Top 10 lightweight 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. Now I compile rankings here at my Fight Freaks Unite newsletter. Here are the updated rankings for the lightweight division, which had a key fight between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Rolando “Rolly” Romero on Saturday night with the unification fight between George Kambosos Jr. and Devin Haney for the undisputed championship on tap for this coming Saturday.
Please 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. One item of note: former unified champion Teofimo Lopez is moving up to junior welterweight for his return fight later this year, so I have removed him from the 135-pound list.
Note: Results through May 29, 2022
Lightweight (135 pounds)
1. George Kambosos Jr. (20-0, 10 KOs)
Last: W (SD12) Teofimo Lopez, Nov. 27
Next: June 4 vs. Devin Haney
Rafael’s remark: Kambosos, who earned his stripes as a sparring partner for Manny Pacquiao, doing more than 100 rounds with the legend, gained wider notice with decisions over former lightweight titlist Mickey Bey and former featherweight titlist Lee Selby before taking the world by storm last fall with his tremendous performance in a decision win over Teofimo Lopez to take his unified world title in a huge upset and 2021 fight of the year contender. Now, Kambosos has a chance to fully unify the division and become the first undisputed lightweight champion of the four-belt era when he meets WBC titlist Devin Haney on home soil in Australia.