British Pound-for-Pound Rankings After the Third Quarter of 2015
The British pound-for-pound rankings have not just been updated for the start of October, they have also been extended.
Now, instead of a top 10, Bleacher Report has branched out to compile the top 20 fighters from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
However, having extra room in the rankings didn't make the job any easier. In fact, like growing up, working through the teens proved to be very tough indeed!
While expansion has taken place, the selection criteria has not altered.
Remember, a world champion deserves to be recognised for his achievements. But, just because you have a belt doesn't automatically vault you towards the top spots.
It also needs to be made clear that most recent results have to be considered with a higher importance than career achievements. That will become clear in the honourable mentions section.
There is no mathematical formula in place to work these rankings out.
It is a matter of opinion, and therefore, you are encouraged to share yours in the comments section.
Honourable Mentions
1 of 21
There were some tough choices to be made, particularly for places in the first half of this list. Therefore, some very good boxers failed to make the count.
George Groves can perhaps feel the most aggrieved of the fighters who missed out on the top 20.
Saint George, however, has now lost three of his last five fights. His most recent defeat to Badou Jack was particularly disappointing, considering he was favoured to win and become a world champion.
Other notable names looking to rise again are Ricky Burns and Nathan Cleverly, though the two former world champions will be busy in the final quarter of the year.
It was too tough to split unbeaten super middleweights Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding ahead of their fight in November, so both were left off the list.
Liam Walsh is an unbeaten super featherweight who tends to go under the radar. He was not overlooked here but simply squeezed out in the final reckoning.
So too was Brian Rose, who gained revenge over Carson Jones and is now heading up to middleweight.
There are also two notable rising stars conspicuous by their absence: Anthony Joshua and Luke Campbell. They still have time on their side and, by this time next year, could easily be inside the top 10.
And finally, the retired Carl Froch—who was ranked at two at the end of June—is obviously no longer eligible for the list. Congratulations to the Cobra on a wonderful career.
20. Stephen Smith
2 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 23-1 (13 KOs)
Next opponent: TBC
Super featherweight Stephen Smith is now at the front of the queue for a shot at the IBF title.
The Liverpudlian—nicknamed Swifty—was last seen in his home city taking out Devis Boschiero with some vicious body shots.
He now has to wait and see who he will face next. Jose Pedraza is the current holder of the belt, but he is due to defend it against Edner Cherry on October 3.
Smith's only loss so far came at featherweight, when he was beaten by current world champion Lee Selby.
19. Kevin Mitchell
3 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 39-3 (29 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Kevin Mitchell came agonisingly close to fulfilling his dream of holding aloft a world title when he took on Jorge Linares in May.
However, it turned out to be a nightmare for the Londoner, who by the 10th was bearing some gruesome scars from battle. In the end, the referee stepped in to save the challenger from any further punishment.
Mitchell has since told Sky Sports: "I feel like I should have the belt. It got stopped for cuts from loads of headbutts. It's probably the most gutting fight I've had in my 20-year career."
He returns to action in December, still with the determination to achieve his goal. It may be a bit of a sentimental selection, but the 30-year-old's bravery merits him a spot in the rankings.
18. Billy Joe Saunders
4 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 22-0 (12 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Billy Joe Saunders and Andy Lee are likely to try for a third time to face each other in the ring.
After a September date was postponed due to WBO middleweight champion Lee suffering a virus, the rescheduled bout for October 10 had to be ditched after Saunders suffered a cut in sparring.
However, promoter Frank Warren is confident the fight will happen in 2015, telling iFLTV (h/t Olly Campbell of East Side Boxing): "That [fight] will [probably] go on early December. It will go on by the end of the year."
Saunders—who got the better of rival Chris Eubank Jr last November—will be desperate to get his shot at a world title. His place in the top 20 will shift, one way or another, if he does finally face Lee.
17. Tony Bellew
5 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 25-2-1 (16 KOs)
Next opponent: TBC (December 12)
After his spell filming a boxing movie in Hollywood, Tony Bellew is now focused on his actual boxing career again.
The Liverpudlian will fight for a third time in six months when he appears on the undercard to the all-English heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte in December.
Cruiserweight Bellew has eased his way back in so far, but now he needs tougher fights.
He is 32 and ranked inside the top 10 of the IBF, WBA and WBO. A third tilt at a world title should be on the horizon for early in 2016.
16. Josh Warrington
6 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 22-0 (4 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Josh Warrington gets into the top 20 after a career-best performance against Joel Brunker last time out.
Roared on by a partisan home crowd in Leeds, England, the dental technician had his supporters smiling as he dominated Australian Brunker over 12 rounds.
The victory led to yet more talk about a clash with Welsh world champion Lee Selby, with Warrington telling BBC Radio Leeds: "We would be looking at April and May next year just after the football season has finished so we can get it at Elland Road."
The one concern for the 24-year-old as he moves up to world level is his apparent lack of power—he has only four knockout wins on his unblemished record.
