Every Crisis in DC Comics Ranked from Worst to Best

The DC Universe has had several groundbreaking events, but nothing as consequential as its many Crises. A ‘Crisis’ generally refers to events that have wide-ranging effects on the structure of the DCU, usually impacting DC’s multiverse or its timeline. Though the name comes from the Silver Age crossovers between Earths One and Two, the term has become shorthand for Crisis on Infinite Earths, and events of a similar nature.

Currently, around eight events meet the definition of a Crisis. These stories have had the most significant effects on the DC Universe and are known for their dramatic changes to continuity. Read on to see how the Crises rank from worst to best.

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8 Dark Nights: Metal

Dark Nights: Metal came from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo and saw the DC Universe invaded by an army of twisted Batman variants known as the Dark Knights. The event centered around a radical, new concept known as the Dark Multiverse, the dark, limitless opposite of the standard DC Multiverse. The worlds of the Dark Multiverse are inherently unstable and home to twisted incarnations of beloved heroes, such as the Batman Who Laughs, a fusion of Batman and the Joker. While the event was ambitious and unique with its creation of the Dark Multiverse, Dark Nights: Metal is a fairly low-stakes event compared to other Crises and didn’t have the same long-lasting consequences others did.

7 Zero Hour: Crisis in Time!

Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! was created by Dan Jurgens and Jerry Ordway and saw the now-villainous Green Lantern, calling himself Parallax, attempting to remake the DC Universe for the better. The event tried to clean up some of the continuity errors left behind in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths. However, once the event ended, DC released an official timeline of its history showing that most of its significant points only occurred within ten years. In its attempts to straighten out the DCU, Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! led to more confusion for fans rather than clarification.

6 Convergence

The New 52 was a contentious period where fans were quite upset about losing some of their favorite versions of DC characters. Convergence was created by Jeff King, Dan Jurgens and Ethan Van Sciver and featured a villain named Telos gathering worlds from various points in DC’s history to make them do battle with one another. Though the event was more of an experiment rather than a needed change to the DCU’s structure, it did give fans a look at their favorite characters from different points in history, showing that the New 52 reboot didn’t erase everything fans had loved. Unfortunately, it also lacked the gravitas expected of a Crisis-level event.

5 Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths

The most recent Crisis experienced by the DCU is Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths from creators Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere. Pariah, a hero featured in Crisis on Infinite Earths, is corrupted by the Great Darkness and embarks on a mission to resurrect the DC Universe’s infinite worlds. Despite the threat presented by Pariah and a brainwashed Deathstroke, the stakes in the event aren’t really that high. Even the deaths of the Justice League, which kicked off the event, are downplayed tremendously until the team shows back up to fight back against the insane Pariah. However, Pariah does succeed in his work and brings back the limitless structure of the multiverse, canonizing several Elseworlds as part of its multiverse, such as Dark Knights of Steel and Jurassic League.

4 Flashpoint

Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert’s Flashpoint is a contentious story but arguably one of the most well-known Crises outside Crisis on Infinite Universe. Barry Allen travels back in time to save his mother from being murdered, only to create a timeline that threatens to destroy the DC Universe. The event ended with the DCU merging with the Wildstorm and Vertigo universes and shaved ten years off DC’s continuity, resulting in the New 52 universe. Fans were shocked at how much one event changed the DC Universe, but it’s become the most infamous Flash stories in DC canon.

3 Infinite Crisis

Infinite Crisis by Geoff Johns, Phil Jiminez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway came at a dark point in the DC Universe. DC’s heroes were revealed to have mind-wiped various villains, and Wonder Woman infamously killed Maxwell Lord. Feeling that the heroes were unworthy of the title, Alexander Luthor, Jr. and Superboy-Prime decide to recreate the universe and form their own perfect world devoid of the darkness affecting the DCU. Infinite Crisis was crucial to the formation of DC’s 52-world multiverse structure. But it was also a powerful commentary on the ways in which DC Comics and its universe had changed for the worse in the modern era.

2 Final Crisis

Few comic book events examine the concept of evil winning in a way that Final Crisis does. Creators Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones, and Carlos Pacheco sees the evil tyrant Darkseid finally assuming control of the DC Universe. It’s a story that builds on several fan-favorite stories such as Crisis on Infinite Earths and Jack Kirby’s Fourth World saga. It also charted out DC’s reshaped multiverse and infamously brought back Barry Allen back after his death during the first Crisis. Final Crisis is a complex tale, but easily one of the most rewarding epics for hardcore DC fans.

1 Crisis on Infinite Earths

What can be said about Crisis on Infinite Earths other than this is the gold standard for what a Crisis really is. Marv Wolfman and George Pérez story sought to simplify DC’s massive continuity by introducing one of the most powerful threats in the DCU: The Anti-Monitor. The Anti-Monitor killed thousands of universes, and those he didn’t were merged into a single world. Crisis on Infinite Earths has action, drama, heartbreaking deaths, and pays homage to fifty years of storytelling. This Crisis didn’t just set the bar for every other epic event after it. It’s one of the boldest events in comic book history, and its influence is still felt in DC’s work today.

While not every event can be as groundbreaking as Crisis on Infinite Earths, the various Crises have helped give the DC Universe the unique identity it has in the comic book world. Every Crisis has something going for it, and every single one has contributed to the legacy of DC Comics.

What is EDI on Amazon Vendor Central and Why Do You Need It?

