The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings: 1987

As selected by The Ring magazine in the April 1988 issue.

Heavyweights	Light Heavyweights	Middleweights
Michael Spinks, Champion Mike Tyson Evander Holyfield Tony Tucker Tim Witherspoon Pinklon Thomas Carl Williams Trevor Berbick Adilson Rodrigues Tyrell Biggs Mike Weaver	Title Vacant Charles Williams Virgil Hill Bobby Czyz Leslie Stewart Dennis Andries Tony Willis Donny Lalonde Chong-Pal Park Lindell Holmes Ramzi Hassan	Title Vacant Thomas Hearns Marvin Hagler Frank Tate Sumbu Kalambay Mike McCallum Michael Nunn Michael Olajide Iran Barkley Matthew Hilton Herol Graham

Welterweights	Lightweights	Featherweights
Jorge Vaca, Champion Marlon Starling Lloyd Honeyghan Maurice Blocker Mark Breland Simon Brown Rollin Williams Juan Martin Coggi Tyrone Trice Roger Mayweather Frankie Warren	Title Vacant Julio Cesar Chavez Vinny Pazienza Pernell Whitaker Jose Luis Ramirez Edwin Rosario Meldrick Taylor Greg Haugen Primo Ramos Rocky Lockridge Amancio Castro	Antonio Esparragoza, Champion Azumah Nelson Jeff Fenech Calvin Grove Julio Gervacio Jeff Franklin Victor Callejas Hector Lopez Marcos Villasana Steve Cruz Louie Espinoza

Bantamweights	Flyweights
Title Vacant Miguel Lora Khaosai Galaxy Sugar Baby Rojas Kelvin Seabrooks Raul Perez Wilfredo Vazquez Santos Benigno Laciar Gilberto Roman Frankie Duarte Gaby Canizales	Sot Chitalada, Champion Jung-Koo Chang Fidel Bassa Myung-Woo Yuh Hilario Zapata Chang Ho Choi Gabriel Bernal Dodie Boy Penalosa Paul Gonzales Benedicto Murillo Duke McKenzie

RING Magazine made an editorial decision to only rank the Original Eight weight classes this year. However, the other weight classes were still fully functioning and had title fights and regular bouts throughout the year. Since RING Magazine decided not to rank those fighters, another boxing publication of the time, KO Magazine, which later merged with the RING, ranked five other divisions. Those ratings are given here to show who the best fighters were at the time in those divisions. They are the cruiserweight, junior middleweight, junior welterweight, junior lightweight, and junior featherweight divisions. KO Magazine also did a Pound for Pound Ranking. Those six rankings are given below (Thru Jan 15, 1988):

Cruiserweights	Junior Middleweights	Junior Welterweights
Title Vacant Evander Holyfield Carlos DeLeon Bert Cooper Patrick Lumumba Dwight Muhammad Qawi Ricky Parkey Alfonzo Ratliff Lee Roy Murphy Michael Greer Ossie Ocasio	Title Vacant Matthew Hilton Gianfranco Rosi Buster Drayton Donald Curry Milton McCrory Julian Jackson Carlos Santos Lupe Aquino Duane Thomas John Mugabi	Title Vacant Meldrick Taylor Frankie Warren Juan Martin Coggi Harold Brazier Roger Mayweather Buddy McGirt Hector Camacho Rene Arredondo Tsuyoshi Hamada Howard Davis

Junior Lightweights	Junior Featherweights	Pound For Pound
Title Vacant Rocky Lockridge Brian Mitchell Mario Martinez Lupe Suarez Juan La Porte Jean-Marc Renard Mario Miranda Harold Knight Johnny De La Rosa Joe Rivera	Title Vacant Jeff Fenech Seung Hoon Lee Julio Gervacio Louie Espinoza Jesse Benavides Loris Stecca Daniel Zaragoza James Pipps Jose Sanabria Aaron Lopez	Mike Tyson Michael Spinks Evander Holyfield Julio Cesar Chavez Thomas Hearns Mike McCallum Azumah Nelson Jung Koo Chang Miguel Lora Jeff Fenech