London 2012: Top Ten Pound-For-Pound Boxers For the Olympic Games
by Bad Left Hook on Jan 28, 2012 2:08 PM EST
in Amateur Boxing
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Matt Mosley returns to Bad Left Hook today for a look forward to the coming Olympic games in London, and ranks the ten best fighters in the amateur game today.
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We had a look at some of the best amateur boxers and a few promising prospects in the three part series I did late last year.
As a follow on from that, here I have attempted to rank who i see as the 10 best amateurs in the world, regardless of weight.
I have based these P4P rankings on both accomplishments in major tournaments and on who I think are the most talented fighters.
I have also listed the 10 best in each weight class, according to the AIBA's latest rankings.
UK magazine Boxing News covers amateur boxing extensively and I have included their unofficial rankings, which they released this week, in the P4P list.
1/ Vasyl Lomachenko (Ukraine) 23 years old, Lightweight - 60kgs/132lbs
How could it be anyone else? He has won the gold medal in all but one of the five major tournaments he has competed in, including the 2008 Olympics, the 2011 and 2009 World Championships, and the 2008 European Championships. In the 2007 Worlds he could only manage the silver.
The best amateur boxer that i've seen in recent years and one of the most sucessful ever, especially if he gets in the medals at London 2012. His inevitable arrival in the pros is something that should be looked forward to with excitement.
Ranked No. 3 at Lightweight by the AIBA, No. 1 by Boxing News.
Lomachenko Highlights:
2/ Zou Shiming (China) 30, Light-Flyweight - 49kgs/108lbs
This veteran of amateur boxing has won three of the last four World championships (2011, 2007, 2005) and claimed the silver in 2003. Add to that his gold at the last Olympics, his bronze in 2004, and his domination of the Asian Games and he could easily make a case for being No. 1 on this list. He's getting on in age a bit now though, especially for a minimum weight fighter, and could be ready to pass the torch on at this years Olympics. If he did manage to win another gold, or even get on the medal podium, he will surely go down as one the most dominant amateurs of all time. I am certain he is already one of the best ever in his weight class.
Ranked No. 3 at Light-Flyweight by the AIBA, No. 1 by Boxing News.
Shiming vs Santos Vasquez (USA):
3/ Misha Aloian (Russia) 23, Flyweight - 52kgs/115lbs
The current World champion and No. 1 ranked fighter at Flyweight. He will be the man to beat at London 2012 and fellow Flyweights Rau'shee Warren and Andrew Selby will be aiming to knock him off the top spot.
Easier said than done though. He's a very good fighter and still young and improving.
Ranked No. 1 at Flyweight by the AIBA, No. 1 by Boxing News.
Aloian vs Rau'shee Warren (USA):
4/ Domenico Valentino (Italy) 27, Lightweight - 60kgs/132lbs
Italy have produced some top amateurs over the years, and this guy is one of them. If only Lomachenko hadn't arrived in Valentino's era he would likely have even more titles to add to his gold, silver and 2 bronze at the last four World Championships. As it is he will just have to be content with being one of Italy's best ever, and he gets a another shot at Lomachenko in London, his old foe who beat him by 17-12 in last years Worlds semi-finals.
Ranked No. 2 at Lightweight by the AIBA, No. 4 by Boxing News.
Valentino vs. Frankie Gavin (England) (TURN YOUR SPEAKERS DOWN):
5/ Serik Sapiev (Kazakhstan) 28, Welterweight - 69kgs/152lbs
This guy is a proven amateur veteran, a two time World Champion (2005, 2007) who won the silver at last years Worlds, when losing in the final to the Ukrainian, Taras Shelestyuk (16-10), and the bronze in 2009. He has yet to get on the Olympic podium but with his pedigree and the fact that this year could be his last chance for Olympic glory, I'm sure he will be among the top 2 or 3 favourites for gold in his weight division.
Ranked No. 7 at Welterweight by the AIBA, No. 2 by Boxing News.
