Who Will Reign Supreme at 147? Boxrec World Welterweight Rankings: 1: Natasha Jonas2: Mikaela Mayer3: Sandy Ryan4: Jessica McCaskill5: Terri Harper6: Lauren Price7: Ivana Habazin The hottest division in the female side of the sport is undoubted…
1: Natasha Jonas 2: Mikaela Mayer 3: Sandy Ryan 4: Jessica McCaskill 5: Terri Harper 6: Lauren Price 7: Ivana Habazin
The hottest division in the female side of the sport is undoubtedly and unquestionably the welterweight ranks. A red hot division that has a plethora of marquee fights to make, and almost certainly, a division that will have a few more quality additions before the year ends.
The immensely impressive performance of Sandy Ryan on Saturday night in Sheffield, where she dismantled Terri Harper in defence of her WBO title, in four incredibly one-sided rounds, has only heightened the expectations for what will follow.
If you believe the often maligned Boxrec rankings of the 147 ranks, it is the IBF bauble holder Natasha Jonas, who is the queen of the division, followed by Mikaela Mayer whom Jonas beat controversially back in January. Both fighters are ranked above Ryan, who sits nicely poised in third position. The Derby fighter has already voiced her intentions to chase the other belts and the other big names in her division, with her promoter Eddie Hearn already mentioning Jonas as his preferred option for when Ryan returns to the ring later this year. But Chantelle Cameron also got a pretty good shout-out also.
Ryan most definitely solidified her credentials in the win over Harper. Eddie Hearn said he was only looking at big fights for Ryan. But boxing is rarely that simple.
Lauren Price challenges Jessica McCaskill in May for her remaining world welterweight titles. The winner of that fight looks set to fight Natasha Jonas in a big in-house unification showdown, probably in September. Price will be favoured, but many have written off McCaskill before.
But Jonas wants to fight before then. I've previously reported that a rematch with Mikaela Mayer, whom she beat in January, is still alive and kicking, and I'm still of the belief that a rematch will happen at some point in the next few months. But whoever Jonas fights next, and when, Sandy Ryan is highly unlikely to be her opponent. Boxxer and Ben Shalom have plans for Jonas for later this year, plans that will be focused on fighters that are in their promotional bubble. Ryan will undoubtedly have to look elsewhere for her next fight.
One possible route for Ryan is to fight the winner of Ivana Habazin and Kinga Magyar for the vacant WBC title, a fight that takes place next month in Zagreb. It might not quite fit the big fight narrative, but it does potentially add another alphabet bauble to her collection.
Chantelle Cameron is another possibility. Cameron is desperately seeking a third fight with Katie Taylor, but her wishes are unlikely to be granted, at least in the short term. Reports that Taylor will take a lesser fight next, leaves Cameron out in the cold somewhat. Is Sandy Ryan her only route back into a major fight? They have history, and it could tick every imaginable box to make money for all.
The division will almost certainly see the fights it deserves for the remainder of the year. The unification fights will come, but later in the year. Come May, if the expected happens, we will have Natasha Jonas, Sandy Ryan, Lauren Price, and Ivana Habazin as the various champions of the alphabet boys. From that point on, the division can really start to take shape and hopefully then simplify.
If we do get Jonas and Mayer and Ryan and Cameron, in the coming months, or even a unification fight with the winner of Habazin and Magyar for Ryan, then any combination of those names will not disappoint even the harshest of critics. But by the close of play in 2024, the hope is that four become two. And 2025 brings undisputed. There are far too many good fights to waste. Even boxing can't ruin this. Or can it?
Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing & Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer
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