Who is the Best Junior Welterweight in the World?
The 140 pound division is one of the most competitive in all of boxing. It is loaded with young talent poised to make a splash not just in the division but in the sport as a whole. Fighters like Victor Ortiz and Kaizer Mabuza are ready to make a run at a world title in the division, which is also stacked with top veterans like Nate Campbell, Juan Urango and Lamont Peterson.
However, there are four fighters who are clearly a notch above the rest of the pack. Amir Khan, Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander and Marcos Maidana are the four junior welterweights who currently hold pieces of the world title puzzle. Each of them has a legitimate claim to feel like they should be the top fighter in the division. Of course, the only way to prove who the best fighter in the junior welterweight division would be for them to fight each other. Even though the idea of a junior welterweight tournament leading to an undisputed champion has been met with mixed reaction, it appears clear that there will be several fights between the four top boxers in the near future.
So who deserves to call themselves the best junior welterweight in the world right now? When it comes down to the most powerful junior welterweight, there is little question that the answer is Maidana (28-1, 27 KOs). As his 93 per cent knockout ratio shows, he is far and away the most powerful puncher in the division today. This has also led him to claim that he is the most frequently “ducked” junior welterweight in the world. The interim WBA junior welterweight champion has accused fighters like full WBA junior welterweight king Khan of avoid him because they are scared of his power.
Khan (23-1, 17 KOs) has countered that he is ready to take on Maidana or any other junior welterweight. However, he was not able to find an opponent to fight this summer and will need to wait until next fall for his next fight. There’s little question that Khan – a former Olympic silver medallist – is the most talented pure boxer in the division. As he showed in his American debut against Paulie Malignaggi in May, he has a unique combination of speed, power and defensive ability. However, he also has a questionable chin, as shown in his first round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott in September 2009. He’ll need to beat some opponents like Maidana with big punches in order to prove that his chin is strong enough to be considered an elite fighter.
The wild card in the equation at junior welterweight is Alexander (20-0, 13 KOs). He’s impressed at every step of the way in working his way up the junior welterweight ladder. However, the knock on Alexander before is that he has yet to beat an elite fighter. Alexander went a long way in dismissing those critics when he beat former champion Urango on March 6. The fact that he handed out a vicious beating in defeating the tough veteran in eight rounds showed that he’s the real deal. His next chance to prove himself comes on August 7 when he takes on former champion Andriy Kotelnik.
However, the boxer who has to be considered currently at the top of the division is Bradley. Since winning his first world title in May 2008 with a split decision victory over Junior Witter, Bradley (25-0, 11 KOs) has made four successful title defences, swapping his WBC title for the WBO crown along the way. He’s soundly beaten such top talent at Nate Campbell, Kendall Holt and Peterson. He’s the champion who has fought the best talent and looked the best while doing it. Until someone knocks him off of his pedestal, Bradley has to be considered the junior welterweight king.
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