A regular criticism of the many pound for pound ranking lists is that they are too Americanised. Many, if not most, of these lists are collated in America by Americans and thus dominated by American fighters.
As a result of the above criticism I decided to put together a P4P top 10 consisting of non-American boxers. I fully expect my list to throw up some talking points, especially as I’m sure to miss out an obvious candidate on the way (hopefully I don’t).
I’ve also took the tough, and somewhat debatable, decision to exclude fighters who aren’t American by birth but very rarely compete anywhere else but America. For example Argentina’s Sergio Martinez’s last 9 fights have been in America and Manny Pacquiao has entered rings in Nevada or Texas on his last 12 outings.
Here goes:
1) Amir Khan (Light-welterweight. WBA, IBF.)
The good – The young man from Bolton, England has improved massively under the legendary guidance of Freddie Roach and looks more and more like the complete package with every passing fight. Khan’s speed is devastating and the power he generates through such quickness has surprised many an opponent.
The Bad – In the ring there isn’t any real weakness although many will highlight Khan’s questionable chin but these concerns were somewhat eliminated in his war with Marcos Maidana. It’s outside the ring where concerns have been raised due to his fall out with Britain’s biggest TV company Sky Sports, this dispute could affect his popularity, longevity and ultimately his legacy.
Biggest win – Khan’s Fight of The Year tear up with Maidana was when the 24-year-old announced himself as a top notch fighter. This was not his most polished performance but Khan showed he can box, fight, brawl and survive all in one crazy Las Vegas evening.
Last American appearance (total) – 5th round KO victory vs Zab Judah, July 2011. (3)
2) Wladimir Klitschko (Heavyweight. IBF, WBO, WBA.)
The good – Put in a career best performance against a slippery David Haye on July 2nd and showed he can take full blooded shots in the process. Despite a lack of interest from American TV companies the German based Ukrainian continues to dispatch of the best of a poor bunch of heavyweights and sells out big arenas and stadiums on a regular basis.
The bad – Wladimir’s style is very efficient and he effectively uses his height and reach to control opponents and avoid being hit. As a result, his fights are often boring and he is more likely to grind down an opponent rather than lay someone flat on their back.
Biggest win – A wide points victory over London loudmouth David Haye. Many, including myself, agree that this was the best performance of Klitschko’s career as he controlled the fight from the first second and threw more punches than we have come accustomed to seeing.
Last American appearance (total) – Points victory vs Sultan Ibragimov, February 2008. (10)
3) Chris John (Featherweight. WBA.)
The good – Work rate, heart, body shots and an undefeated record are all factors that make Chris John Indonesia’s boxing hero. John has been the WBA king since 2004 and victims since winning the title include Rocky Juarez, Jose Rojas and most notably Juan Manuel Marquez. The two draws on his 47 fight undefeated run have both been put right in successful rematches and John seems to be willing to take on all comers including Juan Manuel Lopez and Yuriorkis Gamboa in the future.
The Bad – Hard to find any negatives with John as he is often in exciting fights and keeps beating whoever is put in front of him. His legacy and reputation would benefit from fighting more often in America but you can’t blame a man for trying to entertain his home fans.
Biggest win – John’s first bout against Rocky Juarez was both enthralling and controversial when the two fought out a draw in February 2009 but it was John who confirmed his authority in the rematch 7 months later. There was no disputing the winner 2nd time round but there was still controversy as one judge had John up by 10 while another had only 1 round in it!
Last American appearance (total) – Points victory vs Rocky Juarez, September 2009. (2)
4) Vitali Klitschko (Heavyweight. WBC.)
The good – Looked as good as ever since returning from a near four year retirement from the game. He is very hard to hit cleanly and technically outstanding, much like his younger brother. Vitali is more blood thirsty than Wladimir and deliverers most of his punches with bad intentions. The 6foot 7.5 inch man mountain is credited in some quarters for sending Lennox Lewis into retirement.
The Bad – Probably best known in America for his technical knockout loss to Lennox Lewis 2003 when Vitali was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards after 6 rounds. There’s no real weakness to the 39-year-olds game and his reputation and legacy have certainly been adversely affected by the lack of strength in depth in the heavyweight division.
Biggest win – Dismantled Corrie Sanders in April 2004 to gain revenge after Sanders knocked out Wladimir a year previously.
Last American appearance (total) – 10th round retirement victory vs Chris Arreola, September 2009. (6)
5) Toshiaki Nishioka (Super bantamweight. WBC.)
The good – Almost universally regarded as the best 122-pounder on the planet, this 35-year-old was somewhat of a late developer and didn’t win his WBC title until early 2009. Since then Nishioka has stayed active and made 6 defences without ever looking in danger. Speed and movement are his key attributes and the accuracy of his blows always troubles opponents.
The Bad – Failed to win any of four title bouts against Thai legend Veeraphol Sahaprom where it is evident Sahaprom just had his number.
