WHO ELSE? A list of contenders for Albuquerque boxing champion Holly Holm to fight: RELATED STORIES Boxing: Holm brings home, eats the bacon More Boxing Unifying belts on mind of title holder Mixed Martial Arts: Duke City fighter Condit whips challenger in front of hometown crowd, retain WEC crown Cibola High graduate Condit will defend fighting title in home town MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES ABQTrib.com to remain available 08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008 Congressman is indicted 08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008 Series of attacks target Green Zone 08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008 Iran is defying U.N., agency says 08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008 Waterboarding approval probed 08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008 TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE* Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque Is Rome Burning? Ominous Skies The Road to Invalidation Albuquerque company participates in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” *Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk. STORY TOOLS E-mail story Comments iPod friendly Printer friendly SHARE THIS STORY [?] Mary Jo Sanders: 20-0, 6 KOs. Undefeated. Holds the WBC junior welterweight title. Terri Blair: 8-10-2, 5 KOs. Despite a losing record, has re-created her career by defeating top fighter Sumya Anani in back-to-back fights this year. Has the WIBA welterweight title. Sumya Anani: 25-3-1, 1 KO. After the inactive Lucia Rijker, she was considered the top champion at 140 before two losses to Blair. Angel Martinez: 4-1-1, 1 KO. Has a loss and a draw with Holm, who said Martinez was her most difficult fight to date. Lucia Rijker: 17-0, 14 KOs. Undefeated and inactive, hasn't fought since 2004. It's unlikely there's a purse big enough to draw her back into the ring for a fight in New Mexico. Tricia Turton: 8-0, 3 KOs. Undefeated Seattle fighter is on the rise and goes for vacant WIBA junior middleweight belt Saturday against Mary Jo Sanders. Christy Martin: 46-4-2, 31 KOs. Former legend has already been beaten by Holm, but some think a rematch would be different. Not likely. Rita Turrisi: 3-7, 3 KOs. Horrible record but in her last win, in 2004, she became the only boxer to defeat Holm. Most likely, would be a ridiculously easy rematch for Holm, who lost the fight on a cut.

You probably shouldn't expect to see more than 1,000 people at a boxing card in New Mexico.

Unless you're going to a Holly Holm show, that is.

Sure, the handful of billboards along I-25 and I-40 promoting the Albuquerque fighter helps. The fact she's attractive helps, too.

But the main reason - at least in the eyes of the boxing community, which might be the majority of fans at those sellouts at Isleta - is Holm is winning.

Like it or not, Holm is the state's No. 1 draw. Unless Johnny Tapia, currently busy promoting his autobiography, or Danny Romero, who headlines the small venue at Sky City Casino in Acoma on July 1, can make a major return before hanging up the gloves, Holm is here to stay.

Which is all the more reason to familiarize yourself with the milieu of women's boxing - and Holm's place in it.

How good is Holm? How competitive is women's boxing? And what do all those belts mean?

First off, no one can deny Holm's skill. She might not be a knockout artist, with only five in 13 her wins, but her style and size has proven no easy fight for the best of the rest.

Since upsetting legend Christy Martin in September, Holm, 13-1-1 (5 KOs), has added two more wins over ranked fighters Mia St. John and Shadina Pennybaker.

On June 10, she'll likely add another one to her growing list of defeated contenders in Lisa Holewyne, 25-17-2 (8 KOs). The 10-round bout will be for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title.

Since defeating Terri Blair in 2004, Holm has been touting the female version of the International Boxing Association's junior welterweight trinket - largely considered a fringe belt. The title at stake next week, albeit newly created, is considered a step up.

As in men's boxing, there are four organizations regarded as the top of the crop - the Women's International Boxing Association (not to be confused with the Women's IBA, under which Holm owns a belt), the International Female Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council and the WBA.

Two of them - the WIBA and IFBA - have been around for six and nine years, respectively; the other two, the WBC and WBA, have been created in the last year-and-a-half as an offshoot of the long-standing men's organizations.

And, as in men's boxing, there are half a dozen other organizations hyping their own versions, as well as dozens of regional titles available under each group that add to the confusion.

What makes women's boxing worse than men's are a near-equal number of titles available for a minuscule percentage of the number of fighters.

Win three or four fights, and you're a ranked contender.

Lose 10 or 12 fights - you can still fight for a belt.

A few weekends ago, Santa Fean Jayla Ortiz - still a ranked contender by several groups - fought for something called the North American Boxing Council junior lightweight belt against Leanne Villareal, who's 1-7.

Of course, Ortiz won, and at least one fight report called the bout a "world championship fight."

The general public is fooled by the word "champion" and consistently confused with so many versions of them that most of them don't matter anymore.

Does that mean Holm's title fight on June 10 is meaningless?

Yes and no.

It's whom you fight, not the belt you wear, that makes you a champion.

There are paper champions, in both men's and women's boxing; there also are fighters like Holm who've beaten the top names out there. And yet some in those group don't hold a "real belt."

I recommend the following: Compare the ratings of the top four boxing organizations - the WIBA, IFBA, WBC and WBA - then compare the fighters. Whom have they beaten? Lost to?

Currently, Holm is ranked in all four major ABCs: No. 2 at 147 in the WBC; No. 2 at 135 (although she's never fought that low) in the IFBA; No. 2 at 140 in the IFBA; and No. 2 at 147 in the WBA.

Holewyne. her opponent next weekend, also is ranked No. 10, No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6 in the four groups ranging from 147 to 154 pounds.

On paper, anyway, it's a good matchup until you take into account Holewyne is 40 and is 2-2 in her last four bouts, with wins over fighters with losing records. Holm is 24 and is 4-0 over the same span.

Still, Holewyne is good measuring stick for Holm because she has fought two foes who might end up in the ring with Holm - Mary Jo Sanders, twice, losing by decision; Sumya Anani, twice (a loss by KO and another by decision); and Layla McCarter (win by decision).

Needless to say, Holm is expected to win, but it doesn't mean the fight won't be a thriller.

Chris Cozzone owns and operates Newmexicoboxing.com. His column runs Fridays in The Tribune. You can reach him at chris@cozzone.com

By I recommend the following: Compare the ratings of the top four boxing organizations - the WIBA, IFBA, WBC and WBA - then compare the fighters. Whom have they beaten? Lost to?

Currently, Holm is ranked in all four major ABCs: No. 2 at 147 in the WBC; No. 2 at 135 (although she's never fought that low) in the IFBA; No. 2 at 140 in the IFBA; and No. 2 at 147 in the WBA.

Holewyne. her opponent next weekend, also is ranked No. 10, No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6 in the four groups ranging from 147 to 154 pounds.

On paper, anyway, it's a good matchup until you take into account Holewyne is 40 and is 2-2 in her last four bouts, with wins over fighters with losing records. Holm is 24 and is 4-0 over the same span.

Still, Holewyne is good measuring stick for Holm because she has fought two foes who might end up in the ring with Holm - Mary Jo Sanders, twice, losing by decision; Sumya Anani, twice (a loss by KO and another by decision); and Layla McCarter (win by decision).

Needless to say, Holm is expected to win, but it doesn't mean the fight won't be a thriller.

Chris Cozzone owns and operates Newmexicoboxing.com. His column runs Fridays in The Tribune. You can reach him at chris@cozzone.com">.