CRUISERWEIGHT

1957: Division not yet established.

1967: Division not yet established.

1977: Division not yet established.

1987: 9 of 11.
Could it be that I will find the American dominance, which I expected at light heavyweight, to really be at cruiserweight? The initial set of numbers seems to indicate this. Not only in numbers, but in name recognition as well. Evander Holyfield, Dwight Qawi, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, and a young Bert Cooper make up a talented lot. Yet, all except Holyfield are rated below streaking Ricky Parkey, and even Lee Roy Murphy is rated higher at number four. Only Puerto Rico's Carlos De Leon and Ugandan John Odhiambo make the list, and I admit my unfamiliarity with Odhiambo before checking his better than expected resume at Boxrec.com. No Europeans rated, but this is a tough list to crack.

1997: 3 of 10
Forget what I said previously, as the world caught up with America fast. Both quality and depth are gone, with only Nate Miller and Adolpho Washington representing America in the top five, but they are rated one and two. The other rated American is Kenny Keene at number six. Argentine Marcelo Dominguez (who, along with Washington, underachieved) is rated number three, and the remaining five are Europeans with the exception of Japan's Yosukezan Nishijima. A second look at the ratings reveals a serious fall in talent across the board, not just on the American scene.

2007: 2 of 11.
The quality has taken as drastic a step up as it had taken a plunge ten years earlier. The problem is that America has not kept up the pace in terms of numbers, and the least skilled boxer is rated the champion. Yes, O'Neil Bell was rated the champion, having out-willed Jean Marc Mormeck in their first meeting. Steve Cunningham is rated number two, behind Panama's Guillermo Jones, and eventual Polish conqueror Krzysztof Wlodarczk rated number eight. A good mix with Italy, Guyana, France, England, and Russia placing boxers in the top ten, Russia and England putting forth two apiece.

Overall analysis - The numbers and my instincts tell me this division is headed for European dominance in the future. The question is whether European world champions will have the same urge as Americans, and move up to test their skill sets in heavyweight waters? David Haye seems like the perfect candidate for this in 2010.

HEAVYWEIGHT
(Note: In 1977 the heavyweight rankings of The Ring magazine were manipulated to aid a Don King-promoted American heavyweight unification series on ABC TV. Because of this I used the World Boxing Magazine ratings from January of 1977)

1957: 8 of 11.
Floyd Patterson is the reigning champion, and future nemesis Ingemar Johansson is lurking at number nine. Johansson is joined by Argentina's Alex Miteff, and Cuba's Nino Valdez as the only non Americans. The number one through five rated contenders are all Americans. They are, in order, Eddie Machen, Tommy Jackson, Zora Folley, Willie Pastrano, and Roy Harris. It is a slightly below average field, and two of the three foreign boxers would probably be rated by most as superior to the top five contenders in historical evaluations. A good, and predictable, start for America.

1967: 8 of 11.
The champ (Muhammad Ali) through the number four challenger were all American, and then Germany's Karl Mildenberger appears at number five. Notably, he is rated one spot ahead of Floyd Patterson, and a forgettable Amos Lincoln (he had a knack for beating Thad Spencer, but that was it). Ernie Terrell, Zora Folley, Cleveland Williams, and Thad Spencer sit one through four. Argentina and Canada take up places eight and nine, with Oscar Bonavena and anvil chinned George Chuvalo. It should be noted that all three foreign boxers got a title shot, but that is more due to the extraordinary champion than the challengers.

1977: 9 of 11.
Ali still rules the heavyweight landscape, a top ten landscape devoid of foreign talent outside of England. Only Joe Bugner (actually born in Hungary) and Richard Dunn manage to crack a truly superior line up of heavyweight contenders. The list, counting down in order, is compiled of George Foreman, Ken Norton, Duane Bobick, Larry Holmes, Jimmy Young, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, and Howard Smith. Not only are the names formidable, but they range in style from the thunderous hitting Foreman and Shavers, to defensive maven Jimmy Young. You also have the overall skill of Larry Holmes and Ken Norton, and of course the overrated comes in the form of Duane Bobick. The only other foreign talent I would have given consideration to, in place of Howard Smith, would be Uruguay's Alfredo Evangelista.

1987: 9 of 11.
Again, America is the dominant force, with only England (again) and Jamaica cracking the top ten. Trevor Berbick is rated fifth, while muscle bound Frank Bruno comes in just under the cutoff at number nine. Another Jamaican, Razor Ruddock, was working his way towards the top ten, but I agree with the ratings that he was not yet ready. Michael Spinks was still considered the champion, and had just completed a two fight sweep of Larry Holmes. Tyson was rated the number one contender, while Holmes' retirement pronouncement were taken seriously enough for him to be omitted by The Ring. The other underachieving 80's contenders were, in order, Tim Witherspoon, Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tubbs, Bonecrusher Smith, Buster Douglas, Tony Tucker, and Tyrell Biggs.

1997: 6 of 10.
Oh oh, the cracks in the damn are beginning to show. Soon more than Lennox Lewis, Andrew Golota, Henry Akinwande, and Alexander Zolkin would come rushing through the widening holes. Mike Tyson was rated number one, with Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, Michael Moorer, and Evander Holyfield following closely. Former champ Tim Witherspoon was hanging on at number seven, and Oliver McCall was in stalking position of Lennox Lewis at number ten. Eastern Bloc fighters were gaining ground as well, but Golota lacked the mental strength and Zolkin turned pro in his late 20's. The quality all around skillsets are still found with the American boxers, but the raw material was starting to be forged by German trainers.

2007: 5 of 10.
I am giving John Ruiz to America, no matter how much some claim him as Puerto Rico's first heavyweight champion. If you take away number four rated James Toney, a blown up middleweight, non Americans take up the top five spots. Wladimir Klitschko is rated number one, followed by Russia's Oleg Maskaev, Nigeria's Samuel Peter, and Belarus’ Sergei Liakhovich. Of course the quality is down, but it seems much more so on the American front. Only ten years ago all around boxers were found, like Holyfield, Bowe, and Moorer. Even in the 80's we saw the talent, even if the fighters never fully maximized it. So does this mean the current European onslaught is a product of America's regression in terms of talent, instead of purely the number of boxers we are putting forth?

Overall analysis - America's division no more. Yes, we have taken a shocking downward spiral in terms of numbers alone in the past ten years. Worse, our product has deteriorated along with the numbers. The one thing Klitschko, Maskaev, Liakhovich, and now Chagaev have (Valuev's size is just freakish, so he does not count) are extensive amateur pedigrees. I believe this is a big part of our problem, along with the fact that American heavyweights are not raised to box from an early age anymore. Now these men are defensive linemen and power forwards who return to boxing once they flunk out of those sports. Europe's big men see a bright future in boxing, and until that is the case in America, as a whole our boxing scene will continue to lose ground to Europe and South America. To say nothing of the potential powerhouse that Africa is. If that continent ever gets its fractured social and economic houses in order, it could produce consistent championship quality athletes in every weight class.