Women’s Monthly Boxing Ratings

December 6, 2024

**Serrano Vs Cruz:** Amanda Serrano and Erika Cruz - the best two featherweights in the world - go to war, for supremacy at 126lb. February 4, 2023.

Boxing is filled with a confusing array of “world title” belt holders, in which vacant titles are often decided via mediocre match-ups. When there are multiple world titlists in every division, it makes it difficult for fans to know who the best fighters are. BoxRec provides a useful reference point, but its ratings use a computer-based algorithm, so are therefore open to oddities.

Our authoritative, monthly, divisional rankings (the first long-standing, independent, non-computerized monthly rankings in women’s boxing, which began on April 6th, 2019), compiled by knowledgeable analysts, aim to provide a degree of much needed clarity. We use our ratings to identify who the top contenders in a weight class are, and as is tradition in prize fighting history, a box-off between these contenders crowns a new Lineal World Champion. Champions will only lose their Championship if they are defeated in the ring, retire or move weight divisions. In contrast to the various sanctioning bodies, our Lineal Champions will not be “stripped,” and there will only ever be one Lineal World Champion per weight division.

Divisional Ratings

Lineal Lightweight and Junior Welterweight World Champion, **Katie Taylor**

Pound-Pound Top 10

The Baddest Woman on the Planet

The best women from 154lb - heavyweight (2024)

Champion: Claressa Shields (2019 - Present).

UPDATES

Boxers are ranked according to ability and accomplishments in their respective weight classes. Fighters may be removed if they have been inactive for over 18 months and still have no fights scheduled.

Lineal Boxing Champion’s long-standing, independent, non-computerised, monthly divisional ratings, began on April 6th, 2019 – at this time, no such ratings existed in women’s professional boxing.

The international panel that produces the ratings, consists of ten boxing analysts, from nine different countries.

Ratings Update: November - December 6th

Junior Middleweight

Oshae Jones was awarded a split decision victory over Femke Hermans on November 22, winning her the IBF strap and moving her to #1 in the 154lb ratings. Hermans, Braekhus, Kozin and Spencer each drop one place.

Junior Welterweight

Serrano remains featherweight champ, but rises to #1 in the junior welterweight ratings (switching places with Chantelle Cameron, who drops to #3) after a razor close points loss to Katie Taylor, in what is a strong favourite to be declared the best fight of 2024.

Junior bantamweight

Carla Merino outpointed Micaela Lujan in April this year, then followed it up with two more wins over lower calibre opposition - in a weight class in which no dominant force has yet emerged, this is enough to push her to the top of the 115lb division ratings. Lourdes Juarez exits as she has been focusing on the flyweight and junior flyweight divisions this year. Fernandez and Hiruta each move up one place, and Lujan drops to #5.

Junior Flyweight

The queen of the division, Jessica Nery Plata, has announced she is pregnant so is taking time out from boxing. For now, Plata remains the Lineal Champion, but if the division’s top two contenders clash during Plata’s absence, her championship status will be reevaluated.

Atomweight

Tina Rupprecht unanimously outpointed Eri Matsuda on November 23 to become The Woman that beat The Woman at 102lb, taking the Lineal crown. Matsuda falls to #1, and Kuroki is pushed to #2.

Pound-for-Pound

A shake-up of the P4P top ten.

Seniesa Estrada (#5) and Jessica Nery Plata (#9), exit due to retirement and pregnancy respectively. Serrano rises to #3 after her sensational rematch with Katie Taylor. Cameron drops to #4. Baumgardner moves up to #5. Fundora’s terrific stoppage of Alaniz to take the lineal crown, along with last year’s TKO of the experienced Mucino, show she is the real deal - she is now ranked #6 on the P4P list. Yokasta Valle - who gave P4P star Seniesa Estrada a difficult battle in March this year, and has victories over Evelin Bermudez, Thi Nguyen and Anabel Ortiz - enters at #9. Natasha Jonas’ impressive 6-fight unbeaten streak has included wins over Berghult, Dicaire, Wyatt and Mayer, with Habazin up next - recent fights may have resulted in Mayer and Ryan being higher at 147lb than the Brit, but Jonas deserves her spot on the P4P ratings at #10.

Women’s Championship Policy

Women’s Championship Policy 2021

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