British Pound-for-Pound Rankings After the 1st Quarter of 2016
The end of March is a wonderful time in Britain.
The clocks go forward on the final weekend, giving an extra hour of light on the evenings and getting everyone excited for a summer that will no doubt be ruined by rain.
Easter arrives too, bringing bank holidays and chocolate eggs. Add in hot cross buns, and it is a cracking (continuing with the egg theme there) time of the year.
What else could make the start of April any better? The updated pound-for-pound British rankings, of course!
The start of 2016 has seen some developments in the top 20, but things should really start heating up in the next few months (and not just in terms of the weather).
Before beginning the countdown, here's a quick reminder of how the positions are worked out.
This list is not about potential or previous achievements. A world champion also gets extra credit, and Britain has plenty of those right now.
Also, there is no specific formula in place to work out who goes where. This is just an opinion based on judging records and recent performances, so feel free to share your thoughts via the comments section.
Honourable Mentions
1 of 21
There is a crowded waiting room full of boxers patiently hoping to be called into the top 20.
Ricky Burns, Nathan Cleverly and Martin Murray are experienced campaigners who would have made the list in previous years—there's still time for the trio to squeeze back in before the end of 2016.
Super bantamweight Gavin McDonnell keeps on winning, raising hopes he could become the second world champion in the family (twin brother Jamie already holds a major belt in the bantamweight division).
Bradley Skeete impressed in becoming the new British welterweight champion, while Khalid Yafai looks capable of going all the way in the super flyweight division.
Also missing out are Paul Butler, Luke Campbell, Tommy Langford and Liam Walsh.
While Ashley Theophane may be based in the United States, he was born in England. A win over Adrien Broner on Friday could vault the Londoner into the next rankings, which will come out at the end of June.
There are also two returning fighters to look out for in the future: Kid Galahad, who has had his suspension cut short by UK Anti-Doping, and David Haye, whose comeback adds to the pool of heavyweights.
Derry Mathews is the one fighter to drop out of the top 20—he pays the price for losing to WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan.
20. George Groves
2 of 21
Previous position: New entry
Record: 22-3 (17 KOs)
Next opponent: David Brophy (April 9)
George Groves began life under new trainer Shane McGuigan with a stoppage win over Andrea Di Luisa in January.
It was a nice, smooth return to action for Saint George, who parted ways with previous cornerman Paddy Fitzpatrick after losing to WBC super middleweight champion Badou Jack.
Saint George continues his quest for another world-title opportunity on April 9 against unbeaten Scotsman David Brophy.
However, the 28-year-old could consider switching from the ring to the Octagon in the future. No, really. He told Sam Long of the Evening Standard, "I certainly wouldn’t rule it out [a move to UFC].
"I’d love to have a crack at it, but I’d want to give myself a proper go."
19. Callum Smith
3 of 21
Previous position: 19
Record: 18-0 (13 KOs)
Next opponent: Hadillah Mohoumadi (April 2)
The next stage of Callum Smith's career plan is to conquer Europe.
The super middleweight takes on Hadillah Mohoumadi—a 35-year-old Frenchman who previously lost on points to James DeGale—for the European belt on Saturday.
Mundo made short work of Rocky Fielding last time out, in the process becoming British champion. The obvious path is to world level, but that can wait until later in the year.
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18. Stephen Smith
4 of 21
Previous position: 18
Record: 23-1 (13 KOs)
Next opponent: Jose Pedraza (April 16)
So now we know—Stephen Smith will travel to Connecticut for the chance to become a world champion.
The super featherweight faces unbeaten IBF titleholder Jose Pedraza on April 16 at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket. It's hardly a famous boxing venue, but Swifty won't care so long as he wins there.
He earned the opportunity with an impressive performance against Devis Boschiero in September 2015. The victory was his 11th in a row since losing to Lee Selby.
With a win on American soil, Smith can expect a dramatic jump in the rankings. A defeat, however, will put his spot in the top 20 up for grabs.
17. Josh Warrington
5 of 21
Previous position: 17
Record: 22-0 (5 KOs)
Next opponent: Hisashi Amagasa (April 16)
Featherweight Josh Warrington aims to continue his march toward a world-title fight when he defends his WBC International strap against Hisashi Amagasa on April 16.