One of the dream outcomes for an emerging ecommerce brand is to secure wholesale partnerships with major marketplaces. This not only lends to your brand’s credibility but also increases sales significantly. With Amazon Vendor Central, brands can streamline their operations to maintain a successful relationship with the online retailer. Instead of interacting directly with customers, merchants sell to Amazon, which then takes on the role of customer service and order fulfillment.

To qualify for this partnership, however, there are a set of strict regulations and guidelines that brands must adhere to. For instance, all transactions between the vendor and Amazon must be conducted electronically. This is where EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) comes into play. You use this technology to streamline the ordering process and reduce errors.

In this article, we’ll examine the benefits of Amazon Vendor Central, why it uses EDI, how to fulfill the requirements, and the other options you have.

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What is Amazon Vendor Central?

There are now nearly 2 million businesses considered third-party sellers on Amazon, the biggest ecommerce marketplace in the world. To set yourself apart from these countless competitors, Amazon Vendor Central offers an opportunity to become a first-party seller.

This means that you sell your products to Amazon, which then takes on the responsibility of listing your products, managing customer orders and returns, and providing customer service. In other words, it’s a way to outsource these time-consuming (and often costly) tasks to Amazon.

First-party sellers also have the advantage of increased visibility on the site. Your product listings appear in search results before those of third-party sellers, and you get the opportunity to feature your products on Amazon’s home page and other high-traffic areas of the site. (Third-party sellers can use a tool like Search Insight for Amazon to understand and improve their search performance)

It’s important to note that becoming a first-party seller on Amazon is not the same as selling through Amazon Marketplace. With Vendor Central, you establish a business relationship with Amazon, whereas with Marketplace, you merely use Amazon’s platform to sell your products.

Benefits of Amazon Vendor Central

Getting a purchase order from a company like Amazon is a major coup for any ecommerce business. In addition to the increased sales, there are several other benefits of Amazon Vendor Central.

Increased Efficiency and Scalability

Perhaps the biggest benefit of Amazon Vendor Central is that it allows businesses to scale quickly and efficiently. With Amazon taking on customer service and fulfillment tasks, brands can focus on other business areas, like product development and marketing. Additionally, because all transactions are conducted electronically, there’s no need for manual data entry, which can be both time-consuming and error-prone.

Improved Cash Flow

Because you are selling your products to Amazon upfront, you’ll receive payment much sooner than if you were selling through the Marketplace. This can be a major advantage for businesses looking to scale quickly or with limited working capital.

Access to Data and Analytics

As a first-party seller on Amazon, you’ll also have access to a wealth of data and analytics about your products and customers. This information can be used to make informed decisions about product development, marketing, and other areas of your business.

Dedicated Account Manager

As a Vendor Central customer, you’ll also be assigned a dedicated account manager. This Amazon employee will be your main point of contact and can help you with any questions or issues that arise.

Improved Consumer Confidence

Amazon handles customer-facing operations like shipping and selling items, billing, and marketing. It has put a lot of time into building consumer confidence by delivering a high-quality customer experience. You get more orders when customers see the “Shipped & Sold by Amazon” badge on your product listings. You only have to worry about filling orders, billing, and avoiding chargebacks (extra fees for not meeting Amazon standards)

Better Marketing & Advertising Programs

Vendor Central gives you access to more programs that could help to sell more products and generate awareness or key placements during major and category-specific events. Some of our favorite Vendor Central programs include:

What Is EDI?

Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the computer-to-computer exchange of business documents in a standard format. Businesses can share purchase orders, invoices, and other documents without requiring manual data entry. As a first-party seller, you must submit all orders to Amazon electronically via EDI and also provide advance ship notices (ASNs) for every shipment. An ASN is a document that contains information about the products being shipped, the quantities, the date of shipment, and other important details. This allows Amazon to track inbound shipments and ensures that products are received promptly.

Why Use EDI?

There are some critical benefits to using EDI when dealing with a marketplace as comprehensive as Amazon.

To take advantage of these benefits, you require a comprehensive EDI solution in place. This solution should be able to handle all of your EDI transactions, whether you’re sending or receiving documents.

Choosing an EDI provider with experience working with Amazon Vendor Central is also essential. They’ll be familiar with the specific requirements and can help you set up your system quickly and easily.

What Can and Cannot Be Transmitted over EDI?

If you are expecting to implement EDI in the future, you need to fully understand what types of documents can and cannot be sent electronically. The most common types of business documents that are exchanged via EDI for Amazon are:

However, there are some types of documents that cannot be transmitted using EDI

You have to transmit such documents via email or other means outside of the EDI system.

What Are The Requirements for Amazon Vendor Integration with EDI?

So you’ve been invited to Amazon Vendor Central; now what? There are a few things you need to get started:

Product IDs

You need a UPC (Universal Product Code) or an EAN (European Article Number) for every product you plan to sell on Amazon Vendor Central. Amazon also uses its own product identifier, the Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN).

Measurement Codes

Providing product measurements and dimensions is crucial for Amazon to accurately list your products on their website. These measurements are also used to calculate shipping fees. You must provide the following codes for each product:

These codes are used to create a dimensional weight, which is necessary for calculating shipping rates. You can use a tool like Product research for Amazon to discover new product ideas for Vendor Central.

Sender and Receiver IDs

Just like the details you write on the outside of an envelope, your EDI data must have a “from” and “to” address. These are called Interchange Control Header (ISA), uniquely identifying the sender and receiver.

