May 2021 Ratings – Updates
*A fighter is typically removed from our ratings, if she has been inactive from her weight class for 12 months, and still has no fight scheduled. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, few fights have been taking place, so extra allowances have been given.
Junior Flyweight
Tenkai Tsunami, who outpointed Shione Ogata on April 4th, enters at #3 – replacing Jessica Plata, who is now fighting at flyweight, so exits our top 5.
Featherweight
Mrdjenovich drops to #5, following her WBA title, 7th round TD loss to Erika Hernandez. Erika enters at #2. Heather Hardy exits due to inactivity at 126lbs, and most recently, losing to Jessica Camara in a bout above 135lbs. Meinke and Mahfoud each move up a place.
Lightweight
Volante whose last fight at 130lbs, was a stoppage loss to Katie Taylor over two years ago – Volante’s most recent fight was at junior welterweight. Natasha Jonas enters at #5, following her impressive performance (albeit a close points defeat), against divisional queen, Katie Taylor.
Junior Welterweight
Erica Farias, scheduled to fight Mikaela Mayer on June 19th, at junior lightweight, exits the ratings. Erica’s previous two fights were points losses to McCaskill at 140lbs. Victoria Bustos enters at #5. McGee, Linardatou , and Reis, each move up a place.
Welterweight
Reis exits. Olivia Belkacem, scheduled to face Oshin Derieuw, for the European title at 147lbs on Une 26th, enters at #5. Domini and Muzeya each move up one place.
Junior Middleweight
Hanna Gabriels’ departure to heavyweight, results in Berghult, Miller and Vidal, each moving up a place. Chris Namus enters at #5.
Heavyweight
Hanna Gabriels enters at #3 following her debut at heavyweight, a second round KO of Martha Gaytan, on April 17th.Gabriels has only once weighed above 160lbs, and that was for her first professional bout back in 2007. Coming in, Martha had lost four of her five last fights, the most recent being a first round KO at the hands of 5-0, Shadasia Green. Perplexingly, the WBA and WBC sanctioned Gabriels/Mart ha for their vacant belts (their light heavyweight and heavyweight titles, respectively).
Gabriels enters at #3. Claire Hafner exits – her previous fight being a loss down at super middleweight in February 2020, and not having won a fight at heavyweight for almost 2 years.
Pound-For-Pound:
No changes.
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. Journalist at The Sweet Science. California, USA. @AvilaBoxing
Anthony Cocks: Journalist for Max Boxing, and previous contributions for Boxing Monthly. Australia. @el_pollo_loco
Daniel Yanofsky: Boxing journalist, including articles for FIGHT SPORTS and The Scrap. New York/Florida, USA. @DanYanofskyMMA
Ireneusz Fryszkowski: Boxing Journalist. Poland. @RingBlogpl
Julian Haramoure: Boxing journalist, including articles for Argentina Amateur Deporte and ElRoundFinal.com. Argentina. @JulianFunky
Yuriko Miyata: Boxing journalist, including articles for The Ring and ThePrizeFighters.com. Japan. @Yuriyuri0803
GM Ross: Boxing journalist. Host of Pugilistically Inclined podcast. Canada. @punchingprof
Blanca Gutierrez: Creator of Beautiful Brawlers. 2019 Inductee IWBHF. 2018 Inductee WCBHOF. USA. @bbrawlersboxing
Inaky Arzate: Boxing journalist, including articles for TUDN. Mexico. @inaky_arzate
Adam McMeeking: Member of the International Boxing Research Organisation, and Editor of LinealBoxingChampion.com. United Kingdom. @LinealBoxChamp