The Baddest Woman on the Planet! Ranking the Top 15 Women Above 154lb

The person at the top of the heavyweight mountain is generally regarded to be the No.1 man in boxing, or as Mike Tyson put it, “The Baddest Man on the Planet!” Sugar Ray Robinson is often regarded as P4P the best fighter the sport has ever had, but against the heavyweight kings such as Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali, size rules, and the he would have had little chance.

In women’s boxing, the landscape is different. The sanctioning bodies have scrambled to replicate a similar number of weight classes and belts to match the men’s side of the sport, but in truth, this isn’t necessary. It may make financial sense to churn out as many champions as possible, but this has segregated the talent, devaluing what should be viewed as the greatest title in women’s boxing: The World Heavyweight Championship. The biggest and best fighters among the heaviest female boxers over the last 20 year have all been able to fight below 168lb. Laila Ali fought as low as 160lb, Ann Wolfe as low as 151lb. More recently, Hanna Gabriels (a former welterweight titlist) jumped straight from 150lb to win the WBC Heavyweight Title, and in July 2024, Claressa Shields, who cleared up all the belts at 154lb, moved up to heavyweight and trounced the WBC Heavyweight Titlist.

Like with the men, to a certain degree size matters, but there are no 6’6”, 250lb juggernauts in these waters. The best woman above welterweight is generally always regarded to be the No.1 woman on the planet. In the list below, we count down the world’s best women above 147lb.

15.Oshae Jones

14.Mapule Ngubane

13.Danielle Perkins

12.Vanessa LePage-Jeanisse

11.Raquel Miller

10.Hannah Rankin

9.Maricela Cornejo

8.Lani Daniels

7.Cecilia Braekhus

6.Shadasia Green

5.Mary Spencer

4.Ema Kozin

3.Femke Hermans

2.Franchon Crews-Dezurn

1.Savannah Marshall

Champion: Claressa Shields

*Claressa Shields (No.1) defeated Christina Hammer (No.2) on April 13, 2019. This fight was also for the vacant Lineal Middleweight Championship.

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Thanks to contributions from ratings panel members: David Avila, Adam McMeeking, Julian Haramoure, Yuriko Miyata, Blanca Gutierrez.

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Women’s Monthly Ratings: July 31, 2024

Ratings: July 31, 2024.

July Updates

Heavyweight

Claressa Shields made her debut at heavyweight, thrashing #3-ranked, Vanessa LePage-Joanisse, stopping her 69 seconds of the second round. Shields is now #1, with Daniels, Miller and Meleisea all moving down one place, and Razel Mohammed exiting the ratings. A fight between Shields and Lani Daniels (#2) would crown a Lineal Champion.

Che Kenneally replaces Alrie Meleisea at #5, after stopping Angie Rocha at the end of round round three on July 20.

Super Middleweight

Sonya Dreiling, who has lost two consecutive fights at junior middleweight, exits the ratings. Curry and Watpool each move up one place. Mary Casamassa, 5-0, enters at #5.

Junior middleweight

Terri Harper exits, as she is now focusing on lighter weight classes, leaving Hermans, Braekhus, Kozin and Spencer to each move up one place. Oshae Jones enters at #5.

Junior Welterweight

Amanda Serrano annihilated Stevie Morgan, stopping her in round two, in what was essentially a junior welterweight tune-up for the featherweight queen, who has a rematch with Katie Taylor on November 15. Taylor/Serrano II had originally meant to take place on July 20, as the chief supporting fight to Mike Tyson/Jake Paul, but an illness to Mike Tyson (the headline fight Tyson/Paul), caused a four/month delay to the event.

Serrano enters at #2, with Zamora, Derieuw and Worthington each dropping one place. Marie Houle exits the ratings.

Featherweight

Skye Nicholson’s comfortable unanimous decision over #1-ranked, Sarah Mahfoud, followed up with a white wash of Dyana Vargas on July 13, puts the Australian at the top of the ratings. Chapman moves ahead of Ramos, after unanimously outpointing Yahana Sarabia on July 27. Mahfoud and Meinke drop one place and Daniela Bermudez exits.

Ratings Panel

David Avila: 2019 Inductee IWBHF. Journalist at The Sweet Science. California, USA. @AvilaBoxing

Daniel Yanofsky: Boxing journalist for The Sporting News. New York, USA. @DanYanofsky

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. @CanadianBoxiana

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

Benjamin Thomas Watt: BoxRec editor and boxing judge. New Zealand. @Bennyaha

Adam McMeeking: Member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and Editor of LinealBoxingChampion.com. United Kingdom. @TripleJabBoxing


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