EDI Documents

Amazon EDI payments are processed through an EDI 810 document, an electronic invoice. The document includes information about the products purchased, the quantities, the prices, and other important details. To streamline your operations, you can use an EDI integration solution to automate the process of creating and sending these documents.

Product Information

You must provide product information such as the ASIN, title, description, price, and other relevant details. Amazon uses product information to create listings for your products on its website. This data must be accurate and up-to-date to avoid any confusion or frustration from customers.

EDI information is exchanged through the AS2 protocol which is a secure method of sending data over the internet. This protocol uses digital certificates to encrypt data and confirm the identity of the sender and receiver. With this, the sender and receiver can be

Setting up a reliable and secure EDI connection is the first step in integrating with Amazon Vendor Central. It’s also one of the most important as it determines how smoothly transactions go between you and your trading partner.

How Long Does It Take to Set up EDI?

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, it normally takes between 30-90 days, depending on the complexity of the system being implemented. This process can be expedited by working with a professional EDI service provider that is familiar with Amazon Vendor Central and can help you navigate the requirements.

How Much Does EDI Cost?

If creating an in-house EDI solution, you can expect to spend tens of thousands of dollars, depending on complexity and scale. Then, you’ll need to factor in the cost of an EDI consultant to help configure and manage the system.

Alternatively, working with an EDI service provider is a much more cost-effective solution. Providers typically charge a monthly fee that covers the cost of software, support, maintenance, and upgrades. EDI Solutions, for instance, is a hands-off platform that serves brands like Target, Walmart, and Costco.

Should You Use EDI Integration or API Integration?

Alternatively, some companies decide on API integration, which is a piece of software that allows two applications to communicate with each other. This is a common integration for companies already selling on Amazon and want to automate their operations without changing their current system.

This can offer benefits like

If you’re starting from scratch, however, EDI integration is the way to go. This will ensure a smooth transition in the future and avoid any potential headaches down the road.

Amazon Vendor Central requires the use of EDI because it is a more efficient way to manage high volumes of data. Once you have been accepted as a first-party seller, it is important to gain the benefits of speed and accuracy that batch processing offers.

To decide which is right for you, consider the following:

If, for instance, you need to transfer a large amount of data regularly, EDI is probably the best solution. API might be a better option if you only need to transfer small amounts of data occasionally.

Selling on Amazon Vendor Central can be a great way to increase sales and grow your business. To do this, you need to have EDI integration set up so that you can transmit orders and other documents electronically. This saves you time and money in the long run and ensures that you are providing the best possible service to your customers.

Whether you are a small business starting, a medium-sized operation just trying to take that next step, or a large-scale enterprise ready to invest in cost-saving measures, learning how to set up EDI for Amazon is critical. The benefits of EDI greatly outweigh the time and resources necessary to get started!

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Along with EDI integration, top sellers on Amazon should also consider expanding to international markets. Read our article on how to sell internationally to learn more about how you can take your ecommerce business to new heights!

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The USA and El Salvador qualify for the World Beach Games – Beach Soccer Worldwide

Both teams will decide the winner of the Qualifier in tomorrow’s final

The two teams who will represent North- and Central America and the Caribe at the ANOC World Beach Games Bali 2023 have been defined: the USA and El Salvador won in the semi-finals of the Qualifier at the Estádio Nacional Costa del Sol and secured a place in Bali in August. 

Handful of goals in American win

From the first period, the United States took control of the game, securing a 2-0 lead with goals from Christopher Albiston and Cody Valcarcel.

Trinidad and Tobago made attempts to score, but struggled to create clear chances against the American goalkeeper, Christopher Toth, who only had to make a couple of interventions.

In the second period, the United States maintained possession of the ball for most of the time, creating more opportunities to score, but only managing to convert one more goal, scored by Gabriel Silveira to make it 3-0.

The fourth goal for the North American team came early in the third period, scored by Conner Rezende, and Álvaro Franco completed the 5-0 victory with the fifth goal.

Thrilling encounter decided on penalties

The semifinal between the host team and Costa Rica was a match of high intensity and great emotion from start to finish.

Elmer Robles’ shot that shook the post and Eliodoro Portillo’s long-distance strike were the first warnings from the Salvadoran team, which was surprised by the Costa Ricans with Deyber Villegas’ goal. Villegas found the ball in the area and sent it to the back of the net with a soft touch, out of reach of Eliodoro.

Costa Rica managed to maintain the minimum advantage during the first half, but the blue team reacted in the second period with Heber Ramos’ goal, who beat goalkeeper Jeaustin Medina with a powerful shot in a great individual maneuver.

The opportunities for the Costa Rican team decreased, but every counterattack was lethal. Under that formula, they found the second goal, which Estiven Espinoza scored with a low shot that slipped past Erick Nájera, who had replaced Portillo.

The Salvadoran team equalized the scoreboard again with Jason Urbina’s free kick goal and one minute later, Erick Nájera turned the score around with a fantastic goal from his own area to make it 3-2.

The Costa Ricans were not intimidated by the crowd’s enthusiasm or the good performance of the Selecta and generated opportunities for their third goal. Urbina had the chance to seal the match with a penalty that he sent to one side with more than eight minutes left to play.

El Salvador had another clear scoring opportunity with a free kick that Frank Velásquez earned and Heber Ramos converted with a solid shot for the 4-2.

