Photo: Geoffrey Knott/Matchroom Boxing The 10 most underrated current world titleholdersBy Lucas KetelleWho are the most underrated titleholders currently in boxing? One of them – IBF lightweight titleholder Raymond Muratalla – will face unbeaten Cuban Olympian Andy Cruz on Saturday at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Nevada. It will be Muratalla’s first defense after winning the vacant belt against Zaur Abduallaev in May. What makes someone underrated? Well, it is the exact opposite of someone who is overrated, as obvious as that may be. Fighting in a lower-profile division where visibility is limited. Having their spotlight dwarfed by a bigger star who overshadows their talents.Making title defenses look easy, but lacking viral moments in the fight or even in interviews.It isn’t necessarily one thing that makes a fighter underrated, but a combination of many factors. Let’s look at some of the current beltholders who might be getting overlooked:10. Carlos Adames Record: 24-1-1 (18 KOs)Weight class: MiddleweightTitle: WBCThe middleweight division has seemingly hit the pause button since Gennadiy Golovkin and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez left. Adames showed his merit by fighting to a draw with Hamzah Sheeraz, which some felt he should have won. Adames is unbeaten in seven fights and has held a form of the WBC title since 2022, and was elevated to its primary titleholder in 2024. A physical puncher with good reflexes and an ability to set traps with his boxing skills, Adames is not always the first name you think of. This could be because of his inactivity, fighting once a year since 2022, but he has been rock solid and is showing longevity in the modern era. Adames will face Austin “Ammo” Williams on January 31. A win here, and we could argue that he is the best middleweight in the world. 9. Cherneka JohnsonRecord: 19-2 (8 KOs) Weight class: BantamweightTitles: Undisputed Johnson, the undisputed bantamweight champion, has been on one of the better recent championship runs since her loss to Ellie Scotney at junior featherweight in 2023. Johnson defeated Nina Hughes twice, with the second fight being a stoppage. She followed that with a stoppage of IBF titleholder Shurretta Metcalf, and then defeated unbeaten Amanda Galle in an entertaining fight in December. Johnson has a star quality, but also ability in the ring, and is one of the more exciting titleholders in women’s boxing who often gets…
2026-01-20 10:00:00
The 10 most underrated current world titleholders
