The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings: 1988

As selected by The Ring magazine in the May 1989 issue.

Heavyweights	Light Heavyweights	Middleweights
Mike Tyson, Champion Evander Holyfield Carl Williams Adilson Rodrigues Tim Witherspoon Michael Dokes Razor Ruddock Tony Tucker Orlin Norris James (Buster) Douglas Francesco Damiani	Title Vacant Charles Williams Virgil Hill Sugar Ray Leonard Dennis Andries Donny Lalonde Tony Willis Bobby Czyz Lindell Holmes Graciano Rocchigiani Joe Lasisi	Sumbu Kalambay, Champion Michael Nunn Sugar Ray Leonard Roberto Duran Iran Barkley Thomas Hearns Herol Graham Mike McCallum Darrin Van Horn Julian Jackson Rene Jacquot

Welterweights	Lightweights	Featherweights
Marlon Starling, Champion Simon Brown Lloyd Honeyghan Maurice Blocker Mark Breland Tomas Molinares Roger Mayweather Meldrick Taylor Juan Martin Coggi Manning Galloway Tyrone Trice	Julio Cesar Chavez, Champion Pernell Whitaker Jose Luis Ramirez Greg Haugen Edwin Rosario Azumah Nelson Amancio Castro Tony Lopez Anthony Jones Rocky Lockridge Brian Mitchell	Antonio Esparragoza, Champion Jeff Fenech Jorge Paez Calvin Grove Marcos Villasana Juan Jose Estrada Jeff Franklin Hector Lopez Jesus Poll Louie Espinoza Jose Sanabria

Bantamweights	Flyweights
Title Vacant Raul Perez Khaosai Galaxy Miguel Lora Gilberto Roman Orlando Canizales Sung-Kil Moon Juan Carazo Santos Benigno Laciar Kelvin Seabrooks Khaokor Galaxy	Yong Kang Kim, Champion Jung-Koo Chang Sot Chitalada Fidel Bassa Myung-Woo Yuh Duke McKenzie Dodie Boy Penalosa Miguel Mercedes Humberto Gonzalez Ray Medel Julio Gudino

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 Dec 25, 1988):

Cruiserweights	Junior Middleweights	Junior Welterweights
Title Vacant Carlos DeLeon Patrick Lumumba Michael Greer Everett Martin Bert Cooper Dwight Muhammad Qawi Sammy Reeson Glenn McCrory Taoufik Belbouli Ralf Rocchigiani	Title Vacant Donald Curry Julian Jackson Robert Hines Matthew Hilton Gianfranco Rosi John Mugabi Darrin Van Horn John David Jackson Terry Norris Jose Varela (of Germany)	Title Vacant Meldrick Taylor Roger Mayweather Buddy McGirt Juan Martin Coggi Harold Brazier Frankie Warren Hector Camacho John Meekins Vinny Pazienza Rodolfo Aguilar

Junior Lightweights	Junior Featherweights	Pound For Pound
Title Vacant Azumah Nelson Tony Lopez Brian Mitchell Rocky Lockridge Mario Martinez Lupe Suarez Juan La Porte Harold Knight Barry McGuigan Mario Miranda	Title Vacant Daniel Zaragoza Jose Sanabria Juan Jose Estrada Seung Hoon Lee Julio Gervacio Jesus Poll Louie Espinoza Pedro Decima Jesse Benavides Loris Stecca	Mike Tyson Julio Cesar Chavez Jeff Fenech Evander Holyfield Michael Nunn Sugar Ray Leonard Azumah Nelson Antonio Esparragoza Virgil Hill Sumbu Kalambay