Boxrec make JMM No1 Lightweight. Who agrees?

[Galaxy]

I think the fairest case is to make the title of Ring Champion vacant like it is for the heavyweights.

Let's face, the Ring doesn't regard Wlad as the Ring champ yet still deciding to leave the title vacant.

I can't see how anyone could possibly argue that Marquez, Campbell or Manny have a better claim to the lightweight title than Wlad has to the heavyweight title, Marquez beating a washed up, inactive champ who clearly and undisputedly lost his title over a year ago to anyone with eyes just doesn't cut it as being Championship worthy imo.

The three of them HAVE to duke it out, period, that's the only way to get a champ. Until then the division is in a three way fracture.

Marquez beat the linear champ something Wlad has never done! When Vitali retired the championship became vacant. Since Wlad became ranked #1 he has never fought the #2 guy which would fill the vacancy. Wlad is definitely the #1 heavy but he ain't the champion!!! Marquez is!

Look at the history of the sport no champion has derserved every victory they recieved but you have to follow the offical decision no matter how much we disagree with it or we run the risk of becoming as incompetent as the alphabet idiots!

Like the ring says "Championships should be won & lost in the ring!" not just awarded because we think someone is better! Thats why they fight the fights.

The best fighter in the division is not always the champion or else the title would never change hands!

Marquez is definitely the champion at 135!!!

I agree completely with what your saying Galaxy and have already acknowledged that Marquez as champ is the 'technically correct' decision as regards to the Ring rankings.

But we have moved on from that and are trying to discuss how 'in reality according to actual performance, achievments, merit,' etc the rankings should be ordered.

For me there is no question that Pacquiao right now should be number 1 as he is the p4p number 1 fighter in the sport and beat Marquez in the past year.

Campbell beat undoubtedly the best lightweight in the division in Juan Diaz, an undefeated fighter who was on the verge of unifying all the belts, so he is at number 2.

Marquez has made a great debut at lightweight in KO'ing Casamayor, but he lost to Pacquiao last time out and by rights Casa shouldn't even have been champ after losing almost every round on everybody's scorecards against Santa Cruz and also almost getting beat up by the mediocre Katsidis who Juan Diaz dominated.

So Marquez for me is at number 3.

Now I repeat, these are not the Ring rankings but what I believe are the most accurate rankings for the current state of the lightweight division.

I absolutely agree that the Ring magazine will almost certainly put Marquez at number 1 as they follow the lineage of titles closely. For them this is the correct decision.

but the fact remains that in a practical sense Marquez's win over an aged and clearly past it Casa isn't enough on its own to lift him above Campbells dominating performance over the 3 times unbeaten champ Juan Diaz.

He also lost to Manny last time out and that coupled with the fact that Manny is universally considered the p4p best fighter in the world means he ranks below them both.

NOT the Ring rankings, but the most accurate rankings.

Hope that clears it up

I agree Bilbo that Casa did not deserve the W over Santa Cruz but bad decisions are nothing new to the game. So unfortunately we have to live with it. I can name dozens of fights where the champion got the nod when he didn't deserve it... Ali had a few himself, but the fact is he remained champ!

So the question for me is how do you rate someone higher than the champ? In the world I live in with reality you can't. Sure someone might be better but until they prove it by beating the champ they're only the #1 contender!

Now Pacquiao is definitely #1 P4P & arguably the best fighter in the division & Campbell put in a great performance over Diaz & also has a case as the best fighter in the division. But they are not the champion, theres a difference!

Look at Sonny Liston or Marvin Hagler they were considered the best fighters in the division but until they beat the champ they were only the #1 contender.

Thats the way it is! You have to beat the man to be the man!