Top 10 junior welterweight rankings

From the time I started as the boxing writer at USA Today in early 2000 until leaving ESPN in April 2020, I was responsible for the divisional rankings for each outlet. At USA Today, I updated them once a month until leaving in early 2005. At some point during my time at ESPN they became weekly, but I had not done any divisional rankings until I recently did an updated top 10 heavyweights and a couple of other divisions. Reader reaction was overwhelming, which I appreciate. So, why not keep it going? Here are updated rankings for the junior welterweight division, which crowned an undisputed champion on Saturday.

Remember, divisional rankings are mainly based on what a fighter has done in the weight class in more recent times, though not entirely. They are not, however, based on hypothetical outcomes of fights that have not happened.

Note: Results through May 23, 2021

Junior welterweight (140 pounds)

1. Josh Taylor (18-0)

Last: W (UD12) Jose Ramirez, May 22

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: In an excellent fight, Taylor knocked Ramirez down twice, which was the difference between a draw and a 114-112 victory across the board to make history. Taylor unified his two belts with Ramirez’s two to become a rare four-belt undisputed world champion and the first undisputed champion from Scotland in 50 years, since lightweight Ken Buchanan did it in the two-belt era in 1971. If Taylor elects to keep his belts rather than move up for a possible showdown with Top Rank stablemate and welterweight titlist Terence Crawford — the only other fighter to be a four-belt undisputed champion at 140 pounds — he probably will next make a mandatory defense against Jack Catterall.

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2. Jose Ramirez (26-1)

Last: L (UD12) Josh Taylor, May 22

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: Ramirez gave a great effort and came on very strong over the final few rounds against Taylor in their historic undisputed championship fight but he simply could not overcome having been knocked down in the sixth and seventh rounds, and lost 114-112 on all three scorecards. Other than that it was a highly competitive fight. It would not at all be a surprise to see Ramirez win another world title down the road.

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3. Regis Prograis (26-1)

Last: W (TKO6) Ivan Redkach, April 17

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: Former titlist Prograis’ only defeat came by hard-fought majority decision to Josh Taylor in a title unification fight in the final of the World Boxing Super Series junior welterweight tournament in 2019. Since then, Prograis, a promotional free agent, has won two fights in a row by easy knockout against lesser opponents, a third-round stoppage against Juan Heraldez on a PBC card and a sixth-round drilling of Redkach on a Triller Fight Club pay-per-view show.

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4. Jose Zepeda (34-2)

Last: W (UD10) Hank Lundy, May 22

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: In 2019, Zepeda lost a debatable majority decision challenging then-titlist Jose Ramirez. Since then he is 4-0 with a no contest, including a pair of notable victories: a unanimous decision over former lightweight and junior lightweight titlist Jose Pedraza and fifth-round knockout of former junior welterweight titlist Ivan Baranchyk in an all-time classic, the 2020 fight of the year in which he and Baranchyk combined for eight knockdowns (four apiece). Zepeda returned from that hellacious battle to handily outpoint Lundy on the Josh Taylor-Ramirez undercard.

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5. Viktor Postol (31-3)

Last: L (MD12) Jose Ramirez, Aug. 29

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: Postol is a tough out for anybody. His only losses have come by decisions in a title unification fight with Terence Crawford in 2016, a regional title bout to Josh Taylor in 2018 and as Ramirez’s mandatory challenger last summer. His biggest win was a 10th-round knockout of Lucas Matthysse for a vacant world title in 2015.

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6. Jose Pedraza (28-3)

Last: W (U10) Javier Molina, Sept. 19

Next: June 12 vs. Julian Rodriguez

Rafael’s remark: A former junior lightweight and lightweight titlist, Pedraza is 2-1 since moving up to junior welterweight. He dropped a 10-round decision to Jose Zepeda in 2019 and then scored a pair of very solid lopsided decision wins in 2020 against former world title challenger Mikkel LesPierre and Molina. Next up, he has a crossroads fight with up-and-comer “Hammer Hands” Rodriguez in the co-feature of the Shakur Stevenson-Jeremiah Nakathila fight.

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7. Mario Barrios (26-0)

Last: W (KO6) Ryan Karl, Oct. 31

Next: June 26 vs. Gervonta Davis

Rafael’s remark: The entertaining Barrios has notched good victories in his past three fights, knocking out Juan Jose Velasco in two rounds in 2019, edging Batyr Akhmedov to win a vacant secondary title later that year and then scoring an impressive sixth-round knockout of Ryan Karl in October on the undercard of the Davis-Leo Santa Cruz Showtime PPV. Now, Davis is moving up two weight classes to challenge the big, strong Barrios in a very intriguing Showtime PPV main event.

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8. Ivan Baranchyk (20-2)

Last: L (KO5) Jose Zepeda, Oct. 3

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: Baranchyk hammered Anthony Yigit in a seventh-round knockout victory to claim a vacant world title in 2018 in the World Boxing Super Series but then lost a unanimous decision to Josh Taylor in a unification fight in the WBSS semifinals in 2019. After an easy four-round knockout of Gabriel Bracero later in 2019, Baranchyk etched his name in boxing lore as a participant in the instant classic 2020 fight of the year in which he and Jose Zepeda knocked each other down four times apiece before Zepeda starched him in the fifth round.

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9. Jack Catterall (26-0)

Last: W (UD10) Abderrazak Houya, Nov. 28

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: England’s Catterall has solid domestic wins against Tyrone McKenna and Ohara Davies, both of whom he defeated by decision. He is a mandatory challenger for Josh Taylor and agreed to step aside to allow Taylor to face Jose Ramirez for the undisputed title with the promise that he would get the next shot at the winner. So, unless Taylor, who beat Ramirez, decides to go up in weight, Catterall probably will get the title shot this fall.  

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10. Arnold Barboza Jr. (25-0)

Last: W (UD10) Alex Saucedo, Oct. 17

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: Barboza has been brought along well by Top Rank and scored his first win of note when he knocked out faded former titleholder Mike Alvarado in the third round in 2019 and sent him into apparent retirement. Four more wins have followed since, most recently the best victory of his career, which was a unanimous decision over former world title challenger Saucedo, against whom Barboza survived a seventh-round knockdown.

Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank