Boxing history was made on May 20 when undisputed super lightweight champion Chantelle Cameron handed boxing legend Katie Taylor her first professional defeat at the 3Arena in Dublin.
The 32-year-old Cameron earned a 10-round unanimous decision over her old amateur rival, and a jump up the pound-for-pound list was therefore inevitable.
MORE: Chantelle Cameron spoils Katie Taylor’s homecoming
The Sporting News recently gathered opinions from a half dozen members of its combat team and updated its rankings accordingly:
1. Claressa Shields
- Record: 13-0 (2 KOs)
- Titles held: Two-time undisputed middleweight champion, former undisputed super-middleweight champion, former IBF, WBA, and The Ring light-middleweight champion
The self-proclaimed “G.W.O.A.T.” has earned that nickname, as she has backed up all of her trash talk.
Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, turned pro in 2016. At only 13-0, Shields is a three-time undisputed champion, having held all the titles at super-middleweight once and the middleweight division twice.
The 27-year-old won two fights in 2022, her last bout being a unanimous decision win over Savannah Marshall in October. She avenged the only loss of her career (in the amateurs) against Marshall, and became the undisputed middleweight champion for a second time while main eventing a sold-out O2 Arena.
That extremely convincing victory — which came after initially seeing the grudge match postponed with only two days’ notice, due to the passing of the Queen — led to Shields being named The Sporting News’ Women’s Boxer of the Year.
Next fight: Shields faces Hanna Gabriels, the only fighter to ever score an official knockdown against her, on June 3 in Detroit.
2. Chantelle Cameron
- Record: 18-0 (8 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning undisputed super lightweight champion
Despite being an undisputed champion and a pound-for-pound player, Cameron’s decision victory over Taylor was the biggest of her career by far. She has now kicked open the door to stardom and took a two-spot jump on this pound-for-pound list.
Cameron began her run as the super lightweight queen in 2020. She cemented her status in 2022, beating Victoria Bustos and undisputed welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill. Beating the latter resulted in her earning the status of undisputed super lightweight champ.
Not only does she know how to fight with the best of them, but she packs a mean punch. The Northampton star seems to improve with each and every fight and that’s bad news for future opposition.
Next fight: A Taylor rematch is highly likely for the autumn.
3. Katie Taylor
- Record: 22-1 (6 KOs)
- Titles held: Undisputed lightweight champion, former WBO super lightweight champion
Despite suffering her first loss, Taylor is still the undisputed lightweight champ, one of the biggest stars in boxing, and a pound-for-pound entrant.
The 2012 Olympic gold medalist made her debut in 2016 and has taken down a Murderers’ Row of competitors. Taylor has beaten the likes of Jessica McCaskill, Victoria Bustos, Eva Wahlstrom, Rose Volante, Delfine Persoon, Natasha Jonas, and Amanda Serrano.
Taylor and Serrano tore the house down inside Madison Square Garden in 2022’s Fight of the Year. At 36, it is unknown how much longer “The Bray Bomber” will continue to fight, but while boxing fans still have her, she will look to resume her run as one of boxing’s best.
Next fight: A Serrano rematch was the plan, but Taylor is now likely to seek revenge against Cameron later this year.
4. Amanda Serrano
- Record: 44-2-1 (30 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning undisputed featherweight champion, former IBF super-featherweight champion, former WBO lightweight champion, former WBO junior-featherweight champion, former WBO bantamweight champion, former, former WBO light-welterweight champion, WBO junior-bantamweight champion,
Speaking of Serrano, “The Real Deal” is just that.
Serrano is a seven-division champion (a Guinness World Record for women in boxing) with over 40 wins. Making her pro debut in 2009, Serrano has moved up and down weight classes with great success. She is one behind Manny Pacquiao for the record of title wins in different weight divisions. Although she had a 28-fight win streak snapped by Taylor in an instant classic, she proved that all her hard work over the years paid off.
She has rebounded with wins over Sarah Mahfoud and Erika Cruz Hernandez. The Hernandez win secured Serrano’s status as the first female featherweight champ in boxing history.
Next fight: Takes on Heather Hardy in a rematch on August 5.
5. Alycia Baumgardner
- Record: 14-1 (7 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning undisputed super featherweight champion
“The Bomb” hits to hurt, as Terri Harper saw in 2021 when she was knocked out on her feet by Baumgardner. Winning the WBC title in the process, Baumgardner immediately had one goal in mind: undisputed.
She dominated against Edith Soledad Matthysse in April 2022 and then competed in a gritty war against rival Mikaela Mayer in October. In a fight where both women put on a clinic, Baumgardner came out on top to win Mayer’s WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine super featherweight titles.
Shortly after WBA champ Hyun-Mi Choi declined a bout with Baumgardner, the Korean fighter was named champion in recess. That left the door open for the Detroit-based fighter to face Elhem Mekhaled for the vacant crown and a chance to become undisputed. She did just that, claiming a wide unanimous decision win.
Next fight: Takes on Cristina Linardatou on July 15th in Detroit.
