The battle at 140: Which champion can unify the division?

Regis Prograis, Josh Taylor, Jose Ramirez and Maurice Hooker are the four junior welterweight belt holders. The quartet, ranked 1-4 in ESPN.com’s divisional rankings, respectively, have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the division and, due to the lack of boxing’s typical political challenges, are on a path to unification.

By the fall, there will be two unified champions, as Ramirez (WBC) and Hooker (WBO) mix it up this weekend in Arlington, Texas, and in a few months, Prograis (WBA) and Taylor (IBF) will collide in the finals of the World Boxing Super Series. From there, the hope is that the winners of these two matches will eventually square off to crown an undisputed junior welterweight division.

Each of them have unique talents, but which of them could actually come through and become undisputed champion, something accomplished in the four major belt era by only Terrence Crawford (junior welterweight), Jermain Taylor (middleweight), Bernard Hopkins (middleweight), Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight), Cecilia Braekhus (women’s welterweight), Claressa Shields (middleweight and Katie Taylor (lightweight)?

Here’s a breakdown of the contenders:

MAURICE HOOKER (26-0-3, 17 KOs)

The Dallas native is one of the toughest matchups in the division given his physical dimensions. He’s nearly 6-foot tall and has a 80-inch wingspan. He has a great understanding of how he’s most effective in the ring, which was demonstrated in his bout against the hard-charging Alex Saucedo when he took an early trip to the canvas. After the knockdown he started boxing effectively from the outside, keeping the highly touted Saucedo at bay, and set up his long right hand.

Eventually he stopped Saucedo in the seventh round in front of Saucedo’s hometown crowd in Oklahoma City. Hooker has come a long way from that favorable draw he received back in 2016 against Darleys Perez. He has matured into a solid boxer, who hasn’t been afraid to venture out on the road to face the likes of Terry Flanagan (against whom he originally won the title in Manchester, England) and Saucedo.

Chances of unifying the division: The bout with Ramirez is considered a 50-50 fight (although Ramirez is a very slight betting favorite). Looking ahead, most pundits believe that Hooker would be an underdog to both Prograis and Taylor.

Best possible unification bout for Hooker: While Prograis is certainly a formidable offensive fighter, the in-and-out movement of Taylor would most likely be more troublesome for “Mighty Mo.” If you’re a handler of Hooker, you probably are rooting for a Prograis victory to set up an all-American battle for all the marbles at 140.

JOSE RAMIREZ ( 24-0, 16 KOs)

The “Pride of California’s Central Valley” ventures out on the road to face Hooker on his turf in Texas. Ramirez, who is now under the guidance of trainer Robert Garcia, is an ambitious sort, set on showing that he isn’t just a protected regional draw in Fresno, California. Ramirez has a straightforward style in which he prefers to get inside and bang away to the body. While not terribly heavy-handed, he more than makes up for it in volume and activity. The more punches being thrown, the more likely it is that it’s the type of tempo that Ramirez wants in there.

Ramirez has some experience against tall, lanky fighters, beating Amir Imam last year for the vacant WBC belt. The key in this upcoming bout will be simple — spacing and distance. If this becomes a boxing match from the perimeter with a methodical pace, that favors Hooker. If it becomes a trench battle on the inside, with a quick tempo being set, it’s a Ramirez kind of fight.

Chances of unifying the division: This fight is a toss-up to many observers. Should Ramirez come out victorious, he will most likely be considered an underdog to Taylor. As for Prograis, while he’s also a southpaw, he likes to be more stationary and stay inside the pocket. Ramirez would also be an underdog in this matchup, but Prograis’ style might be better suited for him.

Best possible unification bout for Ramirez: Based on how Ramirez had issues with the movement of Zepeda, it would have to be Prograis, who isn’t nearly as hard to find with his southpaw stance as Taylor is. From a fans perspective, Ramirez-Prograis would be a more attractive matchup, at least in the United States.

REGIS PROGRAIS (24-0, 16 KOs)

‘Rogarou’ is the best puncher at 140. From his southpaw stance, he has punched out former unified belt-holder Julius Indongo (KO2), and in his most recent bout he dispatched Kiryl Relikh in six rounds. Prograis was a relatively unheralded prospect as he turned pro in 2012, despite solid amateur credentials. Now many believe he is the best junior welterweight in the world. He has power in both hands and has a crowd-pleasing style.

Chances of unifying the division: Right now, Prograis is the favorite over Taylor, but you wonder how Prograis, who likes to generally fight flat footed, will deal with the movement of his opponent. Styles make fights and if anyone in this division really has the style and requisite talent to disrupt Prograis, it’s Taylor. That being said, if Prograis solves the Taylor riddle, I believe that he would defeat either Hooker or Ramirez.

Best possible unification bout for Prograis: Ramirez would fit the bill perfectly. He won’t have any issues finding or chasing him. Ramirez will come right to Prograis and start chucking leather. In many ways that’s exactly what Prograis wants, instead of facing the taller and more challenging Hooker.

JOSH TAYLOR (15-0, 12 KOs)

The 28-year-old from Scotland is the complete package. From his orthodox stance, “The Tartan Tornado” can box. He moves fluidly around the ring, and throws slashing punches from various angles that leave his opponents dizzy.

He’s certainly coming into his own as a fighter. In his past three bouts he shut down former belt-holder Viktor Postol with ease, stopped the previously undefeated Ryan Martin in a seventh-round TKO and then defeated the hard-nosed Ivan Baranchyk by unanimous decision in the semifinals of the WBSS in May.

Taylor boxes with great confidence, bordering at times on sheer arrogance, believing that nobody can consistently touch him. His bout with Prograis is one of the gems of the second half of 2019, and while Taylor is not considered the favorite in that one, his movement and quick-hitting style will give Prograis a ton of trouble. Working at angles will be key for him, but Taylor has shown the ability and boxing IQ to do just that.

Best possible unification bout for Taylor: Ramirez. Again. Now, this is no knock on Ramirez, but the fact of the matter is that Ramirez comes with an easier style to decipher and — this is also very important — Ramirez comes with a higher profile than Hooker. It would be a much bigger event to be involved in. Taylor and his management believes he is an elite fighter and soon-to-be-star. This pairing would be the perfect platform to launch that campaign.