Sapiev vs. Taras Shelestyuk (Ukraine):
6/ Andrew Selby (Wales) 23, Flyweight - 52kgs/115lbs
After watching Selby lose by one point (13-12) to Misha Aloian in the World's last year, I then watched him beat highly rated Englishman Khalid Yafai in the British ABA's/Olympic box-offs to see who would get the place for team GB in London. In a proposed best-of-three series Selby won the first fight quite handily, knocking Yafai down in the process, and when Yafai failed to make weight for the second fight, Selby won the series 2-0. This guy is a real talent and, as far as skills go, he's the best that Great Britain has to offer at this years Olympics, in my opinion. There is little to split Selby, Aloian and Rau'shee Warren as the best amateur Flyweights in the world.
Ranked No. 2 at Flyweight by the AIBA, No. 3 by Boxing News.
Selby vs Khalid Yafai (England) - British ABA's
7/ Lorenzo Alvarez (Cuba) 21, Bantamweight - 56kgs/123lbs
There has to be at least one Cuban in this top 10 list and Alvarez is the one I choose. Although, at the moment, their are several Cubans pretty much on a par with each other, Alvarez is the current World Champion and at or close to the top of the divisional rankings. His biggest threat in the Olympics could well come from England's Luke Campbell, who Alvarez beat 14-10 in the Worlds final. I'm sure the Cuban will be favourite with the bookies for the gold medal in London though.
Ranked No. 2 at Bantamweight by the AIBA, No. 1 by Boxing News.
Alvarez vs. Luke Campbell (England):
8/ Roberto Cammarelle (Italy) 31, Super-Heavyweight - +91kgs/over 200lbs
This solid, hard hitting Italian veteran may not have been as dominant of late in major championships (he went out on points - 15-13 - to England's Anthony Joshua in the World's quarter-finals) but he makes it on to this list due to his long list of past achievements. Gold at the last Olympics, bronze in 2004, gold at the Worlds in 2007 and 2009, bronze in 2004, and three silvers at numerous European Championships.
He's been there and done it all and this year's Olympics will very likely be his last. He may well go out with a bang.
Ranked No. 3 at Super-Heavyweight by the AIBA, No. 5 by Boxing News.
Cammarelle vs. David Price (England) - 2008 Olympic final:
9/ Rau'shee Warren (USA) 24, Flyweight - 52kgs/115lbs
Warren makes it here for two reasons:
1. He is just about to turn 25, yet has already placed in the medals in three of the last for World Championships, winning the gold in Chicago in 2007.
2. He boxes in one of, if not the best and most competitive divisions in the sport (along with the Lightweight and Light-Welterweight divisions), and consistently ranks highly. At last years World's he narrowly lost out in the semi finals (17-13) to Misha Aloian, who would go on to win the gold. Warren managed to attain the bronze for his efforts, but he will certainly be aiming for better in London, before he inevitably turns pro.
A fast, talented fighter and currently the USA's finest.
Ranked No. 12 at Flyweight by the AIBA, No. 2 by Boxing News.
Warren vs. Kalid Yafai (England):
10/ Denis Berinchyk (Ukraine) 23, Light-Welterweight - 64kgs/141lbs
A tough, hard nosed Ukrainian who you can tell just loves to fight. He's a pressure fighter and usually looks to get on the inside to land short hooks and uppercuts to the head and punishing body shots. He lost in the 2011 World's final to Everton Lopes of Brazil (in a fight I thought he just did enough to win), 26-23, in a foul filled contest which was none the less still very entertaining. Though relatively inexperienced compared to most of the others on this list, he makes it here both because of his style (he is impressive to watch) and because I think the he has a very bright future,whether in the amateurs or pros. I really hope he turns pro soon because I feel his style is much more suited to the paid ranks.
Ranked No. 7 at Light-Welterweight by the AIBA, No. 1 by Boxing News.
Berinchyk vs. Everton dos Santos Lopes (Brazil):
Honourable mention: Magomedrasul Medzhidov (Azerbaijan, Super-Heavyweight), Yasniel Toledo Lopez (Cuba, Lightweight), Anthony Joshua (England, Super-Heavyweight), Everton dos Santos Lopes (Brazil, Light-Welterweight), Albert Selimov (Russia, Lightweight), Luke Campbell (England, Bantamweight), Evhen Krytov (Ukraine, Middleweight), Olegsandr Usyk (Ukraine, Heavyweight), Artur Beterbiev (Russia, Heavyweight), Julio Cesar De La Cruz (Cuba, Light-Heavyweight), Jong Hun Shin (South Korea, Light-Flyweight), Roniel Iglesias (Cuba, Light-Welterweight), Taras Shelestyuk (Ukraine, Welterweight).
