over lighter fighters. In women’s boxing at present, the top Middleweights and Super Middleweights would be favoured to beat the best females over 175lbs.
Pound-For-Pound:Our overall Pound-for-Pound top 10 is worked out by allocating points to each panellist’s top 10, and totalling the figures – so, 10 points for each panellist’s #1, 9 points for #2...1 point for #10.
Ratings Panel
David Avila: 2019 Inductee IWBHF. Experienced journalist at The Sweet Science. California, USA. @AvilaBoxing
Suzy Smith: Women’s boxing historian. United Kingdom. @SuzyQSmith360
Daniel Yanofsky: Women’s boxing journalist. New York, USA. @DanYanofsky
Ireneusz Fryszkowski: Women’s Boxing Journalist. Poland. @RingBlogpl
Julian Haramoure: Women’s Boxing Journalist. Argentina. @JulianFunky
Yuriko Miyata: Women’s Boxing Journalist. Japan. @Yuriyuri0803
GM Ross: Women’s Boxing Journalist. Canada. @CanadianBoxiana
Adam McMeeking: Editor of LinealBoxingChampion.com. United Kingdom. @LinealBoxChamp
(Rankings posted on LinealBoxingChampion.com on March 17th 2020)