The state of the Division - Super Bantamweight - The Champions

The Super Bantamweight division is unlike most divisions in the sport right now. It has a WBC "interim" champion, which most don't but also lacks in fast rising prospects, with one or two exceptions, and it also has a huge wealth off contenders, many of which are proven at world level having been former champions, or have earned shots at the top.

We'll start by looking at the champions.

Emanuel Navarrete (26-1, 22) - WBO (0 defenses)
The newest champion in the division is Mexican fighter Emanuel Navarrete, who upset Isaac Dogboe for the title in December, in one of the notable upsets from the final part of the year. The 23 year old proved against Dogboe that he was tough, hard working, had very good power and was very physically imposing at the weight. Navarrete's sole defeat came way back in July 2012, when he lost in the Cinturon de Oro XVIII final, though was crowned the champion due to Argueta not making it to the weigh in. Since that loss, when Navarrete was 17, he has gone 21-0 (17). The win over Dogboe aside it's fair to say Navarrete hasn't got much on his record in terms of quality, but that one win is genuinely huge and showed that the Mexican youngster is a real handful, for anyone.
 
Rey Vargas (32-0, 22) - WBC (3 defenses)
The longest reigning active champion in the division right now is WBC champion Rey Vargas, who looks like a wonderfully talented fighter, with brilliant outside boxing skills. Sadly the 28 year old hasn't really shined since winning the title, which he did in the UK against Gavin McDonnell, and his 3 defenses have all lacked in terms of action and drama. He's talented but doesn't seem to have the mentality to become a star, or the style to really excite. Able to box off the back foot Vargas is a fighter who doesn't have a typical Mexican style, but is incredibly skilled, and knows how to use the ring and his size really well. At the time of writing he's pencilled in to defend his title on February 9th against Franklin Manzanilla in California.
 
Daniel Roman (26-2-1, 10) - WBA (3 defenses)
WBA champion Daniel Roman really has had a strange, and very impressive, career. He was 2-1-1 after his first 4 bouts and 8-2-1 after 11 bouts, but has since reeled off 18 straight wins and beaten the likes of Christopher Martin, Daniel Noriega, Christian Esquivel, Shun Kubo, Ryo Mtasumoto, Moises Flores and Gavin McDonnell. The American hasn't just done it on his own door step, but has scored two good wins on Japanese soil, winning the title from Kubo in Kyoto and then defeating Matsumoto in Tokyo. Roman isn't a heavy handed fighter, or the quickest fighter, but he's a fighter who is very consistent, does everything behind a high work rate and is incredibly accurate. Watching him you don't see a special fighter, but the truth is that you see a fighter who is so good in so many ways that there's not a clear gameplan to use against him. A really impressive fighter who is technically solid, as opposed to physically gifted.
 
TJ Doheny (20-0, 14) - IBF (0 defenses)
Irish born Australian based southpaw TJ Doheny scored a career best win back in August to take the IBF title from Ryosuke Iwasa. He's not defended the belt since, though will now be expected to make his first defense in early 2019. Against Iwasa we saw Doheny show that there was a lot to his game, as he battled through a cut to neutralise Iwasa and clearly out box him, despite some atrocious commentary suggesting the bout was a robbery. At 32 Doheny is unlikely to have a long reign, but he could either take an easy first defense, or look to take the best pay day on offer. It's going to be very interesting to see what he does next, and he certainly looks to be the weakest of the champions at the moment.
 
Tomoki Kameda (36-2, 20) - WBC "interim" (0 defenses)
Japan's Tomoki Kameda picked up the WBC's "interim" title in November, during a time when Rey Vargas was out of the ring with health issues. The talented Kameda, best known for his reign as the WBO Bantamweight champion as the youngest of the 3 fighting brothers from the Kameda family, looked great for 6 rounds in his title win against Abigail Medina but, as he slowed down he began to look human and Medina certainly had his moments in the second half of their fight. At his best Kameda is a razor sharp boxer-mover, though he has almost no power at world level, despite his memorable KO win over Pungluang Sor Singyu, and as a result he's always going to have to rely on his skills, toughness and stamina to get over the line. A talented fighter without a doubt, but one who certainly seems unlikely to have a long reign here.