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8 July 2012 FCBA Magazine Top 10 Welterweights

Page history last edited by Archer844 11 years, 6 months ago

Posted by FCBA Magazine on July 8, 2012, 9:45 pm

Top 10 Welterweights

Champion: Charlize Theron

(1) Amanda Righetti
(2) Bridget Regan
(3) Cassidy Freeman
(4) Stacy Keibler
(5) Ali Landry
(6) Leelee Sobieski
(7) Milena Govich
(8) Rebecca Romjin
(9) Geena Lee Nolin
(10) Nadia Bjorlin

There is a lot of discussion about the fact that the welterweight division may be a two woman division behind Charlize Theron with Amanda Righetti and Bridget Regan. Looking over these rankings, they may very well be right. However, we will state that it certainly doesn't have to be that way as there is a lot of good, healthy competition at the welterweight level.

Cassidy Freeman, recently signed by the LCA, is probably the most likely contender to break into that discussion as she is 2-0 in 2012 against good competition and is being actively pushed by her management. Stacy Keibler is all kinds of amazing, but has had only one (1!) match in 2012 but a big win over Amanda Righetti to close out 2011 (but is her only match and loss in 2012 too), so that cancels itself out honestly. Ali Landry had a resurgent year in 2011 (6-1, 7 fights overall), but has lost her last three matches in a row to lower-ranked talent. Ali Landry is ranked this high because she was welterweight champion last year and due to her 2011 campaign, but is in very dangerous territory as she is in danger of falling down or out of the rankings entirely if she doesn't improve.

Leelee Sobieski has won 7 straight, but mostly against hardly active FCBA competition, or Carrie Prejean. (Couldn't resist.

) No top ten competition makes it hard for us to rank her any higher. But, then there's the rest of the division. Ms. Sobieski will need to take on tougher competition if she wants to move any higher, though.

Milena had a spotty 2011 (2-2) losing both of her wins against top 10 competition, but a big win over Ali Landry really helps show off her talent. Rebecca Romjin is lucky to be ranked this high as she had only two (2!) matches in 2011 and two (2!) in 2012, splitting both with losses to Amanda Righetti in both years. We'll give her credit for not shying away from top competition, but not a great deal of success lately. Ms. Romjin, like Ms. Govich ahead of her, again, did beat Ali Landry lately. Ms. Govich gets the edge because she was slightly more active in 2011.

Geena Lee Nolin had an excellent campaign in 2010 with 7-3 (10 fights and a high success rate), but had a losing record in 2011 (1-2, so only 3 fights) and is only 1-2 this year, with her losses to Cassidy Freeman and Catherine Bell. While we respect Ms. Nolin, she has not been a top 10 fighter either this year or last. Ms. Nolin still has plenty of time to pull it together, though, as the year is only halfway through. Nadia Bjorlin should not be in the top 10, but is by default. Ms. Bjorlin has lost her last there matches and hasn't had a winning record since 2009 (6-5). But, Ms. Bjorlin is at the very least competing against welterweights. Kristanna Loken has lost her only match in 2012, Elizabeth Berkeley has not competed since April 2011 (!) or Other competitors who would like to move up such as Brooklyn Decker, Taylor Cole or Daniela Ruah are competing in the lightweight division and will not be featured in our rankings. If they start competing in the welterweight categories and fighting welterweight fighters, we will examine and adjust accordingly.

Natasha Henstridge had to be dropped from the top 10. Natasha Henstridge had a successful 2010 (mostly in a welterweight tourney, however) and lost to Amanda Righetti in the finals. Although Ms. Henstridge beat Amanda Righetti to start 2011 she has lost her last three in a row (including a loss to Amanda Righetti again). Ms. Henstridge has no matches thus far in 2012.

This is definitely a division that has a lot of good fighters, but they will need to be more active and break through the stranglehold that Theron, Righetti and Regan have at the top of the division as well. The welterweight division has a lot of talent, but it will be up to them to prove it. There are fighters right on the edge of moving into the top 10 and hopefully later this year, they will do so in order to make the division more competitive than ever. Right now, this is a division in transition. Hopefully, it'll transition into something even better.