David Morrell has replaced Artur Beterbiev as the WBO’s first-ranked light heavyweight.
Morrell previously sat at No. 2, but he moved up one spot in the sanctioning body’s latest ratings update, which was released on February 2 and reflects results through January 15. Beterbiev is now in the second position.
This shouldn’t change any of the circumstances in the 175lbs weight class. Morrell and WBO interim titleholder Callum Smith had already been ordered to fight. A purse bid scheduled for February 2 was canceled after the two camps reached an agreement, according to BoxingScene’s Jake “Jazz Hands of Stone” Donovan.
The primary WBO titleholder is Dmitry Bivol, who also has the IBF and WBA belts and is the Ring Magazine and lineal champion. Bivol topped Beterbiev in their rematch in February 2025; neither man has fought since then, and negotiations for a rubber match have not produced a deal.
Morrell, a 28-year-old Cuban fighter who lives in Minnesota, is 12-1 (9 KOs). He is a former secondary titleholder at both 168lbs and 175. He lost his WBA “regular” light heavyweight belt to David Benavidez in February 2025 and then returned this past July with a competitive split decision victory over the previously unbeaten Imam Khataev.
Morrell and Beterbiev are followed in the WBO’s light heavyweight ratings by Joshua Buatsi, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Conor Wallace, Ardian Krasniqi, Artur Reis, Alban Bermeta, Zach Parker, Daniel Lapin, Maxim Xu, Ben Whittaker, Diyab Dabschah, Khataev and Juan Carrillo.
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