The Leeds fighter will be in action in his own backyard against an experienced opponent from Japan.
Amagasa needs to prepare not just for his opponent in the ring but also the raucous atmosphere he can expect to face at the First Direct Arena.
The plan has long been in place for Warrington to face IBF champion Lee Selby.
However, the unbeaten 25-year-old is fed up with just talking, per BBC Sport: "It's becoming boring now. [Eric] Hunter is a dangerous fight, and if he (Selby) boxes like he did against [Fernando] Montiel, he'll lose his belt."
16. Anthony Joshua
6 of 21
Previous position: 20
Record: 15-0 (15 KOs)
Next opponent: Charles Martin (April 9)
Is Anthony Joshua trying to run before he can walk?
The popular heavyweight has won the British and Commonwealth belts already, but he will now fight for a world title in just his 16th professional bout.
The 2012 Olympic champion takes on American Charles Martin—who claimed the vacant IBF strap in January—at the O2 Arena in London.
Joshua has yet to go beyond Round 7 since joining the paid ranks. He was troubled at times by rival Dillian Whyte last time out but still found a way to force the stoppage.
The southpaw Martin doesn't expect their bout to go the distance either, stating on Sky Sports' The Gloves Are Off show (h/t Isaac Robinson of SkySports.com): "Anybody can be knocked out. It's not going 12 rounds. We're the lions of the sport. If you're going 12 rounds and you're a heavyweight, something's wrong."
At 26, Joshua has quickly become a big deal in British boxing. It seems he's ready to find out if he's the real deal in the ring—and Martin's belt looks ripe for the picking.
15. Tony Bellew
7 of 21
Previous position: 15
Record: 26-2-1 (16 KOs)
Next opponent: Ilunga Makabu (TBC)
According to James Dielhenn of Sky Sports, Tony Bellew is set to take on Ilunga Makabu for the vacant WBC cruiserweight title.
The Liverpudlian will hope to make it third time lucky in his quest to become a world champion—he lost his two previous attempts, against Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson, down at light heavyweight.
Bellew will hope to produce a performance as convincing as his portrayal of boxer Ricky Conlan in the motion picture Creed. In the film he fought at Goodison Park, and it seems life could imitate art.
Per Phil Kirkbride of the Liverpool Echo, the European champion could fight Makabu at the home of his beloved Everton Football Club.
14. Chris Eubank Jr.
8 of 21
Previous position: 14
Record: 22-1 (17 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Chris Eubank Jr. seemed on the brink of a world-title fight after beating Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan in December 2015.
However, the middleweight instead decided to go after the British belt instead, agreeing to take on Nick Blackwell on March 26.
Eubank Jr. went on to claim the Lonsdale title at Wembley Arena in London. The bout was stopped in Round 10 due to a large swelling above Blackwell's left eye.
The dethroned champion collapsed shortly after the stoppage and was rushed to the hospital. He has since been placed into an induced coma—Bleacher Report has updates on his condition here.
As for Eubank Jr.'s next move, it is hoped he doesn't hang around at the domestic level for too long.
13. Lee Haskins
9 of 21
Previous position: 13
Record: 32-3 (14 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Lee Haskins sent out a teasing tweet on Sunday: "Happy Easter everyone!!! Only one egg for me today, news on my 1st World Title defence coming very soon."
The southpaw from Bristol, England, became IBF bantamweight champion when previous holder Randy Caballero failed to make weight for their fight in November.
Haskins has won six fights in a row since losing his European belt to Stephane Jamoye in 2012.
12. Liam Smith
10 of 21
Previous position: 12
Record: 22-0-1 (12 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
WBO super welterweight champion Liam Smith—the first of the four fighting brothers to win a world title—waits to find out who he will face in the second defence of his crown.
He picked up the title by stopping American John Thompson in Round 7 in October 2015 and then achieved the same result against Jimmy Kelly just over two months later.
Beefy's promoter, Frank Warren, floated an idea in his Daily Star column: "[Kell] Brook needs a meaningful fight and his promoter needs to deliver one soon. If they cannot get an opponent in America, why not move up and take on our WBO lightmiddleweight champion Liam Smith? That would be good for both men."
A Brook showdown seems unlikely, but Smith does need to take on a major name in the near future.