Nájera was also a protagonist in the final stretch of the game with a spectacular save, but a couple of actions later Christian Prado fired past the national goalkeeper and put the Costa Ricans within striking distance of a tie. It was the captain of “la Sele”, Greivin Pacheco, who was in charge of scoring the 4-4 equalizer.

Jonathan Sánchez scored again and put the Costa Ricans in the lead, making it clear that they wanted to be in the final of the qualifier and in Bali.

With 1:41 minutes left to play, Andrés Osorio extended the game to extra time by scoring a penalty for the 5-5.

In the penalties shoot-out, Frank Velásquez, Óscar Cruz, Darwin Ramírez and Melvin Quinteros scored for El Salvador, while Christian Prado and Ratchith Gómez were the only ones able to convert their shots for Costa Rica, as captain Greivin Pacheco and Jonaiker Gamboa missed their turn.

Bahamas to decide fifth place against Guatemala

Bahamas defeated Belize 7-3 in the first game of Friday’s session at the Costa del Sol National Stadium.

A brace from Wood Julmis and his goalkeeper Michael Butler were crucial in propelling the Bahamians to their first victory in the qualifier.

In Julmis’ case, he scored both of his goals from the penalty spot, while Butler beat his colleague Jahyn Mckenzie with two powerful shots from his area.

Later on, the Bahamians scored three more goals through Jean Francois, Gavin Christie, and Daron Beneby.

In the final stretch of the game, Belizean Kenen Castillo gave his team some breathing room with a brace, but they still ended up losing 3-7.

RESULTS – 7 April
Semi-finals
United States of America 5-0 Trinidad & Tobago
El Salvador (4)5-5(2) Costa Rica

Fifth-place play-off
Bahamas 7-3 Belize

I’m a fox

Jeremy Renner Shares Sweet Notes Daughter Ava Leaves Him After Accident

Jeremy Renner’s 10-year-old daughter, Ava, continues to cheer him on as he heals from injuries he sustained in a grisly snowplow accident earlier this year.

On April 19, the “Hawkeye” star, 52, shared images on his Instagram story of sweet notes Ava left for her dad to let him know how much she cares about him.

In one image, a sticky note is seen affixed to a mirror.

“Hi beautiful,” Ava wrote to her dad, adding a hand-drawn smiley face and heart.

Over the post, Renner wrote, “My daughter inspires me. What inspires you?”

The proud dad shared a second image of a note Ava attached to his treadmill.

“Just keep running. Just keep running!” it reads.

“She leaves me post it notes all over to keep me going!!” Renner gushed over the image.

Ava has been her dad’s biggest cheerleader since he was crushed in a snowplow accident on New Year’s Day.

Before the accident, Renner had been towing his nephew’s truck out of the snow on a private road near his house in Reno, Nevada. When a heavy snowplow began to slide down a hill, Renner attempted to stop it and was run over, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office said in a report. 

“The Hurt Locker” star sustained 30 broken bones, a pierced liver and a collapsed lung in the terrifying accident.

He spent several weeks recovering at Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. In late March, he posted a video of himself walking on a treadmill, and on April 11, he made his first red carpet appearance since the accident.

On March 28, the two-time Oscar nominee wished Ava a happy 10th birthday in his Instagram story, opening up about how his daughter — whom he shares with ex-wife Sonni Pacheco —  had been helping him to recover.

“Happy 10th Birthday to you!!!! So very proud of you in every way. Your hugs and your love, have healed me so incredibly fast,” Renner wrote next to a photo of the pair, using a heart emoji to obscure Ava’s face.

“I stand up for you, and I am stronger than before because of you. I am your Father, I am your protector, and I am only yours,” he added.

He signed his adoring message, “I love you, Daddy.” 

In April 2019, Renner told TODAY’s Willie Geist that he considers being Ava’s father the most important role he’s ever had in his life.

“My best role to date is being a daddy and everything is defined in my life by that,” the actor said at the time.

“Everything (else) is a distant, distant second to me and my daughter,” he added.

Ring Ratings Update: The complex case of Conor Benn and a seven-week round up

Much has happened since the last Ring Ratings Update was posted, a span from the week of February 18 to April 1.

Badou Jack and Brandon Figueroa re-entered the rankings. Jack at cruiserweight; Figueroa at featherweight.

Tim Tszyu advanced to the No. 1 spot at junior middleweight. David Benavidez and Lawrence Okolie defended their No. 1 positions at super middleweight and cruiserweight. 

Subriel Matias jumped to No. 3 at junior welterweight.

Veterans Jean Pascal and Joseph Diaz jr. exited the rankings.

But the lengthiest discussion the Ratings Panel held during that seven-week period was reserved for Conor Benn’s exit from the 147-pound rankings.

The subject of Benn’s positive test for the banned-substance clomifene (which shelved an October showdown with Chris Eubank Jr. in England) was brought up by Martin Mulchahey months ago. The Panel agreed to wait until Benn’s case was brought before the British Boxing Board of Control (and details of the report were made public) before deciding what to do with the undefeated welterweight.

The WBC, whose Clean Boxing Program/VADA-testing revealed the clomifene in Benn’s system, conducted its own investigation (with the cooperation of Team Benn) and cleared the popular 26-year-old son of British boxing legend Nigel Benn of intentionally doping (owing the elevated levels to eating too many eggs). However, Benn has not cooperated with the BBBofC, which licenses British boxers. Benn relinquished his British boxing license, intends to sue the BBBofC and claims that VADA mishandled his tests (a claim the WBC does not back up).

