The WBC’s newest rankings replace – launched February 8 – consists of the set up of 4 new No. 1 contenders.
At heavyweight: Tyson Fury’s rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk and subsequent retirement announcement – whether or not true or not – nonetheless led to Fury being dropped altogether from the rankings of all 4 main sanctioning our bodies. This led to Agit Kabayel being promoted from No. 2 to No. 1.
That received’t final lengthy, although, as Kabayel is because of face Zhilei Zhang (now ranked No. 2) for the WBC interim heavyweight title.
The winner of that battle will likely be in necessary place to problem Usyk.
At junior middleweight: Errol Spence has been faraway from the WBC’s rankings, gone from the No. 1 spot he’d been given regardless of not having fought at 154lbs since 2015, not having fought in any respect since 2023, and the truth that final look noticed Spence get demolished by Terence Crawford.
Spence’s removing allowed Serhii Bohachuk to maneuver up from No. 2 to No. 1. Nevertheless, that doesn’t imply Bohachuk is the necessary challenger for the world title held by Sebastian Fundora (who additionally has the WBO belt). As a substitute, it’s Vergil Ortiz Jnr – who seized the WBC interim title from Bohachuk in a detailed win final August – who’s in line for a shot.
At welterweight: Talking of fighters who don’t deserve their positions, Devin Haney has been inserted into the No. 1 slot on this weight class regardless of by no means earlier than having fought at welterweight. He was beforehand the WBC’s junior welterweight titleholder after which grew to become the “champion in recess” at 140lbs, a designation Haney has now discarded with this insertion at 147.
Haney bumped the earlier No. 1, Souleymane Cissokho, right down to No. 2.
At light-weight: A number of motion right here as a consequence of fights being made for different sanctioning our bodies’ titles – and people fighters being eliminated because of this.
Gone are Raymond Muratalla (beforehand No. 1) and Zaur Abdullaev (beforehand No. 5), who’ve been ordered to battle for the interim IBF title.
Additionally gone is Keyshawn Davis (beforehand No. 2), who will problem WBO titleholder Denys Berinchyk on February 14.
Isaac Cruz (beforehand No. 3) is now ranked at junior welterweight, which is sensible as he hasn’t competed at light-weight since July 2023.
One would suppose Tevin Farmer would due to this fact be moved from No. 4 as much as No. 1. That’s not the case. Farmer is now at No. 2, and the earlier sixth-ranked fighter, Andy Cruz, is up within the prime spot.
Cruz isn’t the necessary challenger for WBC titleholder Shakur Stevenson, nevertheless. That place belongs to WBC interim titleholder William Zepeda.
The WBC’s titleholders and No. 1 contenders in every weight class are:
Heavyweight: Oleksandr Usyk has the WBA, WBC and WBO world titles; Agit Kabayel is the WBC’s No. 1 contender. Kabayel is because of face Zhilei Zhang on February 22 for the WBC interim heavyweight title.
Bridgerweight: Kevin Lerena has the world title; Adam Balski is his No. 1 contender.
Cruiserweight: Badou Jack has the world title; Ryan Rozicki is his No. 1 contender; Noel Mikaelyan is the champion-in-recess. Jack vs. Rozicki might happen this April.
Gentle heavyweight: Artur Beterbiev has all 4 world titles; David Benavidez is the WBC’s interim titleholder in addition to the WBA’s secondary “common” titleholder; Dmitry Bivol is the WBC’s No. 1 contender (ditto for the WBA and WBO). The rematch between Beterbiev and Bivol is scheduled for February 22.
Tremendous middleweight: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has the world title; Christian Mbilli is his No. 1 contender.
Middleweight: Carlos Adames has the world title; Hamzah Sheeraz is his No. 1 contender. Adames vs. Sheeraz is scheduled for February 22 on the undercard of Beterbiev-Bivol II.
Junior middleweight: Sebastian Fundora has the WBC and WBO world titles; Vergil Ortiz is the WBC interim titleholder; Serhii Bohachuk is the No. 1 contender.
Welterweight: Mario Barrios has the world title; Devin Haney is his No. 1 contender.
Junior welterweight: Alberto Puello has the world title; Sandor Martin is his No. 1 contender; Puello-Martin is scheduled for the March 1 undercard of Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach.
Light-weight: Shakur Stevenson has the world title; William Zepeda is the interim titleholder; Andy Cruz is the No. 1 contender.
Junior light-weight: O’Shaquie Foster has the world title; Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez is his No. 1 contender.
Featherweight: Stephen Fulton has the world title; Bruce Carrington is his No. 1 contender; Rey Vargas is the champion-in-recess.
Junior featherweight: Naoya Inoue has all 4 world titles; Alan David Picasso is the WBC’s No. 1 contender.
Bantamweight: Junto Nakatani has the world title; Juan Francisco Estrada is his No. 1 contender.
Junior bantamweight: Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has the world title; Roman Gonzalez is the No. 1 contender.
Flyweight: Kenshiro Teraji has the world title; Galal Yafai is the interim titleholder; Francisco Rodriguez Jnr is the No. 1 contender.
Junior flyweight: Panya Pradabsri has the world title; Carlos Canizales, who misplaced a extremely controversial resolution to Pradabsri in a December battle for the vacant belt, is the No. 1 contender.
Minimumweight: Melvin Jerusalem has the world title; Yudai Shigeoka is his No. 1 contender.
