The Boxrec Rating System

The Boxrec rating system has been driving me nuts for years. They keep changing the formulas. Well, if you visit the site often enough, you know what I mean. Lately, the supporters of the new system have been explaining to critics like myself that the new system is supposed to be an objective formula that can predict the systems of fights.

Uh, okay.Well let's put it to the test.

As a bored college student with little to do over the summer, I've decided to track fights and results using the Boxrec ratings to see how accurate it is at predicting results. The fights listed here consist of scheduled bouts with fighters that have a rating difference of no more than 30. The ratings are in parenthesis:

May 18, 2006

Julio Diaz (#7) vs. Ricky Quiles (#31)

Notes: This is for the IBF Interim lightweight title, 12 rounds. Quiles is rated #1 by the IBF, Diaz is #3.

Vladim Tokarev (#4) vs. Felix Cora (#12)

Notes: This is for the NABF Cruiserweight title, either 10 or 12 rounds, I'm not exactly sure. Cora is rated #10 WBC and #11 IBF. Tokarev is rated #11 WBA and #12 WBO. Boxrec favors the Russian in this one.

Jason Estrada (#114) vs. Robert Wiggins (#138)

Notes: This is a ten rounder and a big step up for Estrada, who Boxrec has above Wiggins, despite only having five professional wins.