It’s clear that Benn intends to fight outside of Britain, wherever there’s an athletic commission that will license him.

Tom Gray brought up Benn’s plight.

“I was recently quizzed on Conor Benn’s current ranking.

“We were holding off until Benn’s independent investigation had concluded. However, the results of this (207 pages worth), still haven’t been passed to the BBBoC.

“The WBC’s decision to re-rank Benn is irrelevant here. What’s everyone’s take on Benn right now and his current position?”

Tris Dixon was first to respond.

“Great question. Seems he will carry on regardless, and likely in a meaningless fight that won’t alter his ranking i.e. Eubank, (Kell) Brook and (Manny) Pacquiao,” said Dixon.

“I’m torn. Morally we should pull him until due process has been completed and made transparent. But if he just carries on and we are none the wiser, who are we to take him out as he makes his way up the ladder, if and when he does?

“The answer? I don’t know.”

Adam Abramowitz was not torn.

“This is an opportunity to be on the right side of the issue,” he said. “I’m not torn whatsoever. He should be removed.”

Corey Erdman, a newer member of the Ratings Panel, was curious about The Ring’s protocol on ranked fighters who test positive for PEDs. 

“I think this is probably as good a time as any to at least try to establish some sort of rubric for how we handle situations such as Benn’s (if we don’t have one already), and will that be a precedent we choose to follow only moving forward, or retroactively?

“There are, of course, active and notable fighters who have had pretty similar situations to Benn (Luis Nery, for example), who people would probably point out if we announce that we’re specifically choosing to penalize Benn.

“Another thing to consider is, are we actually penalizing Benn here, or are we utilizing a fortuitous period of time in which it’s justifiable to not rank him to make a statement? Basically, what if Benn comes back and beats a welterweight of repute, will we continue to keep him out?

“I don’t have any of these answers, I just think it’d be good to decide upon before we make any kind of public statements about excluding Benn, and so we all have a good explanation if Tom’s friends start quizzing us too!”

Gray replied to Erdman.

“Hey Corey, due to his failed test, Nery was stripped of his Ring (bantamweight) championship post-(Shinsuke) Yamanaka. Again, it was the WBC that did not penalize him and retained him as their titleholder.

“It’s very difficult to be consistent because failed tests differ so much. For example, Billy Joe Saunders failed after ingesting a substance that WADA had on their banned list. However, the substance in question was not banned by UKAD when out of competition.

“Murky waters.”

Erdman had more questions (good ones).

“Of course, it’s very difficult to set a firm precedent because very few of these situations will be identical,” he said. “I used the Nery comparison because, as you said, he was punished by this committee, but at a certain point was deemed a rankable fighter again. So with Benn (or fighters who have similar infractions), are we setting a time limit that they’re removed from our rankings, or a number of approved negative tests in order to be considered again?

“I’m not at all against removing Benn by the way, I’m just curious if we are setting a precedent in doing so, and if so, what that will be.”

Added Dixon: “The thing that gets me is when/if he beats someone in the top 10, does he just come back in?”

Confirmed Gray: “Hey Tris, with the way boxing operates, The Ring can only penalize a fighter for a short period of time. If the overall punishment from the powers at be was more severe, then that would change things. However, the average ban time is a year or less. That pretty much mirrors an elite fighter’s time between fights.

“For example, Canelo was stripped of The Ring (middleweight) title for testing positive (for clenbuterol), but he came back into the ratings five months later because he beat the best fighter in the world in (Gennadiy Golovkin). If we kept Canelo out of the ratings after that result, then the ratings system just falls apart.

“I’m not saying I agree with the way things are, I’m just explaining the complexity of the situation.”

Abraham Gonzalez cast his vote.

“I vote to remove Benn,” he said. “He can rejoin the rankings if we get a result from the investigation that states no foul play or he fights someone notable and not someone that is currently retired. 

“I don’t think there is a ‘one size fits all’ ruling with these situations and we have to evaluate them on a case by case basis.”

I agreed with Abe’s take on PED cases and echoed his vote.

“I’m with Abe,” said your favorite Editor-In-Chief. “I say we drop Benn for now, even though he hasn’t been suspended by any governing or sanctioning body. If he beats a ranked or quality fighter, we will have the option of re-ranking him. This is what we did with Oscar Valdez, who tested positive for a banned substance before his WBC 130-pound title defense against Robson Conceicao (and was allowed to go through with the fight due to commission/legal loopholes that were supported by the WBC and Top Rank). Valdez, who re-entered the rankings following his one-sided loss to Shakur Stevenson, also maintained his innocence and avoided suspension. He’s currently our No. 1-rated junior lightweight.

“At some point we may want to discuss multi-year or lifetime bans from The Ring rankings for fighters who have failed more than one PED test (such as Jarrell Miller).”

Anson Wainwright gave his two cents.

“Many good points from all, I think I’d say remove (Benn) for now,” he said. “Let’s see how things pan out further down the line with regards to more opponents, etc. It will be interesting to see who he does fight because future opponents are going to insist he undergoes very strict testing.”

Added Daisuke Sugiura: “Thanks for a good discussion. I’d agree with removing him now and considering to rerank him depending on what will happen from here. Consistency is important but also being flexible is important for this issue too.” 

So, who replaces Benn in the rankings?

Abramowitz nominated Cody Crowley if the unbeaten Canadian defeated  gatekeeper Abel Ramos, which he did via 12-round majority decision on the March 25 David Benavidez-Caleb Plant undercard. 

