27 July 2021

Heavyweight Joe Joyce evidently reads Marvel Comics. His nom de guerre is lifted from one of its lesser-known supervillains-“Juggernaut”-and the odd helmet Joyce wore into the ring was a replica of the character’s own. Joyce was ranked #7 going into his bout with former contender Carlos Takam, his toughest opponent to date. Joyce emerges from it as the 5th-ranked heavyweight contender in the world after stopping the game but outgunned Takam in 6 rounds. 

Joyce wows no one with his speed or his basic fighting style, but his dimensions make him a truly powerful physical presence who just keeps coming. What would he do against the fast hands and advanced skill of Andy Ruiz Jr. (#4)? Would his chin hold up against Deontay Wilder (#2)? Does he have a chance against King Fury?  Let’s hope his ambition to advance toward the singular throne is as unyielding as his fighting style.  

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Boxing’s oldest publication, Boxing News (est. 1909), recently announced that it will adopt the Transnational Boxing Rankings. It has officially turned it’s back on the WBS belts, which have brought chaos and confusion into what should be the most straightforward sport on the planet. “World champions can only be created by the number 1 in a weight class fighting the number 2; or in a situation in which an existing world champion loses their title in the ring,” editor Matt Christie asserts. We have asserted this with him for 9 years, and have recognized that the first step to reform is to provide the sport with uncompromised, merit-based, and authoritative rankings with global representation. Without such rankings, the true champions cannot emerge and the confusion will only continue. That is the sole reason for the existence of this board.

Boxing News has stepped forward on behalf of the sport we love, as we have. We hope you will too. We hope this alignment will help usher in a new era of clarity and common sense. We are confident that such an era could very well return boxing to its previous status as a mainstream sport –which would be to the benefit of all.

You can help spread the word:

No more sanctioning body titles. The new Boxing News stance here

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Every member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board is a volunteer. We are on the following continents:

1. Asia
2. Australia
3. Europe
4. North America
5. South America

We represent 21 countries, including:  Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, England, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Russia, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, the United States, Vietnam, and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

A resounding thank you to all of our fans and followers who recognize that boxing needs identifiable and singular divisional champions and rankings that aren’t compromised by competing interests.