British Pound-for-Pound Rankings at the End of 2015

It has been a sensational 12 months for British boxing.

There are now a dozen Brits who can boast about being world champions, while several others are waiting for their opportunities.

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have helped the heavyweight division come back to life.

There are also some huge domestic bouts already signed for next year, including Carl Frampton against Scott Quigg and Terry Flanagan against Derry Mathews.

Kell Brook and Amir Khan could happen too, making 2016 as appetising as the Christmas turkey with all the trimmings.

So, with 2015 coming to a close, it is time to take stock and compile the year-ending pound-for-pound rankings.

First, a reminder of the selection process. 

This list is not about potential or previous achievements in years gone by. Recent results matter the most, though obviously a fighter who has had past success deserves some credit.

Also, there is no complicated formula in place to work out who goes where. It's all a matter of opinion.

Before reading, feel free to go back and familiarise yourself with the rankings after the third quarter of the year.

There are two fighters who have dropped out of the top 20 following the latest update.

Kevin Mitchell's reputation took a hit when he was stopped in Round 5 by Ismael Barroso in December at the O2 Arena in London.

It was a second successive defeat for The Hammer (previously ranked at 19), who had put up a brave display against WBC lightweight champion Jorge Linares in May before losing by TKO in Round 10.

Martin Murray's name is also missing, as he pays the price for a fourth failed attempt to win a world title.

A split-decision defeat at the hands of Arthur Abraham saw Murray (who had been at 14 in the rankings in October) miss out on becoming the WBO super middleweight champion on German soil.

George Groves also knows plenty about falling short at the final hurdle, and he is another notable absentee.

Experienced campaigners Ricky Burns and Nathan Cleverly failed to make the cut, while a shock defeat in December for Luke Campbell cost him any chance of a spot.

Other notable contenders who didn't quite squeeze in include: Ola Afolabi, Nick Blackwell, Paul Butler, Liam Walsh and Khalid Yafai.

However, none of the above managed to earn a place. It is time now to find out who did.

Previous position: New entry

Record: 15-0 (15 KOs)

Next opponent: TBC (April 9)

Despite a scare against Dillian Whyte in December, Anthony Joshua remains perfect in his career. He has now had 15 wins inside the distance as a pro.

After he avenged a loss to Whyte in the amateurs with a brutal TKO in Round 7, Joshua's bandwagon is becoming so packed that there's now standing room only.

The bout did see the 2012 Olympic champion have his chin tested for the first time, as he was wobbled in Round 2 of an ill-tempered contest.

However, the heavyweight prospect has become British and Commonwealth champion during 2015. He's also now cracked Bleacher Report's pound-for-pound list for the first time.

Previous position: New entry

Record: 18-0 (13 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Callum Smith breaks into the top 20 for the first time too, following his demolition job on Rocky Fielding.

Mundo made light work of his fellow Liverpudlian on November 7, knocking Fielding down three times as the much-anticipated bout failed to make it beyond Round 1.

The 25-year-old claimed the British title with an 18th straight victory, though he has both the size (he stands at 6'3") and power to suggest he can go much further than just domestic level.

Previous position: 20

Record: 23-1 (13 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Super featherweight Stephen Smith is just waiting to find out where and when he will get his shot at a world title.

Per Phil D. Jay of World Boxing News, Swifty has agreed terms to face reigning IBF champion Jose Pedraza. All that needs sorting out now is an exact date and venue for the bout.

Smith—the second oldest of four fighting siblings—became the next in line to face Pedraza with a seventh-round stoppage of Devis Boschiero in Liverpool, England, in September.

He has moved up a couple of spots in the rankings, but has younger brother Callum breathing down his neck.

Previous position: 16

Record: 22-0 (4 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Josh Warrington and fellow pound-for-pound rankings member Lee Selby are on a collision course.

Welshman Selby holds the IBF featherweight title and is keen for a summer showdown between the two Brits, per Sky Sports: "I want to get back in February, over here, not in the States. It looks like it will be mandatory then Warrington in the summer. That's what I want."

Warrington—who was a dental technician before focusing on his boxing full time—won the Commonwealth and WBC International titles by beating Australian Joel Brunker on points in September.

He was scheduled to fight Jorge Sanchez of Panama at the O2 Arena on December 12, but a virus forced him to pull out.

Previous position: 13

Record: 38-9-2 (20 KOs)

Next opponent: Terry Flanagan (February 13)

Liverpool's Derry Mathews has home advantage on February 13 when he faces Manchester's WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan at the Echo Arena.

"Dirty" Derry had seemingly put himself at the front of the queue to fight for the WBA title by beating Tony Luis on points in April.

Mathews did have cause to celebrate before the end of 2015—he was given a special recognition award to mark his efforts in the community through his boxing gym.

The 32-year-old said of the honour, per Micheal McKenna of the Liverpool Echo: "I'm very happy to receive such a great gesture of recognition. I do this for the kids, to give them something to be proud of."