AIBA Rankings By Division
(As of 01/01/12)
These are based on a points system so they may not always be in line with a fighter's true standing, or with my P4P rankings. Some top amateur fighters like Rau'shee Warren, for example, do not even make the AIBA top 10 at Flyweight, but i see these rankings as just a guide and should not be taken too seriously.
Boxing News issued their own rankings this week and they had Warren at No. 2 in his division, behind only Misha Aloian.
Super-Heavyweight (Over 200lbs)
1/ Magomedrasul Mehzidov (Azerbaijan)
2/ Filip Hrgovic (Croatia)
3/ Roberto Cammarelle (Italy)
4/ Anthony Joshua (England)
5/ Erislandy Savon (Cuba)
6/ Viktar Zuyeu (Belarus)
7/ Sergei Kuzmin (Russia)
8/ Doszhan Opsanov (Kazakhstan)
9/ Jorge Washington Quinonez Tenorio (Ecuador)
10/ Blaise Mendouo (Cameroon)
Heavyweight (91kgs/200lbs limit)
1/ Teymur Mammadov (Azerbaijan)
2/ Xuanxuan Wang (China)
3/ Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine)
4/ Artur Beterbiev (Russia)
5/ Chouaib Bouloudinats (Algeria)
6/ Siarhei Karneyeu (Belarus)
7/ Mohammad Ghossoun (Syria)
8/ Julio Cesar Castillo Torres (Ecuador)
9/ Romarick Tangoum (Cameroon)
10/ Giancarlo Squillace (Australia)
Light-Heavyweight (81kgs/178lbs)
1/ Julio Cesar La Cruz (Cuba)
2/ Damien Hooper (Australia)
3/ Joe Ward (Ireland)
4/ Egor Mekhontsev (Russia)
5/ Fanlong Meng (China)
6/ Adilbek Niyazymbetov (Kazakhstan)
7/ Hyeong Kyu Kim (South Korea)
8/ Ytalo Antonio Perea Castillio (Ecuador)
9/ Yahia Elmekachari (Tunisia)
10/ Dane Mulivai (Australia)
Middleweight (75kgs/165lbs)
1/ Ievgen Khytrov (Ukraine)
2/ Ryota Murata (Japan)
3/ Darren O'Neill (Ireland)
4/ Maxim Koptyakov (Russia)
5/ Artem Chebotarev (Russia)
6/ Shuhrat Abdullaev (Uzbekistan)
7/ Jaime Jorge Cortez Padilla (Ecuador)
8/ Abdelmalek Rahou (Algeria)
9/ Bogdan Andrei Juratoni (Romania)
10/ Esquiva Falcoa Florentino (Brazil)
Welterweight (69kgs/152lbs)
1/ Taras Shelestyuk (Ukraine)
2/ Krishan Vikas (India)
3/ Freddie Evans (Wales)
4/ Imre Bacskai (Hungary)
5/ Myke Michel Carvalho (Brazil)
6/ Qiong Maitituersun (China)
7/ Serik Sapiev (Russia)
8/ David da Costa (Brazil)
9/ Hammond Cameron (Australia)
10/ Alexis Vastine (France)
Light-Welterweight (64kgs/141lbs)
1/ Thomas Stalker (England)
2/ Everton dos Santos Lopes (Brazil)
3/ Munkherdine Uranchimeg (Mongolia)
4/ Vicenzo Mangiacapre (Italy)
5/ Gyula Kate (Hungary)
6/ Gaybatulla Gadzhiallieyev (Azerbaijan)
7/ Denis Berinchyk (Ukraine)
8/ Ray Moylette (Ireland)
9/ Hrachik Javakhyan (Armenia)
10/ Roniel Iglesias (Cuba)
Lightweight (60kgs/132lbs)
1/ Yasniel Toledo (Cuba)
2/ Domenico Valentino (Italy)
3/ Vasyl Lomachenko (Ukraine)
4/ Faith Keles (Turkey)
5/ Albert Selimov (Russia)
6/ Aydar Amirzakov (Kazkhstan)
7/ Abdelkader Chadi (Algeria)
8/ Luke Jackson (Australia
9/ Gani Zhaiilauov (Kazakhstan)
10/ Miklos Varga (Hungary)
Bantamweight (56kgs/123lbs)
1/ Anvar Yunusov (Tajikistan)
2/ Lazaro Alvarez (Cuba)
3/ Luke Campbell (England)
4/ John Joe Nevin (Ireland)
5/ Mohamed Ouadahi (Algeria0
6/ Veaceslav Gojan (Moldova)
7/ Denis Makarov (Germany)
8/ Roberto Navarro Gonzales (Dominican Republic)
9/ Detelin Stefanov Dalakliev (Bulgaria)
10/ Sergei Vodopiyanov (Russia)
