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<\/a>By Randy \u201cThe Commish\u201d Gordon<\/strong><\/p>\nAt the moment, as we begin to emerge from a pandemic which wreaked havoc on the planet in 2020, boxing is looking like a budding flower during the first few days of Spring\u2019s warmup.<\/p>\n
Before February was over, fans were treated to a fight so good, so exciting, so breathtaking\u2014Oscar Valdez v Miguel Berchelt\u2014that it\u2019s already a candidate for \u201cFight of the Year,\u201d Knockout of the Year,\u201d \u201cPerformance of the Year\u201d and \u201cUpset of the Year.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the first few months of 2021, boxing fans have already seen a sure-fire future heavyweight champion\u2014Jared Anderson\u2014living up to his accolades with an overpowering knockout win; we were impressed with the ruggedness of the newly-crowned WBO Super Welterweight Champ Brian Castano; we saw the coming-to-prominence of a terrific, hard-hitting, undefeated and cocky light named Rolando Romero; we saw the rise to stardom of a fast, power-punching lightweight named Ryan Garcia; and we saw the continued brilliance of Saul \u201cCanelo\u201d Alvarez.<\/p>\n
While every division \u2013from Minimumweight to Heavyweight\u2014is stocked with stars, superstars and future stars, no division is more laden with talent than the lightweight division.<\/p>\n
Not since the days when Roberto Duran ruled the lightweight division\u2014nearly 50 years ago\u2014have we seen the 135-pound division so filled with talented-laden fighters. That alone speaks to the growth of the sport.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look at how the 135-pound division stacks up, using my ratings\u2014\u201cRandy\u2019s Ratings\u2014rather than the ratings of any alphabet soup organization or boxing magazine (which I once ran and compiled, using an International Ratings Panel.<\/p>\n
From 1-10, the Lightweight Division of \u201cRandy\u2019s Ratings\u201d looks like this:<\/p>\n
1. Teofimo Lopez<\/strong><\/em> What a division this is! No division in the sport is as rich with talent as is the 135-pounders are. Let\u2019s take a look at each of the guys I have rated, starting at Number 10.<\/p>\n Gustavo Lemos, nicknamed \u201cEl Electrico,\u201d is unknown to most of the boxing public outside of his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina. That\u2019s because, in nearly five years as a pro\u2014and for all of his 26 fights, of which he\u2019s won 16 by knockout\u2014Lemos has only fought in his home country. But now that the pandemic is showing signs of subsiding, the 24-year-old Lemos and his longtime promoter, Osvaldo Rivero, are looking northward, towards the USA, where a plethora of 135-pound talent awaits him. Lemos, who is one of Argentina\u2019s busiest promoters, has worked with Lemos from the start.<\/p>\n \u201cHe can box with the best and he can punch,\u201d Rivero said of Lemos. \u201cIn the last few months, he\u2019s fought twice, winning both by devastating stoppages. He\u2019s ready!\u201d<\/p>\n Next up the rung in \u201cRandy\u2019s Ratings\u201d is Sydney, Australia\u2019s George Kambosos. He\u2019s called \u201cFerocious\u201d for a reason: Not only has he beaten all 19 men he\u2019s faced\u2026he\u2019s stopped 10 of them with a relentless and tireless pressure style. In his last outing, he outhustled contender Lee Selby in winning a 12-round split decision to put himself in line for a shot at the title. He was given that shot within the last few days, when \u201cTriller\u201d CEO Robert Kavanaugh outbid both Bob Arum and Eddie Hearn for the right to promote Kambosos\u2019 next fight\u2014against none other than unbeaten Teofimo Lopez. The fight may be part of the Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield \u201cexhibition\u201d in May or June.<\/p>\n Javier Fortuna is a a vicious, fast-handed boxer\/puncher who resides in Massachusetts by way of the Dominican Republic. He began boxing as a pre-teen, and won many amateur titles. He began his pro career in 2009, and went undefeated in his first 30 fights, winning the WBA Super Featherweight Title along the way. After struggling to make 130 pounds, he lost to Jason Sosa in 2016. Three months later he returned as a lightweight, winning all four of his bouts, two by knockout. Against then-unbeaten Robert Easter in January 2018 for the IBF Lightweight Title, Fortuna dropped a split decision. Since that time, he has gone unbeaten in four bouts, stopping his last two world-class opponents in devastating fashion. At 31, he is seemingly in his prime and getting better. On his night, he can give any of the other lightweight contenders\u2014or champions\u2014the fight of their life.<\/p>\n Richard Commey won the IBF Lightweight Title with a second-round stoppage who of Isa Chaniev in February 2019 and made a successful defense with an eighth-round knockout against Ray Beltran four months ho later. In December of that year, he hoped to close the year with a victory which may have put him in the running for 2019\u2019s \u201cFighter of the Year.\u201d It wasn\u2019t to be. His opponent that night was Teofimo Lopez, who knocked him out in the second round. After taking COVID 2020 off to regroup, Commey returned on February 13 with a power-packed, sixth-round knockout of Jackson Marinez, who entered the ring with a 19-1 record. Commey says his goal is to become champion again, and to beat Lopez in a rematch.