The Ring’s Welterweight Rankings Defy All Logic

The Ring’s latest welterweight rankings look like a collection of names drawn from a hat. Ryan Garcia climbed to No. 2 after destroying Conor Benn in two rounds, yet Devin Haney sits at No. 1 despite getting battered, dropped three times, and thoroughly exposed by Ryan in April 2024.

Erasing the defeat on paper after Ryan’s positive test changed the official record. It did not erase the reality of Haney bouncing off the canvas like a basketball, unable to handle Ryan’s speed or left hook.

Since that beating, Haney has looked completely broken. He survived a dreadful twelve rounds of pure track work against Jose Ramirez, then turned into a human sea lamprey against Brian Norman Jr. Haney spent that entire night latching onto Norman, smothering punches, and dragging the fight into the mud. The referee gave him a free pass when the excessive clinching screamed for point deductions or outright disqualification. Those two subpar performances proved that the beating from Ryan took a permanent toll. Haney is not the same fighter.

Ryan, meanwhile, captured the WBC title, defeated Mario Barrios, and destroyed Benn. Haney is essentially squatting on the top spot with a belt while fighting like a man desperate to avoid contact.

The panel’s logic completely falls apart with Teofimo Lopez at No. 3. Teofimo defeated Rolando “Rolly” Romero, the fighter who beat Ryan. If head-to-head outcomes count, Teofimo belongs above Ryan. If they do not, leaving Haney at the top becomes impossible to justify. The voters are using one standard to protect Haney and tossing it out the window everywhere else.

Leaving Richardson Hitchins and Liam Paro out of the top ten entirely makes the list look even worse. Both have earned a spot over faded names. Eimantas Stanionis sits at No. 6 despite Jaron Ennis dominating him and offering nothing fresh to keep him there.

Then there is Rolly clinging to No. 10. His win over Ryan apparently counts enough to elevate Teofimo, yet it earns Rolly zero credit on his own record.

The Ring’s panel produced a comedy of errors. They have an unwatchable Haney at No. 1, Teofimo stuck behind the guy whose conqueror he beat, Stanionis riding past achievements, and two legitimate top-ten operators locked outside. It is not an authentic ranking system. It is pure protectionism

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