CompuBox stats compare five of boxing’s top prospects

Readers, you may well slot Teofimo Lopez atop your list of “best” prospects, or maybe you like the explosivity and upside of Shakur Stevenson, or maybe you think most highly of the West Coaster Vergil Ortiz.

Maybe the Las Vegas resident Devin Haney, the prodigy, suggests to you that when all is said and done, of the five hitters that CompuBox here compares and contrasts, he will have the most gleaming résumé.

Time will have to do its things, so we can see if these stats are quite telling — or other less tangible measures will speak louder.

Haney did his thing on Friday. On Jan. 26, you can see if 11-0 Vergil Ortiz, a Golden Boy boxer, maintains that high lands per round average, when he meets 23-4-1 Jose V. Barryan in Texas. 10-0 Irishman Michael Conlan might win in the Top Personality theme among this prospect grouping; he has grown by leaps in the last year and we can see if on March 17 in NYC he can edge into the 40% territory with his power connects, as the other four young guns on the upswing do.

On Feb. 2, Lopez, now 11-0, meets a foe of a higher caliber than any on this prospect list have dared to scrap with. Lopez fights Diego Magdaleno, owner of a 31-2 mark, in Texas. Can he edge up his power connects percentage to overtake No. 1 Ortiz? On Jan. 18, you can see defensive whiz Stevenson try to hand 22-1-1 Jessie C. Rosales his second loss as a pro, at Turning Stone in NY.

Keep in mind that stats like Plus/Minus could be that much more meaningful as these cats progress. Understand that as they move up the ladders, the guy on the other side will be able to crack harder. So chin durability can be something that comes into play more when they graduate to meeting more B-plus level fighters.

Readers, do any of these stats surprise you? Do you put more import in out of the ring factors, like work ethic and such?

Feel free to put in your two cents in the comment section.

Woods, a Brooklyn resident, was a staff writer at NY Newsday, before joining ESPN The Magazne (2003-2011). He edited TheSweetScience.com (2007-20015), publishes NYFights.com, calls fights for Facebook Fightnight Live and does the “Talkbox” podcast for Everlast.