Updates to BE's Top 20 Current Heavyweight Rankings:

Updates to BE's Top 20 Current Heavyweight Rankings:

I would like to update this post with some news. First Chazz Witherspoon, I feel still deserves his status at 19. He takes his only loss to Chris Arreola, the current NABF minor title holder. Secondly, in November he sprung back from this defeat to a last round knockout victory over 21-1-0 Adam Richards.

Secondly, Nikolay Valuev has dropped down to the fifth spot on the list because of his completely dreadful performance against Evander Holyfield. If you'll notice, I still don't have Evander Holyfield in the top twenty. He wasn't before the fight was scheduled. He shouldn't have gotten a shot against Valuev and now that I know he's rightfully beaten Valuev, I will still not call him a top twenty man. It was Valuev's sickening performance against Holyfield that allowed Evander to command that fight, not Evander's ability. Evander is clearly a better boxer than Valuev ever was but he is physically shot and unable to really pressure a man anymore. He hadn't fought for over a year. He lost in the fight previous to Valuev, albeit against a champ (Sultan Ibragimov). His last win was in 2007 over another 40+-year-old fighter in Lou Savarese. Holyfield hasn't beaten a top opponent since Rahman by Technical Decision in 2002. So, I dropped Valuev down and did not put Holyfield on the top 20 list. If you don't think that's right, tell my why in the comments section. If Evander actually beats any of the top twenty guys again, whether they actually recognize it or not, I'll certainly reconsider. To be clear, he is the new WBA heavyweight champ to me. I just don't think much of that title these days. How could I?

Lastly, James Toney defeated Fres Oquendo for the IBA and NABO titles. So, I moved him up to seventh spot, just after Samuel Peter and above the inactive but always dangerous Shannon Briggs. To my knowledge, Briggs is only inactive and not officially retired. I'd personally love to see either Briggs or Toney fight David Haye. If Haye won, he'd legitimize himself to me as a real HW and if Briggs or Toney beat Haye, that would tell me they deserved a new title shot without question. As it looks now, Haye will fight Vitali Klitschko. Wrong brother! He wants Wladimir, though he hasn't proved himself at heavyweight yet. Oddly, Wladimir/Haye would be more interesting as they both have big power and decent but not world class chins. Vitali's world class ability to take a punch and big power makes me think barring one of his odd injuries here or there, he'll crush Haye. Then again...you never know.

So the top 20 rankings have changed slightly but no one has been added or subtracted since the original post. Tony Thompson is the most vulnerable to getting knocked off of my list at number 20. I'm not sure who I'd add to replace that last slot. Suggestions and other comments are welcomed as long as racial slurs and the like are left out. Express yourself with civility or not at all.