In this thread I'm going to run down what I feel are the top 5 divisions in boxing. I'm going to do a write-up on one division at a time counting down from 5, and I'll throw in a rant on the worst division in boxing somewhere along the way. So to start off, here's #5.
#5) Bantamweight (118 lbs.). The little guys deserve a lot more attention than they get. Not only does the Bantamweight division feature excellent boxing, but the guys at the top are action fighters who rarely disappoint the crowd and are all very evenly matched with each other. There's a pretty steep drop off in talent after the top tier, but within that top tier you get fight of the year candidates multiple times a year.
The best of the bantams includes Japanese southpaw Hozumi Hasegawa; the only man in boxing with a straight left hand that rivals Manny Pacquaio's. His power is not limited to that one punch, but he throws it so hard and with such precision that when he connects he often sends opponents flying back horizontally across the ring (and on one occasion through the ring ropes). In his last fight he was upset by Fernando Montiel, an offensive minded veteran who compensates for a lack of speed with 1 punch KO power and highly intelligent in-ring tactics. Now that he has a belt, it remains to be seen whether Montiel will fight the other top bantams or whether he will hide out in Mexico collecting paychecks for defending his title against unqualified opponents.
The rest of the best are Yohnny Perez, a slick boxer who will slug it out toe-to-toe when he has to. Perez had an absolute war with irrepressible brawler Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko last fall, and there's talk of a rematch in the works. Agbeko's biggest win came last summer against Vic Darchinyan, who was making his first appearance at bantamweight after collecting 3 of the 4 major belts in the super flyweight division. After returning to Super Fly for a year, Darchinyan is back at bantamweight and should fight for a major belt before the end of the year. The newest member of the crew is undefeated 24 year old Abner Mares, who recently fought the aforementioned Yohnny Perez to a draw.
#5) Bantamweight (118 lbs.). The little guys deserve a lot more attention than they get. Not only does the Bantamweight division feature excellent boxing, but the guys at the top are action fighters who rarely disappoint the crowd and are all very evenly matched with each other. There's a pretty steep drop off in talent after the top tier, but within that top tier you get fight of the year candidates multiple times a year.
The best of the bantams includes Japanese southpaw Hozumi Hasegawa; the only man in boxing with a straight left hand that rivals Manny Pacquaio's. His power is not limited to that one punch, but he throws it so hard and with such precision that when he connects he often sends opponents flying back horizontally across the ring (and on one occasion through the ring ropes). In his last fight he was upset by Fernando Montiel, an offensive minded veteran who compensates for a lack of speed with 1 punch KO power and highly intelligent in-ring tactics. Now that he has a belt, it remains to be seen whether Montiel will fight the other top bantams or whether he will hide out in Mexico collecting paychecks for defending his title against unqualified opponents.
The rest of the best are Yohnny Perez, a slick boxer who will slug it out toe-to-toe when he has to. Perez had an absolute war with irrepressible brawler Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko last fall, and there's talk of a rematch in the works. Agbeko's biggest win came last summer against Vic Darchinyan, who was making his first appearance at bantamweight after collecting 3 of the 4 major belts in the super flyweight division. After returning to Super Fly for a year, Darchinyan is back at bantamweight and should fight for a major belt before the end of the year. The newest member of the crew is undefeated 24 year old Abner Mares, who recently fought the aforementioned Yohnny Perez to a draw.
