Bakhram Murtazaliev is now a serious participant within the 154-pound division. Photograph Credit score: Foremost Occasions
In the event you didn’t know who Bakhram Murtazaliev was previous to his three-round demolition of Tim Tszyu this previous Saturday, you certain as hell do now.
Add the 31-year-old from Russia to the listing of Japanese European junior middleweights who clearly aren’t right here to pad the data of bigger-name opponents. Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs), who made the primary protection of the IBF title he received in April, refuses to observe the scripts put forth by followers, media and odds makers – identical to Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov and Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk. These guys are right here to kick ass.
And in contrast to Madrimov, who ran Terence Crawford shut in a UD loss on August 3, and Bohachuk, who needed to accept a majority choice after 12-round conflict with Vergil Ortiz Jr. one week later, Murtazliev didn’t depart the result of his combat within the palms of the official judges.
The rangy, 6-foot tall boxer-puncher dropped the closely favored Tszyu (24-2, 17 KOs) 4 instances in lower than 9 minutes of one-sided motion.
“Murtazuliev made an actual assertion stopping Tszyu in three rounds,” mentioned Anson Wainwright. “I believed Murtaziliev was stay, however wow! Nonetheless very spectacular! Murtazuliev to No. 3 and Tszyu to drop to No. 7.”
No one on the Ring Scores Panel disagreed with Wainwright’s junior middleweight ideas.
The panel did, nevertheless, disagree with Wainwright’s ideas for tremendous middleweight, the place beforehand unrated William Scull entered the rankings at No. 6 following his shut unanimous choice over Vladimir Shishkin in his adopted house nation of Germany.
Wainwright urged that Shishkin (16-1, 10 KOs) drop to No. 8. The panel famous that Scull (23-0, 9 KOs), a 32-year-old Cuban now primarily based in Berlin, and the 33-year-old Russian needs to be aspect by aspect within the rankings given the shut nature of their 12-round bout (which was for the IBF title stripped from unified Ring champion Canelo Alvarez).
“Scull and Shishkin needs to be No. 6 and No. 7,” mentioned Adam Abramowitz. “That combat was a coin flip as to who received. Most I noticed had Shishkin profitable.”
Tris Dixon, Abraham Gonzalez, Tom Grey, Jake Donovan, Michael Montero and Diego Morilla agreed with Abramowitz.
Wainwright additionally proposed dropping Leigh Wooden, who hit the one-year inactivity mark earlier this month, from the featherweight rankings.
“Wooden has been inactive for one 12 months and whereas he has talked about combating, nothing has come of it but,” mentioned Wainwright. “We may take him out, transfer everybody up and herald Bruce Carrington at No. 10. Or we may give Wooden till Carrington-[Dana] Coolwell (takes place subsequent month) and if he hasn’t acquired one thing scheduled make the swap then? I’m cool both method. I feel perhaps we wait however I perceive it’s a 12 months for Wooden.”
Replied Abramowitz: “Time to take Wooden out.”
Added Grey: “I hate taking Leigh out at 126, however he’s one 12 months inactive and has no intention of returning to this division. He referred to as out [Anthony] Cacace in early October, so 130 is in his future. Comeback and outcomes relying, he could be re-ranked at junior light-weight.”
Added Donovan: “We’ve pushed again on Carrington sufficient to the place he can lastly enter. Wooden 100% has to return out this week, he was by no means combating once more at 126 even when [the Josh] Warrington rematch panned out. To not point out [Raymond] Ford shall be exiting in three weeks and Veneno [Luis Alberto Lopez] as soon as his staff makes an official choice on his future.”
The remainder of the panel agreed with Abramowitz and Donovan.
Wooden (28-3, 17 KOs), a two-time WBA titleholder who holds wins over Warrington, Mauricio Lara, Xu Can, and Michael Conlan (in The Ring’s 2022 Battle of the Yr), had been within the featherweight rankings for 168 weeks.
RING RATINGS UPDATE (as of October 19):
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT – Anthony Yarde stays No. 4 following a 10-round choice over Ralfs Vilcans.
SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT – Scull enters at No. 6. Shishkin drops to No. 7.
JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT – Murtazaliev advances to No. 3. Tszyu drops to No. 7.
JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT – Albert Batrygaziev stays No. 10 following a four-round stoppage of Albert Pagara.
FEATHERWEIGHT – Wooden exits on account of inactivity. Carrington (13-0, 8 KOs) enters at No. 10.
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