11. Scott Quigg
11 of 21
Previous position: 6
Record: 31-1-2 (23 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Scott Quigg slips outside the top 10 following his defeat to British rival Carl Frampton.
The former WBA super bantamweight champion not only suffered a first career defeat but also a broken jaw. The injury occurred in Round 4, although he managed to carry on through to the final bell.
Quigg's drop in these rankings isn't just because he lost. He barely landed a punch in the first half of a fight that failed to even come close to living up to the hype.
The 27-year-old had surgery on his jaw the day after the bout—there is still no word of when he might return.
10. Billy Joe Saunders
12 of 21
Previous position: 11
Record: 23-0 (12 KOs)
Next opponent: Max Bursak (April 30)
Billy Joe Saunders creeps into the top 10, although it's not because of his choice of opponent for the first defence of his WBO middleweight crown.
The unbeaten Saunders will go up against Ukrainian Max Bursak on April 30 at the Copper Box Arena in London.
It is not a fight that whets the appetite, but hopefully it can lead to bigger and better things. The 26-year-old hopes to face Gennady Golovkin in the summer, per George Gigney of Boxing News.
If that doesn't happen, WBA champion Danny Jacobs revealed on Twitter he would be happy to fight the southpaw.
Either option would be good for Saunders. While he is already a world champion, there's still a feeling we've yet to see the best of him.
9. Anthony Crolla
13 of 21
Previous position: 10
Record: 30-4-3 (12 KOs)
Next opponent: Ismael Barroso (May 7)
Anthony Crolla will hope to succeed where the now-retired Kevin Mitchell failed when he takes on Ismael Barroso in Manchester, England, on May 7.
In the first defence of his WBA lightweight title, Million Dollar will face the hard-hitting Venezuelan who stopped Mitchell in 2015 to become interim champion.
The 29-year-old said of the challenger, per the Press Association (h/t the Guardian): "I am under no illusion...this is a tough task but there was no way I was not going to take the fight. People said I was going to duck him—if I don’t fight him I lose my belt, simple. Of course I am going to fight him, I’ve worked too hard to become world champion to give it away."
If Crolla beats Barroso, an all-Manchester showdown with fellow world champion Terry Flanagan could be on the cards.
That would also pit Manchester United (Crolla's team) against Manchester City (Flanagan supports the blue side of the city) in the ring.
8. Lee Selby
14 of 21
Previous position: 8
Record: 22-1 (8 KOs)
Next opponent: Eric Hunter (April 9)
After defending his IBF featherweight title on American soil last time out, Lee Selby is back fighting in Britain on April 9.
The Welshman takes on Eric Hunter at the O2 Arena in London, as part of a bumper undercard to support Joshua's heavyweight clash with Martin.
He's confident of retaining his crown, per Niall Hickman of Premier Boxing Champions: "I’m in the delivery business, and that means winning. I am only here to win. I’ve got a world title belt around my waist, and that is not going to change. Eric Hunter isn’t going to rob me of something I have worked so hard for."
Selby didn't dazzle against Fernando Montiel last October, but he will return to the venue where he became a world champion in October 2014.
7. Terry Flanagan
15 of 21
Previous position: 9
Record: 30-0 (12 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Terry Flanagan retained his WBO lightweight title—and also his perfect professional record—with a hard-fought points win over Derry Mathews.
The Mancunian Turbo made the short trip to Liverpool for the second defence of his belt on March 12.
It wasn't pretty at times, with the champion deducted a point for illegal use of the forearm, but Flanagan came on strong in the second half of the contest to win by unanimous decision.
What the performance did show is that the skilful southpaw can mix it up close when needs be.
The 26-year-old may be a world champion, but he perhaps still doesn't get the credit he deserves. There's an argument to be made for his being higher in these rankings, too.
6. Amir Khan
16 of 21
Previous position: 5
Record: 31-3 (19 KOs)
Next opponent: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (May 7)
In a time when social media makes it almost impossible to keep anything quiet, Amir Khan surprised just about everyone when announcing he would take on Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
The bout will see Khan face the reigning WBC middleweight champion in a catchweight contest at 155 pounds. Oh, and he's fighting a Mexican on Cinco de Mayo weekend, too.