MORE: Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron, full card results
6. Jessica McCaskill
- Record: 12-3 (5 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning WBC, WBA, and Ring Magazine welterweight champion, former WBA and WBC super lightweight champion
Despite a November 2022 loss to Chantelle Cameron, McCaskill is still the queen of the welterweights. Beating the mighty Cecilia Braekhus for all the gold, McCaskill defended the belts three times although she recently relinquished the IBF and WBO titles.
“CasKILLA” has been on quite a run, going 7-1 since losing to Katie Taylor in 2017. She hit a setback with the IBF removing her as champion after facing Cameron in November, and Sandy Ryan went on to scoop the WBO belt. However, McCaskill is still viewed as the welterweight queen.
Next fight: Due to face WBC mandatory challenger Ivana Habazin
7. Seniesa Estrada
- Record: 24-0 (9 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning WBA minimumweight champion
Estrada is known as “Super Bad,” and in a 12-year professional career, she’s lived up to her ring moniker. The undefeated Los Angeles native scored the fastest knockout in women’s boxing history when she blasted out the hapless Miranda Adkins in just seven seconds.
The 30-year-old boxer-puncher, who previously held a world title at light-flyweight, has scored notable wins over Marlen Esparza (TD 9), Anabel Ortiz (UD 10), and Tenkai Tsunami (UD 10).
In her most recent outing, Estrada scored a 10-round shutout win over Tina Rupprecht.
Next Fight: No fight scheduled
8. Savannah Marshall
- Record: 12-1 (10 KOs)
- Titles held: Former WBO middleweight champion
Although Amanda Serrano may argue, Marshall is generally regarded as the hardest pound-for-pound puncher in the women’s game. The ex-champ has an eye-popping 77% knockout ratio, and some of her stoppages have been absolutely devastating.
Marshall, 31, recently lost her unbeaten record to former amateur rival and pound-for-pound supremo Claressa Shields (UD 10), but she is still in the hunt at the elite level.
Among her career victories are Hannah Rankin (TKO 7), Maria Lindberg (TKO 3), and Femke Hermans (KO 3).
Next Fight: Takes on undisputed super middleweight champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn on July 1 in Manchester.
9. Delfine Persoon
- Record: 47-3 (19 KOs)
- Titles held: Former WBC lightweight champion
While Persoon made nine defenses of the WBC lightweight title, she is best known for pushing Katie Taylor to the limit in June 2019.
Many felt the Belgium-based volume puncher came out on the wrong end of a 10-round split decision when the pair met in an undisputed title clash. Taylor then claimed a hard-fought unanimous decision in the rematch; a result which forced Persoon down to 130 pounds.
While closer to the end of her career than the beginning, the 38-year-old former champ remains a hard night’s work for anyone at super featherweight.
Next Fight: Fights Bo Mi Re Shin at home in Belgium on May 28.
10. Natasha Jonas
- Record: 13-2-1 (8 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning IBF, WBC, and WBO super welterweight champion
What a story this is! A former Olympian, Jonas was held to a draw by then-WBC super-featherweight champ Terri Harper, and narrowly outpointed by lightweight champ Katie Taylor.
Running out of options, the Liverpool star raised eyebrows when she decided to roll the dice at junior-middleweight.
The gamble paid off for the amiable lefty who has gone from strength to strength. Over the past year, Jonas, 38, has knocked off Chris Namus (TKO 2), Patricia Berghult (UD 10), and Marie Eve Dicaire to become the unified champ at 154 pounds.
Next Fight: Scheduled to fight in Manchester on July 1 against an as yet unnamed opponent.
11. Mikaela Mayer
- Record: 18-1 (5 KOs)
- Titles held: Former IBF, WBO, and Ring Magazine super-featherweight champion
Mayer is personable and has an infectious smile, but this California-based ex-champ is all business.
The 32-year-old pressure fighter partially unified the 130-pound division before targeting WBC counterpart Alycia Baumgardner in a unification bout. It was a close encounter in London last October, and Baumgardner was given the nod by a 10-round split decision. It was a disappointing setback for Mayer, who has vowed to regroup.
The ex-champ has now moved up to lightweight and in her most recent outing outpointed Lucy Wildheart (UD 10).
Mayer’s career-best wins include Ewa Brodnicka (UD 10), Erika Farias (UD 10), and Maiva Hamadouche (UD 10).
Next fight: Mayer had an eye on Katie Taylor’s undisputed lightweight title but that fight now looks unlikely following the Irish fighter’s loss to Cameron.
12. Franchon Crews-Dezurn
- Record: 8-1 (2 KOs)
- Titles held: Reigning undisputed super-middleweight champion
“The Heavy Hitting Diva” has come a long way since losing her first fight to future pound-for-pound No.1 Claressa Shields, who was also making her pro debut, in November 2016.
Crews-Dezurn became WBC champ in her seventh fight when she outpointed Maricela Cornejo (MD10) in Las Vegas. One year later, the rematch saw the Baltimore-based fighter add the vacant WBO title to her collection on a unanimous decision.
However, the career highlight was Crews-Dezurn becoming the first undisputed super-middleweight champion in boxing history at the expense of Elin Cederroos (UD 10).
Next Fight: Defends belts against Savannah Marshall on July 1 in Manchester.
