Most talent laden division currently?

How many elites can you name in each division before the inevitable steep drop-off that occurs? (between the forerunners and the also-ran, interchangeably middling contenders or world title egg-warmers)

For the sake of argument let's omit the 'hot prospects' - no matter how sure you are they have elite potential, if they haven't started to do anything on paper to write home about, leave them off. (for instance, I'm very high on Ali Akhmedov at 175lbs and Jon Fernández at 135lbs, and certain both will become elites, but neither has walked the walk yet and put together a résumé to justify all that high a ranking alongside their division's champs)

Now, of the upper crust in each division - having already trimmed off the fat of mediocre contenders, lucky right-place right-time belt holders, and unproven prospects - which of them could reasonably appear on a top-25 pound for pound list?

Here's my whack at it:

HW - Joshua, Povetkin, Wilder, Parker, Ortiz, Pulev. - 6 (1 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
CW - Usyk, Gassiev, Briedis, Lebedev, Huck, Głowacki, Dorticos, Vlasov, Bellew, Makabu. - 10 (4 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
LHW - Sergey Kovalev, Adonis Stevenson, Badou Jack, Eleider Alvarez, Dmitry Bivol, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Sullivan Barrera, Artur Beterbiev. - 8 (2 that could reasonably be on p4p lists, although the winner of Bivol vs. Barrera is close)
SMW - Chris Eubank Jr., George Groves, Gilberto Ramírez Sánchez, Callum Smith, David Benavidez. - 5 (1 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
MW - Gennady Golovkin, Saúl Álvarez, Daniel Jacobs, Billy Joe Saunders, Ryōta Murata, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Demetrius Andrade, Jermall Charlo - 8 (4 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
SWW - Erislandy Lara, Jarrett Hurd, Jermell Charlo, Julian Williams, Maciej Sulęcki. - 5 (1 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
WW - Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr., Danny Garcia, Kell Brook, Jeff Horn, Emanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, Shawn Porter, Jessie Vargas, Omar Figueroa. - 9 (2 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
SLW - Terence Crawford, Mikey Garcia, Rances Barthelemy, Josh Taylor, Antonio Orozco. - 6 (2 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
LW - Jorge Linares, Gervonta Davis, Terry Flanagan, Robert Easter Jr., Luke Campbell. - 5 (1 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
SFW - Vasyl Lomachenko, Miguel Berchelt, Francisco Vargas, Alberto Machado. - 4 (1 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
FW - Leo Santa Cruz, Gary Russell Jr., Carl Frampton, Oscar Valdez, Scott Quigg, Lee Selby. - 6 (3 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
SBW - Jessie Magdaleno, Daniel Román, Rey Vargas, Isaac Dogboe, Marlon Tapales, Ryosuke Iwasa, Diego de la Hoya. - 7 (1 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
BW - Luis Nery, Shinsuke Yamanaka, Zolani Tete, Ryan Burnett, Jamie McDonnell. - 5 (2 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
SFlW - Wisaksel Wangek, Naoya Inoue, Juan Francisco Estrada, Jerwin Ancajas, Román González, Carlos Cuadras, Khalid Yafai. - 7 (2 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
FlW - Daigo Higa, Donnie Nietes, Sho Kimura, Brian Viloria, Andrew Selby, Juan Carlos Reveco. - 6 (2 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
LFW - Ken Shiro, Ryoichi Taguchi, Kosei Tanaka, Milan Melindo, Hekkie Budler. - 5 (2 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)
StrW - Thammanoon Niyomtrong, Hiroto Kyoguchi, Seansuree Moonsuree. - 3 (1 that could reasonably be on p4p lists)

So, now I'll tally up the elites in each division one point a head, except for every p4p candidate in each division, they'll receive double per.

Heavyweight - 7 points
Cruiserweight - 14 points
Light heavy - 10 points
Super middle - 6 points
Middleweight - 12 points
Super welter - 6 points
Welterweight - 11 points
Super lightweight - 8 points
Lightweight - 6 points
Super feather - 5 points
Featherweight - 9 points
Super bantam - 8 points
Bantam - 7 points
Super fly - 9 points
Flyweight - 8 points
Light fly - 7 points
Straw - 4 points

Cruiser, light heavy, middle and welterweight are the deepest by this rubric, in that order. I also happen to agree with that subjectively.

Also, my p4p list would take some whittling down to reach 25 - my listings above included 32 boldfaced names. Seven would have to be on the bubble.

 

140lbs could absolutely blow up if Lomachenko, Linares, and Davis all end up jumping up in the next year. Plus, if Josh Taylor continues to string together dominant performances against improving competition he'll be knocking at the door of a p4p top 40 at least...and if & Sergey Lipinets, Regis Prograis & Ivan Baranchyk all break out at the same time..

 

Yeah but after that half a dozen (plus Yafai) there is a MASSIVE drop-off.

Shame, because the winners of those fights deserve worthy challengers in the pipeline but they aren't there so all this buzz the division is receiving will fizzle when it ends up being a circle jerk of the same handful of guys recycled into different configurations or endless rematches.

 

I do, and have always been a vocal supporter of the smaller divisions, and Cruiser is hands down better and deeper than anything on the southron half of the scale right now.