TESS VALMORE


Its time for our much maligned top ten lightweight and welter rankings. Since our last rankings JMD/D matches have become popular, with some obsessed with those kind of bouts. It is generally recognized that JMD bouts are a different genre than the conventional FCBA bout. We, therefore, decided to do the following. If most of a fighters bouts are conventional with a rare JMD fight, she will be eligible for ranking. If most of a fighters fights are JMD they will not be considered. Tigress Uppercut Magazine is doing JMD/D ranking for those interested. I realize some will not like what we have to say. Some will strongly disagree. That's expected

We remind you that our rankings include activity and quality of opponents, A fighter must fight every ninety days or three PPV’s which ever is longer Also the champion is often not ranked number one, simply because the champion is often clearly not the best fighter in the division. Winning three out of five against A list competition is better than winning seven straight over C class opponents. Quite often the difference between our rankings and those of our friends at Boxing World is over the quality of opponents and of course activity

TOP TEN LIGHTWEIGHTS

1, YVONNE STRAHOVSKI Has lost only two of her last sixteen bouts. Her losses were to Yustman and Perry

2. ODETTE YUSTMAN She may have lost the title to Decker but she says at number two.

3. BROOKLYN DECKER. She won the title and had a successful first defense.

4 MARY ELIZABETH WINSTEAD. A journey woman fighter never to be taken lightly. Last year she was 4-2 against top competition. She has to fight in the next PPV or drop out

5 KATY PERRY She was 4-2 last year and held the title briefly losing it to Winstead. Won her first bout of 2016

6 KALEY CUOCO Has won four of her last six. One loss was in an ill advised JMDD match

7 MISSY PEREGRYM She was won six of her last eight KOing Joanne Kelly in the last PPV

8 JENNIFER LAWRENCE She is 6-3 since the beginning of last year. One loss was in JMDD and another to Godzilla Lawley.

9 ANNA TORV Has won eight straight since her loss to Strahovski. Needs to step up in competition to hang in the top ten

10 BLAKE LIVELY She went 4-3 last year. One loss was in JMDD. The other two were to Peregrym and Yustman. Must fight by this PPV or drop out

ON THE CUSP

DANIELA RUAH. With the realignment of Front Street I am not sure if she is staying at lightweight or moving back to welter


WHO DROPPED OUT

JESSICA BIEL Some consider her the best lightweight. She is in the Hall of Fame. However she is 4-6 in her last ten and was 1-2 last year


TOP TEN WELTERS

For years the welters were the step children of the FCBA. A concerted effort was made to bring the welters back and it looked like it was going to meet with success. Unfortunately, that now appears not to be true. The fights are getting fewer. It seems those who championed the welters and tried to bring them back or now championing JMD/D to the detriment of the welters

1 AMANDA RIGHETTI Probably the best P4P around.

2 CASSIDY FREEMAN Four and two in her last six. Her losses were to Righetti and Regan She managed to take care of Godzilla Lawley

3 BRIDGET REGAN About the only time she is not in the rankings is due to inactivity. She is 7-1 since the beginning of last year

4 KATRINA LAW Won six of her last seven. Only loss was to Freeman

5 GEMMA ATKINSON While she is only 4-3, she has fought some pretty serious competition

6 LEELEE SOBIESKI She is 6-1 recently. Dropped out of welters for a while but has recently returned

7 ChRISTINA HENDRICKS. She is 5-2 since the beginning of last year. Her list of opponents in not impressive but at least she is fighting which is more than a lot of welters

8 PAULA PATTON At 41, she is busier than most. She is 6-3 since the beginning of last year

9 ROBYN LAWLEY aka Godzilla She is 6-1 since the beginning of last year. He wins were over over-aged opponents. She did beat Lawrence, but she was 5 inches taller and 40 pounds heavier. She fought only one ranked welter and got her head handed to her. Is this the future of the welters or another Lancaster?

I realize there are a number of fighters who fight every now and then and sometimes even win, but we are not going to name names just to have a top ten. So that’s it, Wonder why?

WHO DROPPED OUT

KATE UPTON Nine of her last ten bouts have been at JMDD

SARAH LANCASTER Won the welter tournament which was supposed to herald the return of the welters. She won the welter title. She lost the title in November and hasn’t been seen since. How fleeting is fame

GENA LEE NOLIN Out because of inactivity

MANDY MOORE Out because of inactivity

BIANCA KAJLICH Out because of inactivity