Check out my rankings within each division by clicking on the links below. If there is a lineal champion in the weight class he is ranked No. 1.
For a list of the current champions in all weight classes, click here.
Note: Results through July 17. In an effort to provide the most up-to-date rankings, ESPN.com’s division-by-division boxing rankings will be updated every Tuesday.
More divisional rankings
Heavyweight – Cruiserweight – Light heavyweight – Super middleweight
Middleweight – Junior middleweight – Welterweight – Junior welterweight
Lightweight – Junior lightweight – Featherweight – Junior featherweight
Bantamweight – Junior bantamweight – Flyweight – Junior flyweight/Strawweight
SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (UP TO 168 POUNDS)
1. James DeGale (23-1-1)
In his third title defense, England’s DeGale and fellow world titleholder Badou Jack finally met in their much-anticipated unification fight on Jan. 14 in Brooklyn, New York. They put on a tremendous battle in which both men got knocked down — Jack in the first round and DeGale in the 12th — but it a was razor close fight all the way, and the judges’ declared it a majority draw, allowing both to retain their titles. As appealing as a rematch would be it is unlikely because Jack is moving up in weight, leaving DeGale, who has had each of his title fights in North America, looking forward to finally returning home to make a defense but will be out until late 2017 because of shoulder surgery.
Next: TBA
2. Badou Jack (20-1-3)
On Jan. 14, Jack retained his title by slugging it out in a draw with James DeGale in a unification fight. Days later, Jack, as planned even before the bout, vacated his title and will move up to light heavyweight, where there has been chatter that he could challenge titlist Nathan Cleverly (30-3). Jack’s promoter and mentor, Floyd Mayweather, plans to have Jack to appear on the undercard of Mayweather’s Aug. 26 fight with UFC star Conor McGregor.
Next: TBA
3. Gilberto Ramirez (35-0)
Ramirez got his mandatory world title shot against Arthur Abraham in April 2016 on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. III undercard. Ramirez dominated Abraham, winning 120-108 on all three scorecards to become the first Mexican fighter to win a super middleweight world title and only the second to win a world title above middleweight. A torn tendon in the middle finger of his right hand kept him out for the rest of 2016, but he returned April 22 and shut out Ukraine’s Max Bursak in his first defense, a snoozer he won 120-106 on all three scorecards. Promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank intends to next match him with Jesse Hart (22-0) in late September.
Next: TBA
4. Anthony Dirrell (30-1-1)
Since losing his world title to Badou Jack in his first defense in April 2015, Dirrell has only fought three times, most recently a one-sided fourth-round knockout of Norbert Nemesapati in January. He was supposed to face England’s Callum Smith next for the world title vacated by Jack in January, but the deal fell apart. Smith moved on and Dirrell will instead face rising star David Benavidez (18-0).
Next: TBA vs. Benavidez
5. George Groves (26-3)
After losing three world title fights, two by knockout to British countryman Carl Froch, Groves got another opportunity against former titlist Fedor Chudinov, of Russia, for a vacant title on May 27 and finally got over the hump and claimed that elusive belt by stopping Chudinov in the sixth round of an entertaining fight. Even Froch, who was ringside, stood and applauded Groves. Groves’ next move was to enter the eight-man World Boxing Super Series tournament. He was awarded the top seed and will face countryman Jamie Cox (23-0) in the fall quarterfinals.
Next: TBA vs. Cox
6. Andre Dirrell (26-2)
The 2004 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist, who was 0-2 in world title bouts, claimed a vacant interim belt in dubious fashion on May 20 against Jose Uzcategui. It had been a tough and competitive fight but Dirrell was behind on two scorecards and even on the third when he got knocked out at the end of the eighth round with a three-punch combination. However, referee Bill Clancy ruled the final shot came after the bell and disqualified Uzcategui, giving Dirrell the win and putting him in position to face full titleholder James DeGale when he returns from injury. However, because of the controversial DQ call, the sanctioning body has ordered an immediate rematch.
Next: TBA
7. Jose Uzcategui (26-2)
Uzcategui, of Venezuela, was riding a four-fight winning streak when he met Andre Dirrell for a vacant interim belt on May 20 and suffered a controversial loss. Uzcategui was ahead on two of three scorecards and even on the third when he knocked Dirrell out at the bell ending the eighth round. However, referee Bill Clancy ruled the last shot came after the bell and disqualified Uzcategui. At worst the call should have been an accidental foul and the fight should have gone to the scorecards for a technical decision. Uzcategui fought a terrific fight and did not fire the final punch on purpose. He was in mid-combination at the bell. A rematch has been ordered.
Next: TBA
8. Callum Smith (22-0)
England’s Smith was supposed to get a mandatory title shot against the winner of the Jan. 14 title unification bout between Badou Jack and James DeGale, but the fight was ruled a draw and Jack vacated the belt Smith was mandatory for. So Smith was then supposed to face former titlist Anthony Dirrell for the vacant title this fall, but constant issues getting a deal done led Smith to walk away from the fight and instead join the World Boxing Super Series. He was given the No. 2 seed and will face Sweden’s Erik Skoglund (26-0) this fall in the quarterfinals.
Next: TBA vs. Skoglund
9. Chris Eubank Jr. (25-1)
In his second fight since moving up from middleweight, England’s Eubank Jr., son of the former two-division world titleholder, rolled to a one-sided decision victory — 120-108, 118-110, 118-110 — against former middleweight and super middleweight titleholder Arthur Abraham on July 15. With the win, Eubank earned the final slot in the World Boxing Super Series and will face Turkey’s Avni Yildirim (16-0) in the fall quarterfinals.
Next: TBA vs. Yildirim
10. Tyron Zeuge (21-0-1)
Germany’s Zeuge fought to a majority draw with titleholder Giovanni De Carolis in July 2016 but in the rematch in November, Zeuge scored a 12th-round knockout in an action-packed fight to win the belt. In his first defense, on March 25, Zeuge retained the title against Nigeria’s Isaac Ekpo, the mandatory challenger, by fifth-round technical decision after suffering a bad cut on an accidental head butt. A rematch was ordered but Zeuge got an exception to face wildly undeserving England’s Paul Smith, whom he beat easily, 119-108 on all three scorecards, on June 17.
Next: TBA
