Pictured: Naoya Inoue

The junior bantamweight division has emerged as one of boxing's best. It's so good that TTR ranks boxing's #1 Pound-For-Pound performer, Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez, #2 at 115 behind Japan's "Monster", Naoya Inoue. The division also features a plethora of other standouts including Carlos Cuadras, Juan Francisco Estrada, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, John Riel Casimero, and newly crowned champs Jerwin Ancajas and Khalid Yafai.

In Part XIV of TTR's review of 2016, we'll examine how the eight previously mentioned pugilists and the five other TTR-ranked contenders for the vacant lineal junior bantamweight title did this past year.

World Champion: Vacant

1. Naoya Inoue (12-0, 10 KOs)
- 5/8- David Carmona.....W UD 12
(retained WBO title)
- 9/4- Petchbarngborn Kokietgym (birth name: Karoon Jarupianlerd).....W KO 10
(retained WBO title)
- 12/30- Kohei Kono.....W TKO 6
(retained WBO title)

2. Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez (46-0, 38 KOs)
- 4/23- McWilliams Arroyo.....W UD 12
(retained lineal, WBC, and Ring Magazine flyweight titles)
- 9/10- Carlos Cuadras.....W UD 12
(won WBC super flyweight title)
- October 2016- vacated lineal, WBC, and Ring Magazine flyweight titles

3. Carlos Cuadras (35-1-1, 27 KOs)
- 4/23- Richie Mepranum.....W TKO 8
(retained WBC title)
- 9/10- Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez.....L UD 12
(lost WBC title)

4. Khalid Yafai (21-0, 14 KOs)
- 3/5- Dixon Flores.....W KO 1
- 6/25- Jozsef Ajtai.....W TKO 1
- 10/22- Johnson Tellez.....W KO 3
- 12/10- Luis Concepcion.....W UD 12
(won vacant WBA title; Concepcion had forfeited title by failing to make weight)

5. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (birth name: Wisakil Wangek) (41-4-1, 38 KOs)
- 1/22- Arega Yunian.....W KO 4
- 4/8- Ical Yobida.....W TKO 6
- 6/3- Daetcharit Sitlekpek.....W TKO 3
- 8/31- Super Bank Sitlekpet.....W TKO 4

6. Jerwin Ancajas (25-1-1, 16 KOs)
- 9/3- McJoe Arroyo.....W UD 12
(won IBF title)

7. Luis Concepcion (35-5, 24 KOs)
- 8/31- Kohei Kono.....W UD 12
(won WBA title)
- 12/10- forfeited WBA title by failing to make weight
- 12/10- Khalid Yafai.....L UD 12
(for vacant WBA title; available to Yafai only)

8. Juan Francisco Estrada (34-2, 24 KOs)
- September 2016- vacated WBO flyweight title and WBA flyweight Super title to campaign at 115
- 10/8- Raymond Tabugon.....W UD 10

9. Kohei Kono (32-10-1, 13 KOs)
- 4/27- Inthanon Sithchamuang (birth name: Tanawat Phonnaku).....W UD 12
(retained WBA title)
- 8/31- Luis Concepcion.....L UD 12
(lost WBA title)
- 12/30- Naoya Inoue.....L TKO 6
(for WBO title)

10. Norberto Jimenez (25-8-4, 13 KOs)
- 7/16- Renson Robles.....W UD 10
- 12/16- Felix Machado.....W TKO 6

11. McJoe Arroyo (17-1, 8 KOs)
- 9/3- Jerwin Ancajas.....L UD 12
(lost IBF title)

12. John Riel Casimero (23-3, 15 KOs)
- 5/25- Amnat Ruenroeng.....W KO 4
(won IBF flyweight title)
- 9/10- Charlie Edwards.....W TKO 10
(retained IBF title)
- December 2016- vacated IBF flyweight title to campaign at 115

13. Sho Ishida (23-0, 12 KOs)
- 4/17- Ryuichi Funai.....W MD 10
- 12/31- Petchnamnung Srisaketpattana.....W KO 2