Flyweight (52kgs/114lbs)
1/ Misha Aloian (Russia)
2/ Andrew Selby (Wales)
3/ Elvin Mamishzade (Azerbaijan)
4/ Khalid Yafai (England)
5/ Robeisy Ramirez (Cuba)
6/ Vicenzo Picardi (Italy)
7/ Yong Chang (China)
8/ Juliao Neto (Brazil)
9/ Gibert Bactora (Mauritius)
10/ Jason Moloney (Australia)
Light-Flyweight (49kgs/108lbs)
1/ Jong Hun Shin (South Korea)
2/ Salman Alizada (Azerbaijan)
3/ Zou Shiming (China)
4/ David Ayrapetyan (Russia)
5/ Jose Linares (Spain)
6/ Yosbany Soto (Cuba)
7/ Patrick Barnes (Ireland)
8/ Carlos Pilataxi (Ecuador)
9/ Thomas Essomba (Cameroon)
10/ Purevdorj Serdamba (Mongolia)
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Is USA not included in these rankings? How could they not even place one person in any division?
A firestorm to purify.
Is USA not included in these rankings? How could they not even place one person in any division?
1/ As i said, the AIBAS rankings should not be taken too seriously.
2/ The USA are just not that good a boxing nation as they used to be.
I gave Rau’shee Warren his due credit.
Understandable. I just figured USA would have some good boxers too. I mean, Kazakhstan has someone, you’d think USA would have someone note worthy. Good read/what I’ve watched has been good too.
A firestorm to purify.
Respected UK boxing magazine Boxing News put their own rankings out this week, as i mentioned in the article, and, in my opinion at least, they are generally more in line with reality, although ranking amateurs is diffent to ranking pros as a win or a loss doesn’t really mean as much in the ams. It’s more about consistent success and sometimes the AIBA will rank a fighter highly for many lesser tournament wins, as opposed to being sucessful at the big ones which only come along every few years.
However, to illustrate the fact that young Americans just aren’t taking up amateur boxing as much and really need to work on it, only two USA boxers were in the Boxing News rankings; Rau’shee warren was no.2 at Flyweight and Errol Spence was no.7 at Welterweight.
This is in no way some kind of bias against the US. It’s just the state of the game.
USA Boxing is a nightmare to work with.
A failing organization with a current administration that just doesn’t get it. They’re stupid. They’re like Bob Arum without the money or the prospects. They don’t even answer the goddamned telephone. Meanwhile, programs like ours (Cincinnati Golden Gloves/ PAL) have produced more Olympians in the past 30 years than any other single program in the U.S. and we get treated like we’re a bother. The fees we pay yearly and the books we have our kids buy apparently fund apathy.
Wear something sexy to my funeral.
by Pops Daniels on Jan 29, 2012 12:46 AM EST up reply actions
Rau’shee Warren, Errol Spence and Joe Diaz are the only USA amateurs ranked in the Top 50 (to be precise Top 47, for some reason) with the AIBA.
Worth bearing in mind is that Anthony Joshua was ranked something like no.44 before coming within one point of beating Magomed Medzhidov in last years World Championships final.
At this level they are all good amateurs. It’s got a lot to do with preperation and peaking at the right time.
