Women's Monthly Rankings: October 17th, 2021

October 2021 Ratings – Updates

* The Lineal Boxing Champion monthly ratings are produced by an international panel of 10 boxing analysts. Boxers are ranked according to ability and accomplishments in their respective weight classes. When our ratings began in April 2019 (the first non-computerised monthly rankings to have ever been produced in women’s boxing), fighters who had been inactive for 12 months, with still no fights scheduled, were removed from the ratings. As the 2020-21 pandemic severely interfered with the boxing schedule for approximately one year, it seems only fair to lengthen our inactivity rule to 24 months. By the middle of 2022, the inactivity rule will once again return to 12 months.

Bantamweight

America’s Jamie Mitchell replaces Shannon Courtenay at #5 after deafting the Briton by majority decision on October 9th, 2021, to win the WBA title.

Junior Welterweight
Chantelle Cameron has looked ultra-dominant in her last three fights, easily outpointing Anahi Sanchez in 2019, Adriana Araujo in 2020 (for the vacant WBC title), and in her last bout, knocking out 41-year-old Melissa Hernandez in round 5. The division is not the deepest, but she has demonstrated the talent to be #1 in our ratings at 140lbs. 

Cameron (WBC titlist) is scheduled to fight Mary McGee (IBF titlist) on October 30th, and Kali Reis (WBA titlist) is scheduled to fight Jessica Camara on November 19th (also for the vacant WBO belt). The winners are on a collision course to clash for all the belts. All this sounds like a neatly designed elimination series to crown the true champion of the division, but as is usually the case, crowning the true champion of a division is not dependent on the sanctioning bodies.

Reis and Camara are going head-to-head for the vacant WBO belt, but what did Camara do to earn the right to challenge for a vacant world title? Her last fight was a close points win over career featherweight Heather Hardy (who hadn’t fought for two years) at 135lbs, and in her fight prior to that she lost to Melissa St. Vil at lightweight. Camara’s last victory against a junior welterweight was two years ago against 6-2-1, Beatriz Aguilar.

Kali Reis is an experienced veteran who has mixed it with the best, but of her 26 professional fights, only two (her last two) have been at junior welterweight. Reis won her vacant WBA belt in a points victory over 10-1, Kandi Wyatt (#5 in our ratings) in November 2020. Wyatt is a solid fighter, although she had been KO’d by Christiana Lindartatou the year before and most recently, lost her last fight to Alma Ibarra in August 2021. Reis’ first defence of the belt came in August this year when she narrowly outpointed 42 year-old Diana Prazak via majority decision. 

Mary McGee’s last three fights have been victories at 140lbs, and she hasn’t lost a fight for 8 years.  In 2019 McGee won the vacant IBF belt with a TKO of Ana Esteche, and then defended last year with a TKO of Deanha Hobbs. Reis may go on to prove people wrong, but right now, based on recent performances, we have McGee ranked at #2, above Reis (as do The Ring).

Traditionally, lineal vacancies are filled via “#1 Vs #2” match-ups or occasionally, if it is seen as worthy, a “#1 Vs #3” match-up.

Even so, some members of our Ratings Panel were still in favour of the junior welterweight finale crowing the champion, and not the Cameron/McGee fight. David Avila stated: “The finals, not before. Got to let it play out.” Julian Haramboure agreed, saying he too, would “wait for the tournament to end.”

Ultimately though, the consensus among our panel was with the Cameron/McGee clash.

Canadian Ratings Panelist, Mac Ross, felt strongly about Cameron/McGee filling the lineal vacancy, saying that is was important to “stick with the rankings,” or “people will cry foul.”

Australia’s Anthony Cocks, concurred: “I think it (the vacant Lineal Championship) simply has to go to the winner of our #1 Vs #2, Cameron Vs McGee. Reis (who I thought was quite lucky against the aging and inactive Prazak), will get her chance if she makes it through to the final of the tourney.”

As already stated, Cameron is the clear #1 in the weight class in our ratings, and Mary McGee is firmly in the #2 spot, above Reis (and in The Ring’s). Camara is not in the top 5 of our divisional ratings.

The Lineal Championship has been vacant since former champion, Jessica McCaskill left the weight class. CameronVs McGee is a deserving fight to fill the vacancy and crown the true queen at 140lbs.

Super Middleweight

Savannah Marshall (#4 last month), exits after another victory at middleweight – Marshall appears fully focused on the 160lbs weight class, with a clash with Claressa Shields now also on the horizon in 2022. Espinosa hangs in the rankings at #5, her last fight being her close points loss to Elin Cederroos in January 2020. Hard punching but untested, Shadasia Green, enters at #4, her last three wins coming via first round KO at 168lbs.

Pound-For-Pound:

No changes.

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

2021: The Three Queens of The Ring

2021: The Three Queens of the Ring. Claressa Shields, Katie Taylor, and Jessica McCaskill [Poster Credit: DLG Image Creations @Danny17Garcia]

By Adam McMeeking.

In our 2020 write up, 12 months ago, there were true divisional champions in four divisions: At lightweight (Katie Taylor), junior welterweight (Jessica McCaskill), middleweight (Claressa Shields), and heavyweight (Geovana Peres). Since then, New Zealand’s Peres, has retired, and McCaskill has moved up to the 147lbs weight class, creating vacancies in those divisions. On the upside, McCaskill’s triumph over Cecilia Braekhus in their rematch earlier this year made her the inaugural Lineal Welterweight Champion, and Claressa Shields became the first ever two-weight Lineal Champion by out pointing Marie-Eve Dicaire at junior middleweight. Now, once again, there are four weight classes which have true divisional rulers.

