Top 10 light heavyweight 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 light heavyweight division, which has had significant recent fights.

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 April 11, 2021

Light heavyweights (175 pounds)

1. Artur Beterbiev (16-0)

Last: W (TKO10) Adam Deines, March 20

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: The Russian knockout artist stopped Oleksandr Gvozdyk and sent him into retirement with a 10th-round knockout to unify two titles in October 2019 but his momentum was stopped in its tracks because of the coronavirus pandemic. It caused several delays in a mandatory bout, changes of site and opponent and Beterbiev having to overcome a rib injury and a bout with Covid-19. Finally, he returned in Moscow, his first pro fight in his home country, and dominated Deines en route to a KO that should set up a further unification bout with Joe Smith Jr. later in the year in the United States.

2. Dmitry Bivol (17-0)

Last: W (UD12) Lenin Castillo, Oct. 12, 2019

Next: May 1 vs. Craig Richards

Rafael’s remark: Bivol is immensely talented even if not the most crowd pleasing. He has quality wins over Joe Smith Jr., Jean Pascal, Isaac Chilemba and Sullivan Barrera but has had a long layoff since a forgettable defense against the unqualified Castillo. He finally returns against Richards, an untested Brit, with a possible showdown against Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in discussions for later in the year.

3. Joe Smith Jr. (27-3)

Last: W (MD12) Maxim Vlasov, April 10

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: Smith doesn’t do anything fancy but he’s relentless, has a good chin and power and a deep well of desire. The man who retired Bernard Hopkins by vicious KO got a title shot against Dmitry Bivol and was outboxed in 2019, but a pair of significant wins followed over Jesse Hart and former titlist Eleider “Storm” Alvarez in 2020 to set him up for a fight with Vlasov for the title vacated by Canelo Alvarez. It was a grueling fight that Smith pulled out by sweeping the 11th and 12th round on all three scorecards. He got the world title he’s always wanted and set himself up for a huge unification fight later in the year against two-belt champion Artur Beterbiev.

4. Jean Pascal (35-6-1)

Last: W (SD12) Badou Jack, Dec. 28, 2019

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: The old warhorse is still going strong. Pascal’s career looked over about five years ago after a pair of knockout losses to Sergey Kovalev and a decision to Eleider Alvarez in a five-fight span, but he has found new life in recent years and again holds a title thanks to back-to-back wins against Badou Jack and Marcus Browne in 2019.

5. Maxim Vlasov (45-4)

Last: L (MD12) Joe Smith Jr., April 10

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: Vlasov has long been a light heavyweight but joined the cruiserweight World Boxing Super Series tournament and got a world title shot against Krzysztof Glowacki in the quarterfinals in October 2018. Vlasov competed but lost a unanimous decision and returned to light heavyweight, where he won three in a row and landed a vacant title shot against Joe Smith Jr., which was postponed a month because the asymptomatic Vlasov tested positive for Covid-19. When they finally met, Vlasov fought the fight of his life in an exciting bout but lost a razor-close majority decision.

6. Marcus Browne (23-1)

Last: L (Tech. Dec. 8) Jean Pascal, Aug. 3, 2019

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: The 2012 U.S. Olympian notched his biggest win in January 2019 when he outworked a badly cut Badou Jack for a unanimous decision to claim a vacant interim title on the Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner undercard. But later in 2019, Browne got knocked down three times on right hands by Jean Pascal and lost an eighth-round technical decision and the belt after getting badly cut over the left eye and being ruled unable to continue.

7. Badou Jack (23-3-3)

Last: W (UD8) Blake McKernan, Nov. 28

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: Jack had a nice run as a super middleweight titlist before moving up in weight where he has won, lost and drawn but always given everyone a serious fight whatever the outcome. He nearly took the lineal crown from Adonis Stevenson in a disputed draw in 2018 and lost competitive decisions to Marcus Browne and Jean Pascal in 2019 title fights. He returned to the win column by shutting out McKernan on the undercard of the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. exhibition.

8. Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (25-2)

Last: L (TKO9) Joe Smith Jr., Aug. 22

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: Alvarez scored big wins over Montreal rivals Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal and then won a world title by knockout of Sergey Kovalev in a tremendous three-fight run. But then he lost the belt to Kovalev in the rematch. He bounced back with a massive KO of dangerous Michael Seals in January 2020 but then suffered his own huge KO loss to Smith in August.

9. Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (41-0)

Last: W (TKO10) Alfonso Lopez, Dec. 18

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: Ramirez made five super middleweight title defenses before moving up to light heavyweight, where he has fought twice but been inactive due to promotional issues and the pandemic. However, he now seems to be back on track having signed with Golden Boy. He is likely to return in June and could challenge Dmitry Bivol for a world title later in the year in a very interesting fight.

10. Joshua Buatsi (13-0)

Last: W (TKO7) Marko Calic, Oct. 4

Next: TBA

Rafael’s remark: England’s Buatsi claimed a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and has developed nicely as a professional even though it would have been nice to see him a bit more active. He won the British title in 2019 but then wound up in a 14-month layoff mainly because of the pandemic.

Beterbiev photo: Patriot Promotions