So much for ducking Kell Brook—it turned out the Bolton boxer had something else up his sleeve all along.
He is happy to be the underdog, per Ben Dirs of BBC Sport: "For the first time I'm fighting someone who is heavier and also a bigger name, but that will bring the best out in me."
If Khan finds a way to topple Canelo, expect him to be much higher than No. 6 in the next list.
5. Carl Frampton
17 of 21
Previous position: 6
Record: 22-0 (14 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Admittedly it wasn't quite the classic we all hoped for, but Carl Frampton deserves to move up a spot in the rankings after his win over domestic rival Scott Quigg.
The Jackal not only retained his own IBF super bantamweight title, but he also claimed Quigg's WBA belt with a unanimous points win in Manchester, England, on February 27.
So, what's next for Frampton?
Well, he told the Belfast News Letter: "We want the [Leo] Santa Cruz fight in the summer and he says he wants and we are both with Al Haymon—so the fight could be easily made."
Facing Santa Cruz would mean vacating his titles and stepping up to featherweight. The Northern Irishman seems willing to make the move to further his career.
4. James DeGale
18 of 21
Previous position: 4
Record: 22-1 (14 KOs)
Next opponent: Rogelio Medina (April 30)
James DeGale's future plans are clear: defend his IBF super middleweight belt against Rogelio Medina on April 30 and then take on the WBC champion in a unification bout in the summer.
Chunky will be back fighting on American soil when he faces Medina, an experienced Mexican who holds a 36-6 (30 KOs) record.
The bout between the pair will be the chief support to WBC holder Badou Jack's clash with Lucian Bute. Per George Gigney of Boxing News, the plan is for the two winners to go head-to-head later in the year.
DeGale told Gigney: "If I’m being honest, I don’t really want to box Lucian Bute again as I’ve already beaten him. For another title, to get another title I obviously would, but I’d like to fight someone new like Badou Jack, that would be perfect."
If DeGale beats Medina and adds another title, the Londoner has a real claim for the top spot.
3. Jamie McDonnell
19 of 21
Previous position: 3
Record: 27-2-1 (12 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Bantamweight Jamie McDonnell has not been seen in a ring since recording a second successive win over Japan's Tomoki Kameda in September 2015.
Per Hilmar Rojas of BoxingScene.com, the WBA ordered McDonnell, who is the governing body's regular champion, to face their super champion, Juan Carlos Payano.
However, no date has been sorted for the unification bout so far.
Instead, it seems the 29-year-old's next opponent could be Belgian Karim Guerfi, according to Liam Hoden of the Doncaster Free Press.
2. Kell Brook
20 of 21
Previous position: 2
Record: 36-0 (25 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook didn't hang around with mandatory challenger Kevin Bizier, blitzing the Canadian inside two rounds on Saturday.
Now, The Special One wants the big fights, or else he could head into retirement.
Per David Anderson of the Mirror, Brook said: "If I cannot get in with a big name in the summer, I should hang the gloves up because I’m in the sport to unify titles and fight the best."
The good news for British boxing fans is that the Sheffield fighter's promoter, Eddie Hearn, is not short of options at 147 pounds.
While Brook has notched another victory since the rankings were last updated, beating Bizier is not enough for him to reclaim the top spot.
1. Tyson Fury
21 of 21
Previous position: 1
Record: 25-0 (18 KOs)
Next opponent: TBA
Heavyweight Tyson Fury, and the boxing world for that matter, still waits to find out exactly when he will face Wladimir Klitschko again.
The rematch has yet to have a confirmed date or location. Peter Fury gave an update to Behind The Gloves (h/t Michael Kelleher of Sky Sports): "July is looking favourite now and hopefully it will be in the UK."
In the meantime, the reigning WBA, WBO and IBO champion has kept himself busy.
He turned up to have a face-to-face chat with Deontay Wilder in the ring in Brooklyn, New York, after the WBC holder beat Artur Szpilka on January 16.
Fury was also ringside at Wembley Arena in London to see his cousin, Hughie Fury, fight on March 26, although he stole the show by not only singing to the crowd but also filling in for an absent ring-card girl, per Spencer Brown of Mail Online.
While he keeps on entertaining with his antics, hopefully Fury will soon get back to focusing on boxing again.
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