Saying that, the US has not been a dominant amateur boxing nation since 1988, when Ray Mercer, Kennedy McKinney and Andrew Maynard won golds, Roy Jones Jr was robbed of a gold, and Riddick Bowe, Michael Carbajal, Kenneth Gould and Romanis Ellis all placed in the medals.
Also
some USA fighters are just outside the Top 10 in some divisions.
Check them out if you want to here:
The American amateur system has been in decline for some time. It’s no surprise to see few Americans even up for consideration, really.
"Occasionally, there is a boxing match that, in its demonstration of skill, courage, intelligence, hope, seems to redeem the sport - almost. Perhaps boxing has always been a sport in crisis, a sport of crisis."
by Oli Goldstein on Jan 28, 2012 4:09 PM EST up reply actions
Lomanchenko only rated as number three by the AIBA
Says it all
Good stuff Matt. How you can keep up with all the Am’s is a mystery to me. I have hard enough trouble keeping up with all the Pro game
Good stuff Matt. How you can keep up with all the Am’s is a mystery to me.
Thanks SS. Boxing News and youtube help, but to be fair to myself i have followed the big amateur tournaments since Amir Khan in 2004.
It also helps that i have been off work this week due to a delay on the job so i have had time to do the research.
Thanks again.
Quigley & Ochieng* Putting on a real scrap on the Frampton undercard. three rounds gone, toe to toe battle
an actual jab was thrown in the 4th....
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 4:24 PM EST up reply actions
who won in the end?
I’m going to have to do the usual thing of catching a rerun later :(
Oh, and hello mate – enjoy the game earlier? :)))
As a tall guy, you gotta make the shorter guy take risks to get to you. Go through a bad neighborhood to get you.
Ochieng did
Great fight. COuldn’t reccomend it more. Great style clash
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 4:48 PM EST up reply actions
plan
As a tall guy, you gotta make the shorter guy take risks to get to you. Go through a bad neighborhood to get you.
enjoy Frampton
gotta roll here…
As a tall guy, you gotta make the shorter guy take risks to get to you. Go through a bad neighborhood to get you.
Will do
Enjoy your win
OT is two or three weeks away
Hopefully we will have Nani, CLeverley, Jones, Rooney, Anderson, Rio…… :)
#YouOnlyBeatOurBTeam
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 4:58 PM EST up reply actions
And funnily enough
No I didn’t Brian :)
I hate to critisize the gaffer, but the switch to 4-4-2 when we took the Ginja Ninja off killed us… really did
At least De Gea has proven himself as a solid keeper now……
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 4:49 PM EST up reply actions
yeah he had a good game
He’s a good keeper, he’s just Very young and only starting to become more authoritative
See what I said before…beat you and City and everything’s rosy in the garden again :)) Now to make a run for 4th….
As a tall guy, you gotta make the shorter guy take risks to get to you. Go through a bad neighborhood to get you.
yeah he had a good game
He’s a good keeper, he’s just Very young and only starting to become more authoritative
You do realise that was the most sarcastic comment I have probably ever posted don’t you :)
I do think he will become a great keeper. But he needs to man up right now. He seems to hate physical contact and is not willing to claim crosses for the fear of being clattered. Anders Lindegaard is definatley out number one right now
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 4:53 PM EST up reply actions
well
the bits I saw, he did ok – I was sort of half working at the time lol
As a tall guy, you gotta make the shorter guy take risks to get to you. Go through a bad neighborhood to get you.
He done ok in parts
It was just the rest of the time……
And I agree big time with your comment below…. Man needs to hit the Gym too…. He looks like a slightly more co-ordinated Peter Crouch
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 5:01 PM EST up reply actions
totally spot on assessment of him
but he does have real ability, and he is getting there slowly. Maybe he needs to get a skinhead instead of silly beard to help him look tougher
As a tall guy, you gotta make the shorter guy take risks to get to you. Go through a bad neighborhood to get you.
I’ve been watching. Great little domestic undercard fight. I like the look of Ochieng. A biut like a poor man’s Mayweather.
That’s got to be an early British FOTY candidate.
