Ring Magazine is a legacy publication in the world of boxing.
First realised in 1922, it has been in the sport for over 100 years.
Anything that lasts that amount of time deserves respect.
So when Ring Magazine rank boxers, you know there’s some authority there.
But their latest rankings update has caused some consternation.
The Ring Magazine rankings for the junior middleweight division has certainly raised a few eyebrows.
Junior middleweight is one of the most competitive weight classes in boxing.
Just this past weekend, Bakhram Murtazaliev dismantled Tim Tszyu inside three rounds in a fight where many thought Tszyu would emerge victorious.
The manner of Murtazaliev’s victory showed he’s the real deal as he held onto his IBF junior middleweight title.
Not only is the Russian performing admirably in that division, but so is Sebastian Fundora.
Fundora currently holds two belts – the WBO and WBC junior middleweight titles – after Jermell Charlo became champion in recess.
So when Ring Magazine announced their latest rankings, many were looking to see if either fighter were in the top two.
Instead, those top two spots went to two surprise names.
Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov fought each other in August 2023 for the WBA and vacant WBO interim light middleweight titles.
In that fight, Terence Crawford beat Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision.
It was history in the making as Crawford became a four weight world champion.
But the fight itself wasn’t the spectacle many thought it would be.
So when both fighters were named in the top two for the latest Ring Magazine rankings, it left many scratching their heads.
Based on the performance this weekend, Bakhram Murtazaliev had surely made a case for being ranked first.
At the very least, he should be expected to be higher that a guy who lost.
You can make the case for Crawford as he’s remained undefeated, but so is Murtazaliev.
With Fundora also holding two belts, that would surely have him higher than Madrimov too.
Boxing is, of course, a sport of opinions.
And it seems that Ring Magazine has decided on who they think are leading the pack in the junior middleweight division.
But it sure does seem odd selection at the top with the same two as last month.
At the very least, there seems to be a much improved rankings for Murtazaliev.
Before the update, he was ranked 10th in the division by the publication.
He now sits in third.
You can see the latest rankings below:
Ring Magazine 154-lb Rankings – 21st October 2024
- Terence Crawford
- Israil Madrimov
- Bakhram Murtazaliev
- Sebastian Fundora
- Vergil Ortiz
- Serhii Bohachuk
- Tim Tszyu
- Jesus Ramos
- Charles Conwell
- Brian Mendoza
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