The majority of the Panel agreed with Abramowitz that Crowley (22-0, 9 KOs) should enter at No. 9 (ahead of No. 10-rated David Avanesyan).

I proposed some other options:

“I have no problem with Cody Crowley entering our welterweight top 10, but I view Abel Ramos as a gatekeeper, and it’s not like Cody crashed through those gates into contender status, so I would like to bring up some other 147-pound fringe contenders that the Panel can consider:

“Roiman Villa, Alexis Rocha, Souleymane Cissokho and Giovani Santillan. If I missed someone, please let me know and let’s take a good look at all of them.”

Replied Gonzalez: “I will stick with Crowley but I wouldn’t be mad at adding Alexis Rocha who is next in line for a title shot if Crowley doesn’t get in.”

Replied Abramowitz: “I’d pick Crowley over that group.” 

Stated Yours Truly: “Fair enough, Adam. Crowley has defeated enough solid foes to merit a Ring ranking. If you mean you’d ‘pick him’ to beat the welterweights I brought up, I respectfully disagree, but as that great philosopher Chris Colbert so eloquently stated on (March 25): Opinions are like assholes.

(Adam got a laugh from that quip, “I enjoyed that, Doug”)

RING RATINGS UPDATE (as of April 1):

Heavyweight – Anthony Joshua remains at No. 3 following his unanimous decision over fringe contender Jermaine Franklin.

Cruiserweight – Lawrence Okolie remains No. 1 after retaining his WBO title with a unanimous decision over unrated David Light. Badou Jack enters the rankings at No. 4 following his WBC title-winning 12th-round TKO of IIunga Makabu, who drops to No. 5. Thabiso Mchunu exits (due to inactivity). Chris Billam-Smith (17-1, 12 KOs) enters at No. 10.

Light heavyweight – Jean Pascal exits the rankings. Michael Eifert (12-1, 4 KOs) enters at No. 10. Dan Azeez advances to No. 9 after scoring a 12th-round stoppage of Thomas Faure, winning the European championship.

Super middleweight – David Benavidez remains No. 1 following his unanimous decision over Caleb Plant, who remains ranked at No. 2. Christian Mbilli advances to No. 3 after winning a thrilling 10-round unanimous decision over dangerous fringe contender Carlos Gongora.

“Diego Pacheco continued his ascent with a fourth-round stoppage over Jack Cullen,” noted Wainwright. “Pacheco is on the fringes of the top 10; he passes the eye test but needs a better win than Cullen.”

Middleweight – Ryota Murata exits the rankings after announcing his retirement. Meiirum Nursultanov (18-0, 10 KOs) enters at No. 10.

Elijah Garcia and Jose Resendiz breathed some young, new blood into the division, beating Amilcar Vidal and Jarrett Hurd respectively,” noted Wainwright. “No rankings but on the cusp of things (probably one more solid win) in what is a relatively weak division.”

Junior middleweight – Tim Tszyu advances to No. 1 following an impressive ninth-round stoppage of former titleholder Tony Harrison, who drops from No. 4 to No. 8. Jesus Ramos Jr. (20-0, 16 KOs) enters at No. 8 following his one-sided stoppage of unbeaten prospect Joey Spencer (pushing Harrison to No. 9). 

“Tszyu looked mighty good dominating and then stopping Harrison,” said Wainwright. “I did wonder if this ballsy move may come back and bite Tszyu on the backside, turns out he had things very much under control.”

Welterweight – Benn exits. Crowley enters at No. 9.

Junior welterweight – Jose Ramirez remains No. 2 after an 11th-round stoppage of former lightweight titleholder Richard Commey. Subriel Matias advances to No. 3  following a fifth-round stoppage of unrated Jeremias Poncetween to win the vacant IBF title. Jose Zepeda remains No. 6 following a 10-round shoutout over Nareej Goyat.

Lightweight – Joseph Diaz jr. exits the rankings after being outpointed by fringe contender Mercito Gesta. Shuichiro Yoshino entered at No. 10. Gustavo Lemos exits (due to inactivity). Jermaine Ortiz enters at No. 10 (pushing Yoshino to No. 9).

Junior LightweightRoger Gutierrez remains at No. 7 after stopping unrated Henry Delgado in two rounds. Kenichi Ogawa remains at No. 8 after a fifth-round stoppage of unrated Krai Setthaphon.

Featherweight – Mauricio Lara advances to No. 1 after winning the WBA title with a seventh-round TKO of Leigh Wood, who drops to No. 7.

Brandon Figueroa enters at No. 4 following his unanimous decision over Mark Magsayo, who drops to No. 5. Robeisy Ramirez advances to No. 5 following his WBO title-winning unanimous decision over former 122-pound beltholder Isaac Dogboe (pushing Magsayo to No. 6).

“Wood was winning the battle but lost the war when he was stopped by big-punching Mauricio Lara, noted Wainwright. “Lara wasn’t as aggressive and picked his spots more than I expected, waited for his opportunity and ended matters in the seventh round. There’s no clear No. 1 in the division and I could see Lara, who holds wins over Josh Warrington and now Wood, at No. 1. Wood to drop one place. He was ahead but ultimately lost.