Biggest win – Nishioka travelled to Mexico and dispatched of home town hero Jhonny Gonzalez emphatically with a thunderous left hand in the third round. Look out for Nishioka’s scheduled October duel with the aging Rafael Marquez.
Last American appearance (total) – 4th round KO victory vs Jose Alonso, November 2006. (2)
6) Carl Froch (Super middleweight. WBC.)
The good – Widely regarded as a very entertaining warrior that can bang and often takes a few shots too. The man known as The Cobra has really come of age during the Super Six tournament and meets Andre Ward in the final later this year. His last six fights have all had world titles on the line against former, current or future titlists and have been in four different countries.
The Bad – His low held hands and habit to take unnecessary shots will be seen as flaws by opponents but fans on both sides of the Atlantic will tell you this is what makes Froch entertaining. A history of fight delaying injuries is a negative but these problems haven’t sufficed recently.
Biggest win – Froch absolutely demolished betting favourite Arthur Abraham en route to a shut out points victory (120-108 with two judges) in November 2010. Froch not only regained the WBC belt with this win in Helsinki but also showed the world that he can box to a plan and not get dragged in to a brawl.
Last American appearance (total) – Points victory vs Glen Johnson, June 2011. (3)
7) Felix Sturm (Middleweight. WBA.)
The good – Probably most famous in America for pushing Oscar De La Hoya all the way before losing a controversial points decision in 2004. Since then the efficient and tough Sturm has gone on to win the WBA title (twice) and make 10 successful defences (one draw) almost exclusively in his native Germany. Sturm is technically excellent and opponents often find it hard to get passed his watertight defence.
The Bad – Despite defending his title 10 times the German doesn’t seem interested in unifying the division or even competing outside the comfort of his home country. His last bout against Britain’s Matthew Macklin showed he can be outworked and, at times, out fought. Although it must be said Sturm came good late on and showed guts. Expect a rematch in the coming months.
Biggest win – The resounding points defeat of top 10 rated Sebastian Sylvester in 2008 reiterated Sturm’s dominance on the domestic and European stage.
Last American appearance (total) – Points loss vs Oscar De La Hoya, June 2004. (1)
8 ) Lucian Bute (Super middleweight. IBF.)
The good – Opinion is split on how good this Romanian based in Canada actually is. While the likes of Andre Ward and Carl Froch battle it out in the Super Six tournament Bute has continued to rack up wins against the ‘others’ in the 168 lbs division. Power is undoubtedly Bute’s biggest asset as the 31-year-old has amassed 24 stoppages in 29 straight wins.
The Bad – Untested against the top operators but the conclusion of the Super Six tournament is likely to change that. A successful coming year for Bute could quite easily see him top of this list.
Biggest win – After a reasonably comfortable decision win over Librado Andrade in 2008 the two met again in late 2009 where Bute convincingly knocked out his Mexican challenger. Bute’s multiple knockdown win over Brian Magee in early 2011 was also impressive.
Last American appearance (total) – 2nd round TKO victory vs Norman Johnson, November 2004. (3)
9) Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (Flyweight. WBC.)
The good – Despite having possibly the longest name ever to be seen on a pound for pound list Pongsaklek Wonjongkam continues to rack up the wins in entertaining fashion in the 112lb division. The Thai tornado is probably the most active champion in the world and he punches with an impressive amount of power for a man of just 5 foot 4 inches, 44 of his 81 victims didn’t make it to the final bell. Wonjongkam uses his southpaw stance to good effect with his best work being set up by the jab, his vicious body shots are also worth noting.
The Bad – The 33-year-old has dispatched of all comers from Asia and his 81-3-1 record is very impressive on paper but an in-depth look at his fighting history suggests his record looks better than it actually is. His first three opponents of 2011 had a combined record of 2 wins and 7 defeats before facing Wonjongkam and you’ll be happy to hear that these ‘fights’ were non-title affairs.
The lack of competition at the weight certainly doesn’t help Wonjongkam but there is no doubting his dominance in a division where he has lost just once in the last 9 years.
Biggest win – Wonjongkam beat Japanese number one Koki Kameda via a majority decision in March 2010. One judge managed to see the bout as a draw but from the action I have seen the champion was clearly the man on top.
Last American appearance (total) – (0)
10) Roman Gonzalez (Light-Flyweight. WBA.)
The good – At the age of 24 Gonzalez has already risen to the top of the 108 lbs rankings and it looks like there’s plenty more to come from the young Nicaraguan. 29 consecutive wins have been registered since turning professional in 2005 with 24 of those opponents being stopped. His left hand is a lethal weapon with straights, hooks and uppercuts used regularly and brutally.
The bad – Largely untested to this point in his career but that is likely to change as the man known as El Chocolatito moves up to higher weight classes.
Biggest win – After beating Francisco Rosas by majority decision in 2009 Gonzalez put the record straight with a 2nd round KO win when the two met again in October 2010.
Last American appearance (total) – (0)
