By Sean Jones: Ring Magazine unveiled their new updated lightweight rankings on Wednesday and not surprisingly they have undisputed champion Devin Haney as the top guy in the weight class after his big win over unified champ George Kamboso Jr.
Having Ryan Garcia on the list at the #5 spot is a questionable move on the Ring Magazine’s staff’s part because he’s more of a social media boxer like Jake Paul than a serious fighter.
The Golden Boy promoted Ryan Garcia is popular on social media for his preening, but he’s not separated himself from YouTuber boxers like Logan Paul and his brother Jake.
Ryan hasn’t ever beaten anyone good, and he doesn’t deserve to be ranted on the Ring Magazine top 10 until he proves himself against top-tier contenders.
The Ring Magazine rankings are a pure mess from top to bottom, and it’s not what Sean Jones would have put together.
What is a surprise in the updated Ring Magazine rankings is Teofimo Lopez being raked at the #2 spot, despite his revelation that he’s moving up to 140, and won’t be returning to 135.
Realistically, Teofimo shouldn’t be included in Ring Magainze’s updated lightweight rankings because he’s remarked repeatedly that he’s planning on campaigning at light-welterweight. Moreover, he’s already scheduled to fight journeyman Pedro Campa on August 13th at 140.
The other big surprise in the Ring Magazine rankings is Kambosos Jr. (20-1, 10 KOs) being ranked at the #1 spot, ahead of the arguably far more talented Vasyl Lomachenko, who they have at #3.
As poor as Kambosos looked last weekend against Haney, you can argue that a better placement for the Australian would be outside of the top 10. He’s NOT a top ten fighter.
There’s little chance that Kambosos would beat any of the fighters that are ranked below him on the Ring Magazine Magazine lightweight list because he’s too flawed, lacks power, and is little more than a lower-level contender talent-wise.
Sean Jones would have had Jeremiah Nakathilia well ahead of Kambosos because he’s a far better fighter, and would likely grind up the Australian into pieces of rubble if they were to mix it up.
Ring Magazine updated lightweight ratings
Champion: Devin Haney
1. George Kambosos Jr
2. Teofimo Lopez
3. Vasyl Lomachenko
4. Gervonta Davis
5. Ryan Garcia
6. Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz
7. Joseph ‘Jojo’ Diaz
8. Richard Commey
9. Javier Fortuna
10. William Zepeda
This is list a HUGE disappointment and completely unrealistic in judging the quality of the fighters at 135.
Sean Jones’ lightweight rankings:
Champion: Vasyl Lomachenko
1. Gervonta Davis
2. Jeremiah Nakathilia
3. Devin Haney
4. Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz
5. Richard Commey
6. Joseph ‘Jojo’ Diaz
7. William Zepeda
8. Michel Rivera
9. Jose Valenzuela
10. Yvan Mendy
Kambosos Jr and Ryan Garcia don’t make Sean Jones’ top ten list because neither of them has proven themselves against healthy, quality opposition. Ryan has fought nobody and looked nightmarishly poor in his last two fights against Emmanuel Tagoe and Luke Campbell.
Kambosos would have lost to Teofimo if he’d been healthy, and his best wins before that were razor-close affairs against the old-timer’s Mickey Bey and Lee Selby.