15. Liam Smith
7 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 20-0-1 (10 KOs)
Next opponent: John Thompson (October 10)
Liam Smith will take on John Thompson for the vacant WBO super welterweight belt in October.
The fight offers Beefy the chance to become the first of the four Smith brothers to win a world title, though the 6′1″ Thompson is a tall order in more ways than one.
Manchester United and England forward Wayne Rooney will be cheering on his friend from afar, per BoxNation (h/t the Liverpool Echo): "[Roy Hodgson] won’t let me take time out of England duty but I’ll certainly be watching it on television, and I’m sure Liam will be at his best. I’m really looking forward to it."
14. Martin Murray
8 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 32-2-1 (15 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
What move Martin Murray makes next in his career should be fascinating.
Since moving up to the super middleweight division, he has reeled off three routine wins, the last of them seeing him knock down the overmatched Jose Miguel Torres seven times.
His next opponent, whoever it is, should be a little tougher to overcome. Murray is closing in on another world-title shot, having had three failed attempts at middleweight.
The 33-year-old's performance against Gennady Golovkin in February puts him inside the top 20, but others could overtake him before the year is out.
13. Derry Mathews
9 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 38-9-2 (20 KOs)
Next opponent: Ismael Barroso (November 14)
Derry Mathews is the interim WBA lightweight champion. He is set to make the first defence of the belt before the end of the year.
While it has not been officially announced yet, Dirty Derry seems certain to face Ismael Barroso on November 14. The unbeaten Venezuelan confirmed as much on social media, according to World Boxing News.
A warrior who has persevered throughout his career, Mathews merits a place in the top 20 for the way he has fought his way to the top table.
12. Chris Eubank Jr
10 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 19-1 (14 KOs)
Next opponent: TBC (October 24)
Chris Eubank Jr has now followed in his father's footsteps by teaming up with a promoter called Hearn, albeit he's working with Eddie, rather than Barry.
The confident middleweight, who has also hired Adam Booth to his training team, will make his Matchroom debut on the undercard to Kell Brook's clash with Diego Chaves in Sheffield, England, late in October.
Former fighter turned television presenter Johnny Nelson backed the decision to work with Booth, telling Sky Sports: "We all know what Booth did with David Haye, George Groves and now Andy Lee so he is the right man for the job."
These are exciting times for Eubank, who claimed the interim WBA belt in February by beating Dmitry Chudinov.
11. Anthony Crolla
11 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 29-4-3 (11 KOs)
Next opponent: Darleys Perez (November 21)
Anthony Crolla gets a second crack at taking the WBA lightweight title from Darleys Perez on November 21.
The first fight between the pair ended in a majority draw, meaning Perez retained the belt. It was a tough call for Crolla, but now he gets another chance to become a world champion.
However, his promoter Eddie Hearn feels the Mancuncian should already be one, per Sheldan Keay of the Manchester Evening News: "I haven't found anyone yet who didn't feel that he won the first fight, but that's in the past now and he has to make this count."
Whatever the outcome in his next fight, Crolla is a shining example of how a fighter can turn their fortunes around. He has come a long way since losing a semi-final in Prizefighter three years ago.
10. Lee Haskins
12 of 21
Previous position: 10
Record: 32-3 (14 KOs)
Next opponent: Randy Caballero (November 21)
Lee Haskins rounds out the top 10, meaning he is a non-mover in the charts.
The Bristol boxer won the IBF bantamweight title on an interim basis in June, but he gets the chance to become the full champion in November.
The southpaw will head to Las Vegas to take on Randy Caballero, an unbeaten Californian who defeated Englishman Stuart Hall in his most recent outing, last November.
However, Haskins remains undaunted by having to travel, per Boxing News: "British fighters like James DeGale, Kell Brook and Amir Khan have proved that you can beat top American fighters stateside and I look forward to adding myself to that exclusive list."
9. Tyson Fury
13 of 21
Previous position: 9
Record: 24-0 (18 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Poor Tyson Fury—he won't get to face Wladimir Klitschko in October after all.
An injury to Klitschko—the day after an entertaining press conference that saw the challenger dress up as Batman and beat up The Joker in a staged fight—has forced a postponement.
However, according to John Dennen of Boxing News, Bernd Boente, Klitschko’s manager, is confident of finding a new date: "At this moment we’re aiming for November 28 but it could be later depending on what the doctor says."
It can only be hoped Fury does get his shot at the undisputed champion. He has suffered through no fault of his own again, having previously seen two bouts with David Haye cancelled.
8. Terry Flanagan
14 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 28-0 (11 KOs)
Next opponent: Diego Magdaleno (October 10)
With the bout between Andy Lee and Billy Joe Saunders postponed, Terry Flanagan gets to take centre stage on October 10 in his home city of Manchester, England.
The unbeaten Turbo will defend the WBO lightweight belt for the first time against Diego Magdaleno.
The southpaw claimed the vacant title in his own back yard in July when opponent Jose Zepeda suffered a dislocated shoulder in the second round.