Previous position: 17

Record: 26-2-1 (16 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Tony Bellew can be seen fighting from January 15 in 2016, although you probably don't need to watch to work out the result.

The Liverpudlian plays "Pretty" Ricky Conlan—rival to main character Adonis Johnson—in the film Creed, the latest chapter in the collection of Rocky movies.

After his stint as an actor, Bellew got back down to boxing for real in the summer. He reeled off two comfortable victories before facing Mateusz Masternak for the European cruiserweight title.

The Bomber claimed the belt with a unanimous points win. Now he will hope to get another chance at a world title, though only after a few promotional duties for his film debut.

Previous position: 12

Record: 21-1 (16 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Chris Eubank Jr. has bounced back with three straight wins since suffering a first career defeat at the hands of Billy Joe Saunders in November 2014.

Dmitry Chudinov proved a tough nut to crack in February, Eubank Jr. eventually winning by TKO in Round 12, but Tony Jeter was a breeze on his Sky Sports debut in October.

The 26-year-old was back out again the following month, making Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan pay for kissing him at the weigh-in with a dominant display that led to his opponent being retired by his corner after Round 7.

Granted an early release from his contract with promoters Matchroom, it will be fascinating to see the direction Eubank Jr. takes with his career in 2016.

Previous position: 10

Record: 32-3 (14 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Lee Haskins managed to become a world champion without having to throw a punch against Randy Caballero.

Haskins had travelled to Las Vegas to take on the IBF champion—only for Caballero to then fail to make weight. The American was stripped of his title and the challenger was crowned.

The 32-year-old bantamweight does slip out of the top 10 pound-for-pound rankings, but that should not detract from his achievement.

It might seem harsh for Haskins to drop down the charts, but it also shows the level of success British fighters have enjoyed during 2015.

Previous position: 15

Record: 22-0-1 (12 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Liam Smith made a bit of family history when he became the first of the four fighting siblings to win a world title.

Beefy bagged the vacant WBO super welterweight crown by stopping American John Thompson at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, in October.

He returned to the same venue for his first defence, stopping local fighter Jimmy Kelly in Round 7.

Smith has now recorded seven wins on the spin inside the distance.

Previous position: 18

Record: 23-0 (12 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Billy Joe Saunders enjoys a substantial rise in the rankings following his victory over Andy Lee on December 19.

The southpaw secured the WBO middleweight title from Irishman Lee with a points triumph at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

The result maintained Saunders' perfect record as a professional. It also could lead to some money-spinning fights in the future.

However, he has one name on top of his Christmas list, telling Andrew Franczak of the Hertfordshire Mercury: "I'd love to fight (Miguel) Cotto—that would be a dream fight."

Previous position: 11

Record: 30-4-3 (12 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Anthony Crolla's astonishing year sees him claim a place in the top 10 of the pound-for-pound rankings. Oh, and he also won the WBA lightweight title.

Million Dollar Crolla was left hospitalised in December 2014 after an attempt to stop a burglary left him with a fractured skull and a broken ankle.

At one stage there were fears his boxing career could be over. The 29-year-old told Gareth A Davies of the Telegraph: "I had some very dark days. I couldn't contemplate not boxing. I was thinking if I don't get medical clearance, what am I going to do with my life?"

Thankfully, he was cleared to fight on. After a disappointing points loss to Darleys Perez in July, Crolla had his moment of redemption in the rematch four months later.

The win capped a stunning comeback for one of the most popular fighters in the game.

As promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports: "I'm not sure you could meet a nicer man in the world, let alone boxing."

Previous position: 8

Record: 29-0 (12 KOs)

Next opponent: Derry Mathews (February 13)

Terry Flanagan—who holds the WBO belt—is the leading lightweight in the top 20.

Turbo benefited from Jose Zepeda suffering a dislocated shoulder in Round 2 of their July bout, as he claimed the vacant title on home soil in Manchester.

The southpaw successfully defended the crown once in 2015, flattening Diego Magdaleno inside six minutes.

Flanagan is signed to face fellow Englishman Derry Mathews early in 2016. The pair had been due to meet on December 19, but the bout was pushed back. Don't worry, it should be worth the wait.

Previous position: 7

Record: 22-1 (8 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Lee Selby became the 12th Welshman to win a world title when he defeated Evgeny Gradovich via a technical decision.

An accidental clash of heads left Gradovich with a nasty cut and caused the May bout to be ended early in London. Selby took the title, as he was well ahead on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage.

The Barry Boy Assassin travelled to the United States for his first defence, seeing off Fernando Montiel in Arizona.

It was a somewhat underwhelming debut on Premier Boxing Champions for Selby, who has now signed up to work with advisor Al Haymon. But crucially, he returned home with the belt.

