Rankings (May 17, 2021): Figueroa makes statement at 122

Rankings go up on Mondays at Noon ET.

Ranked fights this week:

• Junior Welterweight: (1) Josh Taylor vs (2) Jose Ramirez, May 22
• Junior Welterweight: (4) Jose Zepeda vs Hank Lundy, May 22
• Junior Flyweight: (7) Jonathan Gonzalez vs Armando Torres, May 21
• Minimumweight: (9) Ginjiro Shigeoka vs Toshiki Kawamitsu, May 23

Upcoming Fights: (1) Tyson Fury vs (2) Anthony Joshua, Aug. 14

Upcoming Fights: (6) Kevin Lerena vs Ryad Merhy, July 17

Upcoming Fights: (5) Jean Pascal vs (7) Badou Jack, June 6 … (8) Gilberto Ramirez vs Sullivan Barrera, TBA

Upcoming Fights: (10) David Lemieux vs David Zegarra, June 4 … (3) David Benavidez vs Jose Uzcategui, Aug. 28

Upcoming Fights: (2) Jermall Charlo vs Juan Macias Montiel, June 19 … (8) Jaime Munguia vs Maciej Sulecki, June 19

Upcoming Fights: (6) Jarrett Hurd vs Luis Arias, June 6 … (4) Jeison Rosario vs (8) Erickson Lubin, June 26 … (1) Jermell Charlo vs (2) Brian Castano, July 17

Upcoming Fights: TBA

Upcoming Fights: (1) Josh Taylor vs (2) Jose Ramirez, May 22 … (4) Jose Zepeda vs Hank Lundy, May 22 … (10) Jose Pedraza vs Julian Rodriguez, June 12 … (7) Mario Barrios vs Gervonta Davis, June 26

Upcoming Fights: (4) Devin Haney vs (7) Jorge Linares, May 29 … (1) Teofimo Lopez vs (10) George Kambosos Jr, June 19 … (2) Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Masayoshi Nakatani, June 26 … (5) Gervonta Davis vs Mario Barrios [junior welterweight], June 26

Upcoming Fights: (6) Shakur Stevenson vs Jeremiah Nakathila, June 12 … (2) Gervonta Davis vs Mario Barrios [junior welterweight], June 26 … (3) Chris Colbert vs Yuriorkis Gamboa, July 3 … (8) Shavkat Rakhimov vs Kenichi Ogawa, TBA

Upcoming Fights: (1) Gary Russell Jr vs Rey Vargas, TBA … (2) Kid Galahad vs Jazza Dickens, TBA … (5) Mauricio Lara vs (6) Josh Warrington, TBA

Notes: It goes to figure that the week I take off, not only did Showtime put on a fight I actually wanted to see instead of a Charlo-Montiel or Colbert-Gamboa, but it turned out to be a predictably very good fight. Brandon Figueroa’s career-best win over Luis Nery didn’t come easy, but it was legit. I sat down with it on Sunday afternoon. Damn good fight, I had it even after six, and then Figueroa got him out.

I do think Nery at 122 is just not what he was at 118, and what he was at 118 has some asterisks, too. Nery is still dangerous in this division — I’m not dropping him dramatically because that back end of the top 10 is solid but far from spectacular, with three pretty proven commodities and Ra’eese Aleem. But I think the top guys are all tough for him on paper, too.

Figueroa pops up to No. 3, though Danny Roman also did win on the show. Figueroa’s statement win over Nery deserves that, with due respect to Roman, a fighter I really like. Figueroa’s now set for Sept. 11, when he faces Stephen Fulton Jr in a unification bout. That one could be fantastic, and it’s a great matchup.

Upcoming Fights: (2) Stephen Fulton Jr vs (3) Brandon Figueroa, Sept. 11 … (1) Murodjon Akhmadaliev vs (8) Ronny Rios, TBA

Upcoming Fights: (2) Nordine Oubaali vs (3) Nonito Donaire, May 29 … (1) Naoya Inoue vs Michael Dasmarinas, June 19 … (4) John Riel Casimero vs (5) Guillermo Rigondeaux, Aug. 14

Upcoming Fights: (1) Juan Francisco Estrada vs (4) Chocolatito Gonzalez, TBA … (3) Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs Carlos Cuadras, TBA

Upcoming Fights: TBA

Upcoming Fights: (7) Jonathan Gonzalez vs Armando Torres, May 21

Upcoming Fights: (9) Ginjiro Shigeoka vs Toshiki Kawamitsu, May 23 … (1) Knockout CP Freshmart vs Pongsaklek Sithdabnij, May 29

Upcoming Fights: (2) Naoya Inoue vs Michael Dasmarinas, June 19 … (5) Teofimo Lopez vs George Kambosos Jr, June 19 … (7) Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Masayoshi Nakatani, June 26 … (10) Jermell Charlo vs Brian Castano, July 17 … (8) Juan Francisco Estrada vs Chocolatito Gonzalez, TBA … (9) Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua, TBA

Upcoming Fights: (7) Mikaela Mayer vs Erica Farias, June 19