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As of Saturday night all the top players in the incredibly stacked 140 pound weight class have fought, and it is because of this that now is the perfect time for a junior welter top five. A lot of things have been shaken up in the past few weeks; we have three new title holders, have temporarily lost one top prospect, and may never see a great champion again.
The number one fighter in my top five is Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton, 39-0 (29). Ricky put on an amazing performance beating long time champion and future hall of famer Kostya Tszyu. In a fight many expected him to lose he shut out the man in his weight class and established himself as the force in the division. He has a bevy of options available to him now; he can take on Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, or even 135lb champion Diego Corrales. No matter who he fights there are great matches ahead.
Number two on the list is ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd Mayweather Jr., 34-0 (23). After looking flat against Demarcus Corley and Henry Bruseles, he put on a virtuoso performance in shutting out Arturo Gatti en route to a sixth round stoppage. Mayweather sat on his punches and exhibited power we haven’t seen since he felled Corrales five times at 130. By far the quickest and most skilled fighter at 140 pounds, he stands a very good chance of defeating the division’s current champion.
Kostya Tszyu, 31-2 (25), belongs in the number three spot on this list and although he lost to Ricky Hatton, his career accomplishments rival that of many all time greats. Some people have been calling him a quitter as of late, but what they don’t realize is that Tszyu had a suspected broken jaw and bleeding on the brain when the fight was stopped. It is because of the latter injury that Tszyu may never fight again. If he retires he should be remembered for being the consummate professional and a great champion that brought dignity to the sport of boxing.
Miguel Cotto, 24-0 (20), comes in at number four on the list. With solid wins over some solid guys he definitely has attained contender status, but to become champion in this division is a difficult thing. He seemed to have some trouble with Mohamad Abdullaev’s pressure, and that might cause him serious problems against Hatton. Right now I would favor my top three fighters over Cotto, but that is not to say that he cannot beat any of them on a given night.
Junior Witter, 31-1-2 (19), rounds out the top five. With a recent clear cut win over rugged Lovemore N’dou and a fairly strong resume, Witter belongs in the divisions top five. While at the end of the day he may not have enough to become the division’s champion, he certainly is one of its better fighters, and at junior welter that speaks volumes. There have been some rumors that Witter might face Hatton, and while I would take Hatton to win that fight, if Witter puts on a good performance he can secure himself a shot at the division’s other title holders.
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