Previous position: 5

Record: 21-0 (14 KOs)

Next opponent: Scott Quigg (February 27)

It has been a year of contrasts for Carl Frampton.

The Northern Irishman dazzled against Chris Avalos in his home city of Belfast in February, retaining his IBF super bantamweight title with a TKO in Round 5.

However, he was disappointing in his American debut against the unheralded Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. 

Frampton was twice dropped to the canvas in a dramatic opening round in El Paso, Texas. He overcame the shocking start to win comfortably on points.

Now The Jackal is booked to face rival Scott Quigg early in 2016. The tension between the pair on the three-city press tour only whetted the appetite for a bout that has been a long time in the making.

Previous position: 4

Record: 31-0-2 (23 KOs)

Next opponent: Carl Frampton (February 27)

Scott Quigg slips back a couple of places, though he will be on the move when the first edition of the rankings appear after the first quarter of 2016.

The reigning WBA super bantamweight champion will have home advantage in Manchester, England, when he takes on Carl Frampton in February.

The world champions travelled to London, Manchester and Belfast to promote the bout. The tour obviously worked, as tickets sold out in minutes, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

Quigg is just ahead of Frampton in the rankings due to his two-round demolition of Spain's Kiko Martinez in July.

Previous position: 3

Record: 31-3 (19 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Amir Khan slips down the list after a rather disappointing 2015, at least in terms of his boxing career.

The Bolton boxer has only fought once over the past 12 months, beating Chris Algieri on points in Brooklyn, New York.

However, considering his performance in a win over Devon Alexander in December 2014, Khan's display against Algieri was underwhelming to say the least.

Khan's pursuit of Floyd Mayweather Jr. failed to pay off, while it seems the potential for a fight against Manny Pacquiao may also have bitten the dust, per Doc Lopez of the Latin Post.

Still, the 29-year-old has been busy away from the ring with the Amir Khan Foundation. He provided aid for Syrian refugees in Greece and also travelled to Carlisle, England, to help those affected by floods.

Amir, you're a star for your humanitarian work, but it would be good to see you making headlines for your boxing exploits in 2016.

Previous position: 6

Record: 22-1 (14 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

James DeGale is moving in the right direction in the rankings.

The Londoner climbs into the top five after successfully defending his IBF super middleweight title against Lucian Bute in Canada.

Chunky recorded a unanimous points victory over the former champion in a thrilling fight in Quebec City, though it was overshadowed somewhat by Tyson Fury's clash with Wladimir Klitschko on the same date.

Still, DeGale believes his reputation is growing, telling Paul Hayward of the Telegraph: "Maybe I just appealed to the boxing aficionados when I first started out but I seem to have clicked with people now."

Previous position: 2

Record: 27-2-1 (12 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Jamie McDonnell enjoyed defeating Tomoki Kameda in Texas to such an extent that he decided to go back and do it all over again.

The WBA bantamweight champion twice travelled across the Atlantic to face Japanese rival Kameda, who had not been beaten as a pro before coming across McDonnell.

The 29-year-old from Doncaster, England, was dropped to the canvas in the first meeting in May, but recovered from the setback in Round 3 to win on the scorecards.

The rematch in September saw another knockdown, although it was Kameda who was the one to visit the floor. Boosted by a 10-8 round to finish, McDonnell was a comfortable winner on points.

Previous position: 1

Record: 35-0 (24 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

Kell Brook is usurped from the top spot, although that is through no fault of his own.

The Sheffield welterweight defended his IBF title twice in the first half of 2015, starting with a win over mandatory challenger Jo Jo Dan in March.

He also defeated fellow Englishman Frankie Gavin in May, though an October bout against Diego Chaves bit the dust when Brook suffered a rib injury.

Still, Special K may get the perfect present next year—a showdown against Amir Khan.

Brook's promoter, Eddie Hearn, told Gareth A Davies of the Telegraph: "Khan is not getting the Pacquiao fight. We are talking of a summer fight between Kell and Amir and I’m very hopeful of getting the fight signed."

Previous position: 9

Record: 25-0 (18 KOs)

Next opponent: TBA

The new king of the heavyweight division also finishes 2015 on top of Bleacher Report's British rankings.

Tyson Fury ended Wladimir Klitschko's long reign in November, handing the Ukrainian his first loss in 11 years and snatching away the IBO, IBF, WBA and WBO titles.

Much has been written about the Mancunian since, though not because of his achievements in the ring.

He has also lost the IBF belt already without even fighting, with the organisation stripping him of their crown.

Still, a rematch with Klitschko is in the works for some time in 2016.

Dr. Steelhammer said in a video on Facebook (h/t Sky Sports): "I was really frustrated directly after the fight but after some short nights I now know that I want to show that I am much better than my performance on Saturday."

Well, Wladimir, you surely can't be a lot worse. Trying throwing a punch second time around.

Do you agree with the final rankings for 2015? Use the comments section to have your say.