European Light-Heavyweight Rankings 1995

[james_leeds]

A really good set of fighters from this year in Europe. An IBF champion, WBC champion, WBO champion and every other fghter had won a title of some sort. Any thoughts?

1. Henry Maske (IBF Champion)
2. Fabrice Tiozzo (WBC Champion)
3. Dariusz Michalczeswki (WBO champion)
4. Eddy Smulders (European Champion)
5. Crawford Ashley (British Champion)
6. Noel Magee (Commonwealth Champion)
7. Graciano Rocchigiani (former IBF Super-middleweight champion)
8. Phillip Michel (French Champion)
9. Garry Delaney (former Commonwealth champion)
10. Maurice Core (Former British Champion)

[orbtastic]

Seems strange having Magee, Core & Ashley in there and not Piper?

[james_leeds]

These were the summer rankings before Piper had beaten Magee to win Commonwealth title.

[orbtastic]

From where, if you don't mind me asking?

I think Piper deserved to be well up in those rankings, even before the win over Magee.

He'd only lost out to Ashley by the slimmest of margins (I think it was by half a point) and had put up a decent showing in title challenge to Barber the year before.

[james_leeds]

The rankings were from Boxing Illustrated summer 1995. Also the Boxing news had Piper at number 5 in Britain before the Magee fight behind Ashley, Core, Magee and Delaney. Also Piper had only won 3 of his last 6 fights, 2 defeats against the fighters you mentioned (also lost to Ashley by 1 and a half points), he also drew a fight in his home town against Frank Rhodes Cardiff. Piper obviously went on to beat Magee in Sept in a great fight and then Bruce Scott the following year so he would have been in the top 5-6 in 1996-1997 im sure.

[orbtastic]

Who do they have in their world rankings for the same year?

Toney, Griffin, Del Valle, PCW, Sosa? I remember Ring were high on Guthrie for ages, he soon was exposed.

The CBZ rankings for that period don't exactly sing its praises.

[james_leeds]

Yeah after the 4 world champions Toney, Griffen, Sosa, Del Valle, Jose Gomez, Duran Williams (not sure what he did), also former champ Mike McCallum as well.