“Joet Gonzalez and Enrique Vivas poured their hearts out and broke CompuBox lol,” continued Wainwright. “Gonzalez won a 10-round unanimous decision and possibly a shot at Ramirez, who won a world title in the main event. Not an Oba Carr welterweight run in the ‘90s but I still have to feel for Gonzalez, who has so far met Shakur Stevenson and Emanuel Navarrete in title fights!”

Junior featherweight – Luis Nery advanced to No. 3 with a thrilling 11th-round stoppage of Azat Hovhannisyan, who drops to No. 5. 

BantamweightRyosuke Nishida remains at No. 8 after scoring a 12-round shutout decision over unrated Songsaeng Phoyaem. Keita Kurihara re-enters at No. 9. Lee McGregor exits the rankings (after a move to junior featherweight). Liborio Solis (35-6-1, 16 KOs) enters at No. 10. 

Flyweight – Angel Ayala Lardizabal remains at No. 4 following an eight-round decision over unrated Luis Rodriguez. Ricardo Sandoval remained at No. 7 following a second-round stoppage over unrated Jerson Ortiz.

Junior flyweight – Shokichi Iwata remains at No. 10 after stopping unrated Jerome Baloro in three rounds. 

Email Fischer at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter and IG at @dougiefischer, and join him, Tom Loeffler, Coach Schwartz and friends via Tom’s or Doug’s IG Live most Sundays.

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The post Ring Ratings Update: The complex case of Conor Benn and a seven-week round up appeared first on The Ring.

2021/2022 Cardinals Winter Ball Report – January 28 | The Cardinal Nation

Photo: Ivan Herrera (Springfield Cardinals)

This report recaps the results of St. Louis Cardinals prospects competing in winter leagues during the period of January 18th – January 26th.

Since there are only a few active prospects remaining, pitchers and hitters will now be combined into the same report. No St. Louis prospects saw any game time this week as Venezuela and Colombia became the final two leagues to crown champions.

The Caribbean Series now begins on January 28. There are a few Cardinals playing for Panama while there is also a large MLB presence in the tournament with players such as Robinson Cano, Roberto Perez, Marcell Ozuna, and Roberto Osuna participating.

LVBP (Venezuela)

Navegantes won the final series in seven games against Caribes, claiming the final spot in the Caribbean Series and representing Venezuela.

Freddy Pacheco, RHP, Caribes

Freddy Pacheco did not make an appearance for Caribes in the final series. His struggles throughout the season put him closer to the bottom of the pecking order in the bullpen for the biggest games of the season.

Season Stats
ERA – 13.94
Innings Pitched – 10 ⅓
K/9 – 10.45
BB/9 – 9.58

Jhon Torres’ team, Caimanes, won the LCBP championship as they were victorious in four of the first five games in the best-of-seven series.

Jhon Torres, outfielder, Caimanes

Jhon Torres did not play in any of the games in the final series. The outfielder is not listed on Caimanes’ Caribbean Series roster, so his winter league season is over.

Season Stats
.240/.320/.321/.641
Plate Appearances – 56
Walk Rate – 8.9%
Strikeout Rate – 12.5%

The Caribbean Series begins on Friday, January 28 and runs through Thursday, February 3. Six countries will participate – Mexico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Panama – and they are represented by the victorious teams of their domestic leagues.

The location of the tournament rotates each year. Last year it was held in Mazatlan, Mexico, but this year it is being held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Representatives from each of the countries participating are as follows:

Mexico – Charros de Jalisco

Con ustedes el equipo que nos dará la 🔟👑

Los Charros de México 🇲🇽 están listos para representarnos desde este viernes en República Dominicana 🇩🇴 #SerieDelCaribe2022 🎉

— Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico (@Liga_Arco) January 25, 2022

Dominican Republic – Gigantes del Cibao

👀 Yo sé que ustedes lo estaban esperando.

Roster oficial para la Serie del Caribe. 😎

Venezuela – Navegantes del Magallanes

Este es el equipo que representará a la #LVBP y a Venezuela en Santo Domingo 2022 🇻🇪💪🏼

— LVBP (@LVBP_Oficial) January 27, 2022

Colombia – Caimanes de Barranquilla

— Orlando Palma V. (@pelotacaliente1) January 27, 2022

Puerto Rico – Criollos de Caguas

Panama – Astronautas de Los Santos

Atención este es el róster de los @astronautasls para la Serie del Caribe 2022, en Santo Domingo, República Dominicana @davidsalayandi7 @beisboldecaribe @ComisionadoCBPC @RaulDominguez12 pic.twitter.com/QWRGYuVISM

— Probeis Oficial (@ProbeisOficial) January 20, 2022

The rosters of these teams are not the same as they were during the domestic seasons. Teams routinely add the best talent from other teams and sometimes they will even add native MLB players to the roster for the sole purpose of playing in the Series.

Historically, the most successful teams have come from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico as the Dominican Republic has won the tournament 21 times and Puerto Rico has won it 16 times. Mexico has won nine times and Venezuela has won seven times while Panama has only won twice and Colombia has never been victorious.

The Cardinals only have representatives playing for Panama as both Ivan Herrera and Wilfredo Pereira are playing for Astronautas. Ivan Herrera is joining from the runners up – Federales. Something to notice is that Herrera, a catcher by trade, is listed as 1B/DH. This is where he played during the domestic season and it is probably a directive of the Cardinals to preserve his body.

