Not saying these guys arent skilled but in their current state (larios specifically) they could all easily lose their title to any decent fighter in their division. In order. 1. Larios (FW) 2. Baloyi (SFW) 3. Valuev (HW) 4. Cook (SFW) 5. Cruz (FW) anyone like to add anyone else or switch the order?
Some people are going to disagree with Larios but he is quickly fading, its just the division is so weakened right now.
Cook shouldn't be up there IMO. He isn't a strong champion by any means, but he stood Alex Arthur on his head in his last fight, after a pretty long layoff.
Larios is past the fading stages, hes completely shot. Hes hanging for life to a title he never should of had against D level fighters. Id favor Litzau and Dibb over him as of now and the prospect of calling either of those 2 fighters champions makes me cringe.
Alex Arthur wasnt that good in the first place and got his belt on a technicali ity. Their fight showed more of how bad Arthur looked he was gunshy from being weight drained than a showcase of Cook's skills. Also Nicky Cook was destroyed by a feather fisted Luevano not too long ago in his own backyard.
Cook was dead at 9st though! I think Cook was hard done by with the scores against Arthur, one judge had it 115-114 to him..... I was more like 117-111. Arthur even had the balls to claim that he was ripped off by three English judges and demanded a rematch. Note to Alex - you only get a rematch if there is some controversy and/or the fight was close. This one wasn't. Cook was set up as the sacrificial lamb as a supposed easy defence for Arthur, who would go on to fight a bigger name, perhaps Marco Antonio Barrera - but Warren underestimated Cook, who had solid form other than the loss to Luevano, winning and defending 'proper' title such as British and European, rather than the bum Commonwealth or inter-alphabetty that Arthur had.
I have only even heard of Valuev and Larios and of them have only seen two fights by Valuev. He is bad.
Arthur won the world title whilst drinking in the pub and getting the news that guzman screwed up the visa thing. I agree with the list:good
Valuev's performance against Holyfield earned him a spot on this list whereas a few weeks ago I would have had Fragomeni in his place. I too have Larios at the top of the list. I always liked him but he's done. That green belt he's got on is the WBC's way of saying "we appreciate what you've done."
That's nonsense. Andre Berto has done nothing to be considered a weak belt holder. He's won every single fight convincingly and mostly with devastating KOs. Calling him a weak belt holder would simply be your opinion of him as a boxer, as it isn't based on the facts of what he's actually done in the ring. Also, when you say there's "no doubt" about something, there ought to actually be "no doubt" about it.