Franchon Crews-Dezurn Vs Elin Cederroos recently got cancelled (for the second time), meaning the 168lbs championship remains vacant, but there are are big waves happening in other weight classes. Chantelle Cameron Vs Mary McGee on October 30th, is a “1 Vs #2” match-up at 140lbs, and there is also a strong chance Amanda Serrano Vs Erika Cruz will happen in the near future - a clash between the top two women at featherweight, in our book. 

Things are also heating up at 130lbs, where Mikaela Mayer is tentatively scheduled to take on Maiva Hamadouche in November. At present, Terri Harper is #2 in LBC’s rankings, and she is rumoured to be fighting this November against long reigning titlist, Hyun Choi. With wins over Vivian Obenauf, Eva Wahlstrom, a draw against Natasha Jonas, and a recent KO of Katarina Thanderz, an argument could be made that Terri Harper is in fact the #1 fighter at junior lightweight. After the Thanderz KO, The Ring Magazine elevated her to the top of their rankings (although now, she is #2).

Speaking in August, as per Sky Sports, Mikaela Mayer’s respect for Harper was evident: 

“I do think it will be me and Harper going into the final fight to become undisputed.” 

The competitive nature of this division means that a clash between the winners of Hamadouche/Mayer and Harper/Choi is the only way to settle who the real champion is.

Right now, however, as of September 22nd, 2021, here are THE reigning world champions:

Katie Taylor: Lightweight World Champion

Championship winning fight: Taylor/Persoon 1

A hotly disputed victory over Delfine Persoon on June 1st, 2019, at Madison Square Garden, is what crowned Ireland’s Katie Taylor as the inaugural Lineal Lightweight World Champion. 

Controversy aside, it was 2019’s Fight Of The Year.

What has she has done since?

After defeating Persoon, Taylor stepped up to 140lbs to win the WBO belt from Christina Linardatou. In 2020, she successfully defended her lightweight championship over 10 rounds in a rematch with Persoon, and then looked untouchable, flooring, and outpointing Miriam Gutierrez. In May and September this year, Taylor chalked up another two defences of her crown: An entertaining 10 rounder with Natasha Jonas, followed by a one sided shut-out against Jennifer Han.

What’s next?

The biggest fights out there for Taylor remain the same as they did a year ago: The P4P elite, Amanda Serrano and Jessica McCaskill. Serrano is the unified featherweight titlist, but is prepared to step up to lightweight for what would be a bonafide super fight with the Irish-woman. McCaskill is the Lineal Champion at 147lbs and has all the belts there too. Taylor defeated McCaskill years ago when McCaskill was still green, however, “Caskilla” has improved considerably since then. The closing chapter of Taylor’s professional career looks set to be spectacular.

Jessica McCaskill: Welterweight World Champion

Championship winning fight: McCaskill/Braekhus 2

Heading into their 2020 fight McCaskill was having her first bout at 147lbs, so was unranked at welterweight, against the division’s #1, Cecilia Braekhus. The rematch, however, was universally regarded as a clash between the top two at 147lbs, which is why it filled the lineal vacancy. Perhaps the official scorecards were a little wide,  but McCaskill’s high energy, aggressive style, clinched a definite victory for the American.

What has she has done since? 

McCaskill briefly reigned as a two-weight lineal champion, having also won the junior welterweight crown (2019), but days after the lineal championship winning rematch over Braekhus, Team McCaskill informed LinealBoxingChampion.com that Jessica would be staying at 147lbs, and was subsequently vacating her championship at 140lbs. 

What’s next?

On September 18, Mark Taffet sent this Tweet to Rick Ramos:

“Maybe after we fight Savannah Marshall we do a Battle Of The Undisputeds at 153.5lbs? Claressa Shields Vs Jessica McCaskill??”

Taffet then sent Ramos his telephone number, opening up communications for a potential McCaskill/Shields bout later down the line. While this is a possibility, it appears the fight that Ramos and McCaskill (who traveled to the UK to be ringside for Taylor’s defence against Jennifer Han) are targeting, is the rematch with Taylor.

Claressa Shields: Middleweight and Junior Middleweight World Champion

Championship winning fight (middleweight): Shields/Hammer

Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (rated #1 at 160lbs by LBC) made light work of her leading rival at middleweight, #2 rated Christina Hammer, to win the vacant Lineal Championship, on April 13th, 2019.

Championship winning fight (junior middleweight): Shields/Dicaire

Undefeated Marie-Eve Dicaire was unbeaten in 17 fights, and had held the IBF strap since 2018, beating solid fighters such as Chris Namus, Mikaela Lauren, and Maria Lindberg along the way. Shields never seriously hurt the Canadian but outscored her emphatically (100/90 x3) to become undisputed champion, and in our estimation, the first two-weight Lineal Champion in the history of women’s boxing.

What has she done since?

In 2020 Shields dropped down to 154lbs to trounce Ivana Habazin (for two vacant belts), then won all 10 rounds against #1 ranked Dicaire for junior middleweight supremacy.

What’s next?

Claressa has recently joined forces with British promotional company, Boxxer, a move which was hot on the heels of nemesis, Savannah Marshall. A Shields-Marshall mega-fight, which would likely be at 160lbs, seems imminent. Marshall has the WBO strap, but Shields is the Lineal Champion of the division, and as championship tradition goes, to be The Woman, you have to beat The Woman.

@LinealBoxChamp