An Empty Throne: The Battle for the Junior Middleweight Division
- Bernard Neequaye
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
The junior middleweight division is the gift that keeps on giving. For more than a decade, 154 has been arguably the hottest weight class in the sport. Today’s current era might be the best of the bunch. What defines it isn’t a single ruler, but champions consolidating their positions, contenders circling for opportunity, and high-profile names with the potential to disrupt everything.
But who will emerge as the top dog? Here are the candidates:
The Champions
Sebastian Fundora
At the forefront stands 28-year-old Sebastian Fundora, the WBC titleholder. Fundora’s resume reflects the kind of opposition that has defined the junior middleweight division. Victories over Tim Tszyu, Erickson Lubin and Keith Thurman have positioned him as both a champion and a reference point. Fundora (24-1-1, 16 KOs) is a physical cheat code. Standing a gangly 6-foot-6, the “Towering Inferno” uses his Dhalsim-like 80-inch reach to keep opponents at the end of his punches and punish them for as long as they can take it.
Xander Zayas
Puerto Rico’s Xander Zayas (23-0, 13 KOs) holds the WBO and WBA titles and represents the division’s next generation. While his resume is still maturing, the 23-year-old Zayas’ possesses technical discipline and a high ring IQ– with the confidence to boot. Is he the real deal? We’ll soon find out when he faces ultra-talented pound for pound entrant Jaron “Boots” Ennis on June 27. A win catapults Zayas to the top of this list.
Josh Kelly
Englishman Josh Kelly is also champion in the divisionand a sleeper. Kelly nabbed the IBF strap with an upset decision win over Russia’s Bakhram Murtazaliev in January. Known as the “Pretty Boy,” Kelly (18-1-1, 9 KOs) blends skill with showmanship inside the ring. Now coming into his own at age 32, he has a chance to become Britain’s greatest 154-pounder, especially if talks of a potential unification with Fundora lead to a fight.
Contenders
Jaron Ennis
The former unified welterweight champion, Jaron “Boots” Ennis is primed to stamp his ticket to the Hall of Fame at 154. Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) is arguably the world’s most talented fighter, blessed with unreal athleticism, speed and power. And just a month away from his 29th birthday, he’s entering his prime boxing years. Still, questions remain regarding the skilled Philadelphia product. Fans want him subjected to further testing while Ennis says the outcome will remain the same. Expect some answers when he and Zayas throw down on June 27.
Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Unbeaten with a high knockout ratio, Vergil Ortiz (24-0, 22 KOs) has already secured wins over credible opponents like Israil Madrimov and Erickson Lubin. An explosive boxer-puncher, Ortiz’s composed pressure style could make himthe division’s eventual standard-bearer. Currently sidelined due to a legal issue with his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions, Ortiz still has time at age 28 but must soon get back into the ring if he plans to keep pace with the division’s elite.
Israil Madrimov
Israil Madrimov (11-2-1, 7 KOs) occupies a unique space within the contender class. Despite a modest record, his competitive showings against elite fighters such as Terence Crawford and Vergil Ortiz underscore a level of high technical ability that few can match. Despite not having signature victories, Madrimov remains just outside the elite tier but is a threat to defeat them all.
Tim Tszyu
Tim Tszyu, 31, 27-3 (18 KOs), appeared headed for a world title until a disappointing 2024. It began with a bloody points loss to Fundora in March, a defeat he didn’t seem to have recovered from when Bakhram Murtazaliev stopped him in October of that year. Fundora would go on to topple Tszyu in their rematch last July but the Aussie has since won two in a row and could earn himself another world title shot if he is able to get past a big name in Errol Spence on July 25.
The Wildcard
Jermell Charlo
No discussion of the division is complete without Jermell Charlo, the former undisputed junior middleweight champion who never lost his titles in the ring. Charlo’s runset the benchmark for excellence at 154. His ability to blend power with tactical adjustments allowed him to unify the division and become the first undisputed 154-pound world champion in the four-belt era. Charlo, 36, hasn’t fought since moving up to 168 and dropping a decision to Canelo Alvarez in 2023. Whether he reclaims a central role or remains a lingering “what if” will shape the division’s narrative moving forward.
The Darkhorse
Errol Spence Jr.
Lurking just outside the established order is Errol Spence Jr., whose move to junior middleweight represents both opportunity and uncertainty. Spence’s reputation was built at welterweight, where he became one of the great fighters of this era. But which Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) will we seeagainst Tszyu when they throw down on July 25? He hasn’t fought since July 2023—and that was a one-sided drubbing at the hands of Terence Crawford. Has the time away dulled his skillset? Is he even the same fighter at 36? We’ll soon find out.
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