Ring Ratings Update: Josh Taylor vaults to No. 5 on pound for pound list

5 has been a really fortunate quantity for brand spanking new undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor in latest days. 5 consecutive wins over beforehand undefeated fighters. 5 world title belts collected (Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO). And now, following the weekly debate by The Ring scores panel, “The Tartan Twister” has moved to No. 5 on the pound-for-pound list, 4 locations north from the No. 9 place he beforehand occupied.

Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs) turned in one other glorious efficiency to dethrone WBC and WBO unified beltholder Jose Ramirez at Virgin Lodges Las Vegas on Saturday. The combat was entertaining and aggressive, however Taylor’s toughness, tenacity, expertise and a brace of explosive left hand knockdowns made him a worthy unanimous resolution winner.

Not everybody agreed with the No. 5 place, nonetheless:

“Josh Taylor had a troublesome opening 5 rounds towards the aggressive Jose Ramirez,” stated Anson Wainwright. “however used the Mexican American’s energy towards him to attain a pair of knockdowns that had been finally decisive on the scorecards to edge him house in a extremely good combat. Taylor to No. 7.”

Tris Dixon, whose new ebook Injury: The Untold Story of Mind Trauma in Boxing has simply been launched, was first to recommend a much bigger soar.

“I’d put Taylor #5 P4P,” acknowledged Dixon. “It’s an exceptional run with loads of unbeaten scalps, and the 2 large wins (Regis Prograis and Ramirez) are distinctive leads to good fights.”

With Taylor being my countryman and likewise the primary Scotsman to say undisputed honors in over half a century (and sure, that’s earlier than I used to be born), the panel had been prone to take my enter with a pinch of salt. Nonetheless, I needed to supply my ideas regardless, and regardless of me being over the moon to see Taylor make historical past, my opinion was put forth with out bias or agenda.

“The mixed document of Taylor’s final six opponents is 136-1,” was my mathematical providing on the morning after the evening earlier than. “Three of these fighters had been reigning world champions, certainly one of them was a former world champion, and all 4 had been stationed comfortably contained in the Prime 5 of The Ring’s 140-pound scores. These statistics are insane for a modern-day fighter.

“Tris has urged No. 5 and I’m going to go along with that. Lomachenko (No. 8) is coming off a loss, Estrada (No. 7) might simply have misplaced to Gonzalez of their rematch, Lopez (No. 6) has the BRILLIANT career-definer over Loma and the blast out of Commey however can’t match Taylor’s total resume and neither can Spence (No. 5). That’s the way in which I see it, however opinions will in all probability fluctuate right here.”

Japanese-based boxing scribe Daisuke Sugiura was subsequent up and, following some contemplation, agreed with Dixon and myself.

“I used to be initially considering of placing Teofimo & Spence forward of Taylor, as a result of Teo deposed the PFP king and Spence beat all these large names. However, effectively, Mr. Tom Grey satisfied me and I’ve no objection to Taylor at No.5 now,” stated Sugiura.

Martin Mulcahey thought No. 5 or No. 6 was an inexpensive soar for Taylor however argued more durable for No. 5.

“I’m good with Josh Taylor at #5 or 6,” he stated. “Would argue he deserves #5 spot, as I feel we overrate Teofimo on again of 1 efficiency, whereas Taylor has received abroad and unified a harder division. Spence (did win title abroad), however he’s not precisely giving something as much as chase superfight with Crawford, and out of doors of Porter has not scored a KD or harm an elite foe in 3 years.

“Sadly, increasingly more, these P4P scores depend on opinion greater than info as a result of the 2 finest in a division aren’t dealing with one another anymore.”

Nicely, the 2 finest fighters within the junior welterweight division did face off on Saturday and it’s Taylor who has been rewarded. His exceptional run ought to – and hopefully will – make sure elite-level gamers take an extended, arduous take a look at themselves. Daring to be nice towards the most effective fighters in your weight class will justify comparisons to the elite-level warriors that preceded you. Historical past won’t be sort must you consider in any other case.

Adam Abramowitz and Michael Montero additionally agreed with the No. 5 place for the brand new undisputed junior welterweight champion. And Montero maybe supplied the right soundbite to justify his resolution on Taylor: “The numbers say all of it.”

Taylor can be the primary British fighter since Joe Calzaghe (in 2008) to make the Prime 5 of The Ring Journal pound-for-pound checklist.

Junior Welterweight

Ramirez’s first skilled defeat led to him being dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 at 140 kilos. He swaps locations with Regis Prograis, whom Taylor outpointed in October 2019.

Tom Grey is Managing Editor for Ring Journal. Observe him on Twitter: @Tom_Gray_Boxing