I was thinking that (mayweather). The shoulder rolls and counter’s and everything. Great fight
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 5:17 PM EST up reply actions
you watching Frampton
Very composes performance, utterley dominating. Stoppage won’t be far too long
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 5:18 PM EST up reply actions
Stoppage came in the 7th
Huge right counter, a little similar to the Groves KO of Smith
Good performance
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 5:32 PM EST up reply actions
it’s the best ive seen him, and a monster right to finish.
still not sure what he could do with Quigg but i’d definitely like to see it
by whypunchrabbits? on Jan 28, 2012 5:34 PM EST up reply actions
I favour Quigg
But I think it will be alot close than many people think, and will be a fantastic tactical battle too (FOr those who enjoy those type of fights)
Eddie Hearn mentioned the Macklin Martinez undercard as their next fight. Good move
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 5:41 PM EST up reply actions
Yea I favour Quigg too but I would like to let them both mature for 12 or 18 month first, let them build their names up a bit more because it would be nice to get a bit more spotlight over here on the lighter weights.
As for the MSG card, i think every fighter with any sort of Irish connection will be tryin to get on that card, and its makes good sense to be fair.
by whypunchrabbits? on Jan 28, 2012 5:51 PM EST up reply actions
I expect Frampton to land that shot
Hearn has connections with Lou who is promoting the card. Even if it is off TV, to get even a little exposure will be a good thing. And of course fighting in America always helps
by Sweet science on Jan 28, 2012 5:55 PM EST up reply actions
excellent work again Matt
as usual pretty comprehensive ;) It would have been great to be lucky enough to get some tickets for it, but they’ve been like gold dust!
As a tall guy, you gotta make the shorter guy take risks to get to you. Go through a bad neighborhood to get you.
ps
I accept that on the criteria of accomplisments Joshua wouldn’t get in over Camarelle, but I do think he’s the better and more talented guy, so when he wins the gold there might be a bit of a revision – or he’ll just turn pro :)
As a tall guy, you gotta make the shorter guy take risks to get to you. Go through a bad neighborhood to get you.
I would probably pick Joshua and Mehdzidov to probably beat him (although in think it’s very close between those three) but there’s no way i could rank either of them higher considering that don’t have anywhere near the credentials that he has.
Don’t count out Cammarelle yet. I reckon he could have one last big tournament performance in him.
He’s just been so consistently good:
Rau'shee is a very good friend of mine.
I can’t wait for the Games. I’m very excited. Rau’shee’s basic problem (and we’ve never spoken of this) is that he fights like a pro. He’s great inside. He’s a bull rush to the body and uses his angles very well but scoring (and who the hell really understands the bullshit new system) is a problem. I’ve been with him through interviews about why he went back and the gold is very, very important to him. His closest boxing friend, and damned near younger brother figure, is Adrien Broner. They’re tight. Very tight. Laugh you ass off at the old stories tight. In our gym, Rau’shee is just about as good as it gets and may ever get. His childhood nickname is “Nuke.” That’s what most folks call him here (In Cincinnati) and Broner is “Twin.” I’m as anxious as I can possibly be about this Olympics. Rau’shee put all of his eggs in this basket and the gold medal just has to come home with him.
He’s a great kid. Truly. Let’s hope he brings it home.
Wear something sexy to my funeral.
The scoring has long been a problem, although i don’t think it’s quite as bad now as it has been in the past.
Jabs rarely count, body shots never count, and flush punches are sometimes missed. it’s frustrating to watch as a fan of a particular boxer, or even just as a neutral, so think what it must be like for the fighter’s when they are robbed of a decision after all the hard work they have put in.
Thsi is why i think fighter’s like Denis Berinchyk will be better served in the pros. He swarms guys and some of his shots may not be seen as clearly b y the judges even though they are certainly effective. He also throws body shots and i thought he should have got the decision against Everton Lopes in the World’s.
That’s why i have him ranked in my P4P, while Lopes is just outside.
I’m sure Berinchyk is the better fighter.
Nice one Matt .
Disarm you with a smile ....
by Sir Jack Daniels on Jan 29, 2012 10:34 AM EST reply actions
Cheers mate.
"Leon Spinks is so ugly that when a tear rolls down his face, it only gets halfway, then it rolls back up" - Muhammad Ali.
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