The ranking means The Ring now considers Hitchins one of the division’s 10 best fighters after a victory over an opponent who was not a consensus top-10 contender.

Salas came into the bout ranked No. 11 by the WBO. The WBA, WBC and IBF did not rank him at all. Once the opening bell sounded, he looked every bit like a fringe contender. Hitchins controlled the action with his jab, accurate combinations and movement while facing minimal resistance.

The ranking itself is not the issue. Hitchins was a unified champion at 140 pounds and possesses the talent to compete with the elite at welterweight. The problem lies in the standard The Ring applied.

Just one week earlier, Tim Tszyu made his middleweight debut against Errol Spence Jr. Instead of easing into the division, Tszyu accepted a far more recognizable name. He dominated Spence over 12 rounds, using pressure, punching power and relentless offense before sending the former unified welterweight champion into retirement.

That performance was not enough to earn Tszyu a place in The Ring’s top 10 at middleweight.

The decision becomes even more puzzling after looking at the current rankings. Several fighters occupying spots at 160 are unbeaten prospects still searching for a signature victory. Yoenli Hernandez sits at No. 2 with only 10 professional bouts. Amari Jones is ranked No. 7 despite facing limited opposition. Jahi Tucker rounds out the top 10 without a defining win over an established contender.

The obvious argument is that Spence had never fought at 160, making him unproven in the weight class. That is a fair point. Yet Salas had never established himself among the world’s best welterweights either. He held only the WBO’s No. 11 ranking before losing every meaningful exchange against Hitchins.

If one dominant victory over a fringe contender was enough to place Hitchins in The Ring’s welterweight rankings, it’s difficult to explain why Tszyu’s convincing win over a far more accomplished opponent didn’t receive similar treatment.

The Ring does not have to rank Tszyu. It does, however, owe readers a consistent standard. Right now, the criteria appear to change depending on the fighter and the division.