Examining the Landscape at super-flyweight
Boxing writers have an unhealthy obsession with top ten lists. These don’t always provide the best picture of a division for several reasons. Some divisions are really deep, so there’s more than ten guys in the title conversation. In other divisions, there are less than ten guys who are in the title picture. Fighters who haven’t faced each other can be difficult to rank and many of these lists reflect every fighters last fight.
The most problematic thing in my opinion is that top ten lists don’t reflect the divisions politics. Mandatory challengers have leverage to get significant fights, even if they are not top fighters. Fighters who have the same promoter as a titleholder have an easier path to getting a title shot. My goal with these divisional landscapes is to provide a clear understanding of who matters in the division and explain the politics that will shape the division’s immediate future. Without further ado, here’s where things stand at super-flyweight:
Current Titleholders
WBO - Junto Nakatani
Last Fight: May 20th (KO win vs Andrew Maloney)
Next Fight: TBA
Promotional Affiliation: Teiken Promotions
My Notes
He’s appeared in the US on a few Top Rank cards. He’s big for the weight class and very skilled. He’s not someone that a lot of people will be interested in fighting for very good reasons. He won a vacant title by knocking out Andrew Maloney in a frightening manner.
WBA - Joshua Franco
Last Fight: December 31st (Draw vs Kazuto Ioka)
Next Fight: June 24th (rematch vs Kazuto Ioka)
Promotional Affiliation: Free Agent
My Notes
He won the secondary title by defeating Andrew Maloney in a close fight in the bubble. He got away with a no contest that he should have lost in the second fight and won the third fight by decision. Sanctioning body politics led to him becoming the full titleholder. His contract with Golden Boy expired leading to a period of inactivity, but he got a unification fight with Kazuto Ioka in Japan that went to a draw. Ioka vacated the title to facilitate the rematch.
IBF - Fernando Martinez
Last Fight: October 8th (UD win vs Jerwin Ancajas)
Next Fight: June 24th (vs Jade Bornea)
Promotional Affiliation: Marcos Maidana
My Notes
His title fights have been on PBC shows. Before that, he was fighting in obscurity in Argentina. He comes to fight rather than to box.
WBC - Juan Francisco Estrada
Last Fight: December 3rd (MD win vs Roman Gonzalez)
Next Fight: TBA
Promotional Affiliation: Matchroom Boxing and Zanfer Promotions
My Notes
He’s the last titleholder remaining of his era, though his contemporaries remain credible contenders. He’s coming off a competitive rematch win against Roman Gonzalez, though I have heard nothing of his upcoming plans. Estrada and Gonzelez will both likely end up in the boxing hall of fame.
What are the chances of getting an undisputed champion?
Sanctioning body politics have moved most of the titles around, with the notable exception being the IBF title, which has been tied up in mandatory challenger situations of late. In addition to political changes, this division is also seeing a lot of generational change. Some of the veteran fighters may not be interested in facing the younger up-and-coming fighters in this weight class. This division has several interesting contenders, so there can be interesting fights without title unification fights. There’s potential for unification fights if promoters are interested in facilitating that.
Mandatory Challengers
IBF - Jade Bornea
Last Fight: August 19th (KO win vs Ivan Meneses)
Next Fight: June 24th (vs Fernando Martinez)
Promotional Affiliation: Unclear (Formerly Probellum)
My Notes
He would fit the profile of the obscure and untested IBF mandatory challenger. He was with Probellum but they have since gone out of business. PBC picked up his mandatory title fight at a purse bid for a bid that was barely above the minimum.
Other Notable Contenders
Roman Gonzalez
Last Fight: December 3rd (MD Loss vs Juan Francisco Estrada)
Next Fight: TBA
Promotional Affiliation: Teiken Promotions
My Notes
He was considered one of the best pound for pound fighters in the sport until he was defeated by Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. While he has come up short in two recent fights on the judge’s scorecards against Juan Francisco Estrada, he is still clearly among the best fighters in the weight class. He holds a recent win over flyweight titleholder Julio Cesar Martinez.
Kazuto Ioka
Last Fight: December 31st (Draw vs Joshua Franco)
Next Fight: June 24th (rematch vs Joshua Franco)
Promotional Affiliation: TLA Rock Entertainment
My Notes
He’s a notable contemporary of Estrada and Gonzalez, but his fights are rarely broadcast in the United States. He recently gave up the WBO title to get a rematch with WBA titleholder Joshua Franco. If he did not give up the title, he would have had to have faced Junto Nakatani, which would have been a challenging fight.
Andrew Maloney
Last Fight: May 20th (KO Loss vs Junto Nakatani)
Next Fight: TBA
Promotional Affiliation: Top Rank
My Notes
Maloney won the WBA’s secondary title, but lost it in his first defense to Joshua Franco. After the Franco trilogy, Maloney put together a winning streak over whomever Top Rank could find to fight him and that put him in position to fight for the vacant WBO title. There are reasonable questions about Maloney’s ability to contend after his brutal knockout loss.
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (aka Wisaksil Wangek)
Last Fight: May 27th (UD win vs Komgrich Nantapech)
Next Fight: TBA
Promotional Affiliation: Unclear
My Notes
Another notable contemporary of Estrada and Gonzalez. He had a contract with Matchroom, but that seems to have expired after his knockout loss to Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez for the WBC super-flyweight title. He’s had a couple of fights in Thailand since then.