Although it was an unsatisfactory way to become a champion, Flanagan is an all-action fighter who is the highest new entry in the charts.
7. Lee Selby
15 of 21
Previous position: 7
Record: 21-1 (8 KOs)
Next opponent: Fernando Montiel (October 14)
Lee Selby will be taking his talents to the United States this month when he defends his IBF featherweight world title against Fernando Montiel.
The Welshman faces the three-weight world champion in Glendale, Arizona, in his first outing since signing up to join Al Haymon's stable.
The experienced Montiel—who has registered more knockout victories (39) than Selby has had fights—is a tough first defence for Selby.
However, the Barry Boy Assassin is not interested in taking easy options, per Sky Sports: "I want to be a true champion; you won't see me staying with my home comforts, defending my title against voluntary defences, easy defences."
6. James DeGale
16 of 21
Previous position: 6
Record: 21-1 (14 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
James DeGale is a non-mover in the charts, simply because he's been a non-factor on the British scene since becoming the new IBF super middleweight world champion.
Chunky defeated Andre Dirrell to make history, becoming the first Brit to win both a gold medal at the Olympics and a world title in the professional ranks.
However, that was back in May. We are still waiting to find out who exactly the southpaw will be facing in his first defence.
Per Scott Gilfoid of Boxing News 24, Lucian Bute—a fighter who was pummelled by former IBF champion Carl Froch back in 2012—could be next up for Degale.
5. Carl Frampton
17 of 21
Previous position: 4
Record: 21-0 (14 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Carl Frampton slips down a spot in the rankings off the back of a disappointing display against Alejandro Gonzalez Jr in July.
On the same night rival Scott Quigg stopped Kiko Martinez in Manchester, England, The Jackal was having to overcome two early knockdowns to triumph in El Paso, Texas.
Still, he remains unbeaten and rarely fails to entertain when he steps between the ropes.
Per Sarah Henderson of the Belfast Telegraph, the reigning IBF super bantamweight champion recently turned down a big-money offer—to appear in Celebrity Big Brother.
4. Scott Quigg
18 of 21
Previous position: 8
Record: 31-0-2 (23 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Scott Quigg has moved ahead of rival Carl Frampton based on his two-round demolition job on Kiko Martinez in July.
The Spaniard was seen as a tough, uncompromising challenger to the Bury fighter's WBA super bantamweight crown, particularly as he had taken Frampton the distance last September.
However, Quigg made short work of Martinez in what was his first outing in 2015 following a spell out through injury.
So, could we finally see Quigg take on Frampton in 2016? The latter believes there is serious potential for the showdown to be signed for next year, per BBC Sport: "I'm confident and optimistic that the fight can be made—whatever it takes, I'm ready."
3. Amir Khan
19 of 21
Previous position: 3
Record: 31-3 (19 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
After his seemingly never-ending pursuit of Floyd Mayweather failed to pay off, Amir Khan may get the next best thing in 2016—a fight against Manny Pacquiao.
Nick Howson of the International Business Times confirmed that the two camps are in negotiations, with the possibility of the bout taking place in either February or April.
Khan needs a big fight to get his career going again.
He was impressive in dismantling Devon Alexander last December but then lacklustre in outpointing Chris Algieri in May.
The Bolton boxer has, though, been busy of late, travelling with his foundation to the island of Lesbos, Greece, to provide aid for stranded refugees.
2. Jamie McDonnell
20 of 21
Previous position: 5
Record: 27-2-1 (12 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Jamie McDonnell is finally, finally, starting to get the recognition he deserves.
The Doncaster bantamweight moves up in the rankings after his impressive performance in the rematch against Tomoki Kameda.
For a second straight time, McDonnell defeated the Japanese fighter on points to retain his WBA title, though his September success was much more emphatic than the victory he recorded back in May.
Now, the 29-year-old is in line for some big-money fights, which is exactly what he wants.
As explained by his trainer/manager Dave Coldwell to Bleacher Report, McDonnell dons the gloves for one reason only—to provide for his family.
With his stock rising, there are plenty of opportunities out there for McDonnell, including the possibility of moving up to super bantamweight.
1. Kell Brook
21 of 21
Previous position: 1
Record: 35-0 (24 KOs)
Next opponent: Diego Chaves (October 24)
Kell Brook retains his place at the top of the British rankings, as he prepares to defend his IBF welterweight title for a third time in 2015.
The Special One has already defeated Jo Jo Dan and Frankie Gavin this year, dismissing both challengers with relative ease.
Now, after a summer break, he is preparing to return to the ring on October 24 in his home city of Sheffield, England, to take on Diego Chaves.
The 29-year-old, who was named Boxer of the Year at the recent British Boxing Board of Control awards, will be eager to impress against his South American opponent.
His promoters, Matchroom Boxing, have confirmed Brook's next bout will be shown live on SHOWTIME Sports in the United States, giving the fighter the opportunity to also dazzle an American audience.
Do you agree with the ratings? Has someone been placed too high or has a fighter been badly overlooked?
Let B/R know your thoughts via the comments section.
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