Teddy Atlas on the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board

Teddy Atlas on the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board
Mark E. Ortega
April 5, 2013

Last Friday, ESPN2 Friday Night Fights commentator Teddy Atlas talked about the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board on the air. I talked to Atlas prior to them going on the air tonight and this is what he shared with me.

“Boxing needs help in those areas,” said Atlas, when I asked him why he got behind the TBRB. “They're legitimate guys, caring guys. Honest writers, pros, with a commitment to bettering boxing in those areas.”

“I talked to Springs Toledo,” said Atlas when asked how he became aware of the TBRB. “I told him, 'Send me the literature'. I saw it, asked questions, and said I decided I'm going to support it.”

Up until a few years ago, ESPN had embraced RING Magazine's ratings as their way of cutting out the alphabet organizations.

“Ring Magazine is controlled by a promoter,” said Atlas in regards to why they stopped using those rankings. “You don't think there's a conflict of interest? Are you serious?”

Being a writer for RING as well as a member of their ratings panel, I can tell you that there has never been any influence for us to move Golden Boy fighters up the rankings. In fact, that wasn't why writers Toledo, Tim Starks, or Cliff Rold left the rankings. They left because a new championship policy was adapted, which allows for fighters ranked #1 through #5 to potentially vie for vacant RING titles.

In the case of April 20th's junior middleweight bout between Saul Alvarez and Austin Trout, ranked #2 and #3 at 154 pounds by RING respectively, that is what will happen, and I think it makes sense. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is currently the #1 at 154 pounds, and with his fight on May 4^th with Robert Guerrero taking place at 147 pounds, the next two ranked challengers should be able to vie for the vacant title.

I personally had an issue with the new championship policy, and interacted with Doug Fischer in regards to his over Twitter when it was announced. He explained to me that while the new policy allows for fighters ranked #1 through #5 to fight for a vacant title, it wouldn't happen on every occasion and would have to be the right circumstance. To date, we haven't seen a vacant title awarded over any ridiculous matchup like that.

Back to Atlas and his comments. When asked why ESPN originally adopted RING's rankings, this is what he had to say.

“They were grabbing at straws, anything that seemed like a good idea,” said Atlas. “I don't want to grab at straws. I want to get behind something I can say, 'This is a better solution.'

As a member of the RING Ratings panel, I can assure Atlas and others there is no funny business going on in regards to the treatment of Golden Boy fighters in the rankings. On the other hand, if you have a problem with the way we may more liberally look to fill vacancies, the the TBRB is a good alternative. I support them and their hard work, though I think the RING rankings do a great job of filling in fans on where fighters fit in.