<\/p>\n Rolando Romero is a 25-year-old powerhouse who had went 2-2 in 2020. However, his second\u2014and last\u2014victory in 2020 was a one-sided, yet uninspired victory over Jackson Marinez, the same guy Richard Commey KO\u2019d six months later. On January 21 of this year, Romero faced 10-2 Avery Sparrow, whose two losses had been by decision and disqualification. Romero went out, winning six straight rounds before stopping Sparrow in the seventh round of their scheduled 12-rounder. After the fight, he said there\u2019s no 135-pounder he won\u2019t fight\u2014except Gervonta Davis. That\u2019s because he said they are good friends. He said if he had to, though, he\u2019d take the fight. The kid is confident. And talented!<\/p>\n Ryan Garcia has rapidly become, to many, boxing\u2019s newest \u201cGolden Boy.\u201d He is 21-0. He has knocked out 18 opponents in devastating fashion. He is just 22 and boyishly handsome. In his last fight, which took place on January 2 of this year, in a fight against Luke Campbell for the interim WBC Lightweight Title, Garcia picked himself off the canvas in the second round to come back and knock out Campbell in the seventh round. Since that victory, there has been lots of talk on who he will face next. For awhile, it looked like Garcia might face future Hall-of-Famer Manny Pacquiao. Most recently, Garcia has been calling out Gervonta Davis, which would be one of the biggest fights in the division. While he\u2019s been opponent hunting, he has also been busy outside the ring. He recently became the first boxer to sign a promotional agreement with Gatorade, and for last Saturday\u2019s Canelo Alvarez-Avni Yildirim fight on DAZN, who did excellent work as a between-fight commentator. Should he keep winning, his outside-the-ring attributes are sure to help him transcend the sport of boxing<\/p>\n Devin Haney is the WBC Lightweight Champion. He is 25-0 and has stopped 15 opponents. He has speed. He has power. As an amateur, he was 138-8. Among those victories was a decision against Ryan Garcia, when both were teenagers. Haney won the vacant WBC title against little-known Antonio Moran in May 2019. Four months later, he stopped another little-known opponent, Zaur Abdullaev in the fourth round. Then, in November 2020, he was forced to go 12 rounds against the faded Yuri Gamboa. Haney appears to have all the goods to dominate the division. In 2021, it\u2019s time to show us how good he is.<\/p>\n Gervonta Davis is 24-0. Only one opponent has gone the distance. However eight of his 24 opponents have had losing or .500 records. He is just 26, with room to improve. He is recognized by the WBA as both their Super Featherweight and Lightweight Champion. A devastating, one-punch knockout of Leo Santa Cruz last October 31 gave him both of those titles. It\u2019s curious as to what\u2019s next for Davis. Will he face one of the nameless, shameless contenders the WBA comes up with, or will he go for a major fight against one of the names listed in \u201cRandy\u2019s Ratings?\u201d Oh, and one more question. One more huge question: Will Davis be able to stay out of trouble between now and then?<\/p>\n Vasily Lomachenko is back in the gym and rehabbing after post-shoulder surgery following his loss to Teofimo Lopez last October. It\u2019s hard to imagine a fi ghter with a 14-2 record being considered one of the best in the world, but the fact is, that\u2019s exactly what he was. Upon his return, probably early this Summer, we\u2019ll find out if his massive boxing skills remain. Another question is: What division will he compete in? Will he stay at 135 pounds? Will he drop back to 130, which he makes with no problem. Any kind of successful comeback, especially against a top-level fighter, which are the only fighters Lomachenko wants to face, may not win him a title, but it almost-certainly will earn him 2021\u2019s \u201cComeback Fighter of the Year\u201d award.<\/p>\n Teofimo Lopez is just 16-0 and only 23. Yet, he is on the very short list, behind Canelo Alvarez, as one of boxing\u2019s major superstars. His impressive 12-round unanimous decision against Vasily Lomachenko last October placed him on that elite pedestal. Days after the fight, Lopez told me and Gerry Cooney, on our SiriusXM show, \u201cCooney and the Commish,\u201d that he was done at 135 pounds. \u201cI\u2019m finished fighting as a lightweight,\u201d he said. \u201cI can make the weight, but it\u2019s torture. Look for me to move to 140 for my next fight. As of now, it looks like torture for at least one more fight. That\u2019s because, in a purse bid won by Robert Kavanaugh, the CEO of streaming service \u201cTriller,\u201d Lopez will be defending his title against George Kambosos. Should he beat the Australian, then may come a move to 140 pounds. An interesting matchup would be for Lopez to face the winner of this Spring\u2019s 140-pound unification between Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez. But wouldn\u2019t it be great to see him stay at lightweight for just a bit longer, and face any of the others immediately below him in \u201cRandy\u2019s Ratings?\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, the other divisions are alive with talent and activity.<\/p>\n But when it comes to sheer talent, now division has it more than the Lightweights.<\/p>\n They are light only by name.<\/p>\n
\n2. Vasily Lomachenko<\/strong><\/em>
\n3. Gervonta Davis<\/strong><\/em>
\n4. Devin Haney<\/strong><\/em>
\n5. Ryan Garcia<\/strong><\/em>
\n6. Rolando Romero<\/strong><\/em>
\n7. Richard Commey<\/strong><\/em>
\n8. Javier Fortuna<\/strong><\/em>
\n9. George Kambosos<\/strong><\/em>
\n10. Gustavo Lemos<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n