There is a limited Cardinals presence in this tournament, but there are plenty of big leaguers. For Mexico, Christian Villanueva, formerly of the Padres, and Roberto Osuna are former MLB players. The Dominican Republic has the most talented roster with players like Robinson Cano, Marcell Ozuna, Hanser Alberto, Juan Francisco, Jose Siri, Ronald Guzman, Richard Urena, and Kelvin Gutierrez, and more all having MLB experience.

This makes Gigantes the clear favorite in the tournament, which is usually the case for the Dominican team. Some are also suggesting that Panama could surprise with its strong pitching staff, of which the aforementioned Wilfredo Pereira is a part.

Puerto Rico has enlisted longtime now-Guardians catcher Roberto Perez, while Panama’s starting catcher will likely be former top-100 prospect Christian Bethancourt.

Colombia is usually a large underdog, but it does have MLB experience in the form of Sandy Leon and Dilson Herrera. An interesting tidbit about the Venezuelan champions is that they are one of two teams in Venezuela that is not allowed to carry any players with MLB affiliated ties on their active roster, so their talent pool is limited. Still the team has MLB experience from Junior Guerra, Willians Astudillo, Alejandro de Aza, and Pablo Sandoval. Also, former Cardinals prospect Rayder Ascanio will suit up for the Venezuelan champions.

I have been unable to verify if the tournament will be televised in the United States. ESPN typically carries it on ESPN Deportes, but I have been unable to find any information to confirm that for this year. It is also possible that MLB.com will pick it up since the site covered LIDOM all season, but that is purely speculation.

The final winter league update will come after the conclusion of the Caribbean Series.

Vizela vs Guimaraes Match Analysis and Prediction – Sports Betting Tricks

Vizela take on Victoria Guimaraes in an important Primeira Liga action at the Estadio do FC Vizela on Sunday evening with kickoff at 18:30.

Vizela made a strong but slow start to life back in Portugal’s big time as they drew seven of their opening 11 games, winning in one while losing in three in the process. Since then Vizela have been inconsistent with the side claiming three wins and suffering five defeats in the last eight league matches.

With 19 points collected form their 19 matches Vizela now sit just three places and three points above the bottom three and are facing a possible immediate return to Primeira Liga 2.

However, they head into the match in good spirits as they are coming off a 3-2 win against Tondela at away in their previous league action with Alvaro Pacheco’s side coming from behind in two occasions before Cassiano netting his second of the day in the 87th minute to award his side the vital three points.

Pacheco will hope his men can take confidence from the win to build consistency as they aim at climbing away from the bottom three, but they face an uphill task on Sunday and will be fascinating to see how they perform.

Meanwhile Victoria de Guimaraes are pushing for a European finish this season after missing out last term. Head coach Pepa can be satisfied with his team’s campaign thus far with the club recording seven wins, six draws and six defeats from their 19 matches to collect 27 points which have them sitting in the sixth place with just three points outside the precious European places.

 However, a run of one win from their last five Primeira Liga matches has them risking their place as they sit only two points above both Estoril Praia and Portimonense who are level on 25 points and just three points above the ninth-place Maritimo.

Therefore, Pepa’s side will look to continue improving on their away form as they aim at breaking into the top-five. They will fancy their chances as they have won in four of their last five meetings against Vizela scoring 14 goals while conceding just three in the run.

Vizela vs Guimaraes head to head

As mentioned above the two sides have met in five encounters since 2006 with Guimaraes claiming four wins while Vizela have only claimed one win.

Home

Away

Vizela team news

Vizela will be without Samu through suspension while Guilherme Schettine is a doubt.

Guimaraes team news

Guimaraes will be without Andre Andre who tested positive for coronavirus.

Prediction and odds

Spider-Woman #18 Preview: No One Gets Killed in a Tie-In… Right?!

Spider-Woman #18 Preview: No One Gets Killed in a Tie-In… Right?!

Welcome to Friday Night Previews on Bleeding Cool! Marvel Comics has twenty new issues coming out next week, far more than DC. But DC knows it’s not about quantity. It’s about quantity… of Batman! So we’ll call it a draw. If Kingpin has his way in this Wednesday’s Spider-Woman #18… Spider-Woman WILL DIE! Check out the preview below.

Spider-Woman #18
by Karla Pacheco & Pere Perez, cover by Junggeun Yoon
DOWN CAME THE REIGN… A DEVIL’S REIGN TIE-IN! Mayor Wilson Fisk is purging vigilantes from his city, and Spider-Woman is on his list! Fisk will do anything to bring her down, including going after her loved ones. It’s all on the line for Spider-Woman during DEVIL’S REIGN!
Marvel | Marvel Universe
6.63″W x 10.17″H x 0.04″D   | 2 oz | 160 per carton
On sale Jan 12, 2022 | 32 Pages | 75960609671801811
| Rated T+
$3.99
Varants:
75960609671801821 – SPIDER-WOMAN 18 PEREZ VARIANT – $3.99 US
75960609671801831 – SPIDER-WOMAN 18 CONNER DEVIL’S REIGN VILLAIN VARIANT – $3.99 US

Click here to read more previews of upcoming Marvel and DC comics. Solicit information and cover images taken from PreviewsWorld or PRH for Marvel Comics, depending on whether Diamond has their **** together this week (which they probably don’t), and from Lunar Distribution for DC Comics. New Marvel Comics are released to comic book stores each Wednesday and DC Comics on Tuesdays. Books are available the same day on digital services like ComiXology and the Marvel and DC digital comics stores. Locate a comic shop near you with the Comic Shop Locator.

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