Heavyweight: The first update since November of last year, 2020 brings wholesale changes everywhere but on the lineage line. Anthony Joshua regained all three of the alphabet belts he lost to Andy Ruiz, pulling off a rare immediate turnaround following a knockout loss. Tyson Fury has now won the single belt that eluded him thus far, the WBC’s. For those who believe the “Gypsy King” formally retired before resuming his career in 2018, he is now a two-time Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and Ring Magazine heavyweight king. From this lone vantage point, he simply extended a reign dating to 2015 with his dominant knockout win of Deontay Wilder with his sixth title defense.

 

Cruiserweight: The lineal throne left empty by Oleksandr Usyk will be filled in the WBSS final between Yunier Dorticos and Mairis Briedis. New to the belted ranks in a feel good story, veteran Ilunga Makabu captured the vacant WBC belt in January.

Jr.  Middleweight: 154 lbs. has seen big shake-ups since the last update with all four major alphabet titles getting new owners. In November Patrick Teixeira won the interim, since elevated to full, WBO belt against Carlos Adames. The following month, Jermell Charlo avenged his sole loss with an exciting stoppage of Tony Harrison for the WBC strap. Then, in January, Jeison Rosario shocked unified WBA/IBF titlist Julian Williams in five rounds.

Lightweight: The WBC’s silly ‘franchise’ tag appeared to elevate Devin Haney to their official titlist but in December he was instead labeled their ‘champion in recess.’ Teofimo Lopez electrified the masses with a second round destruction of tested veteran Richard Commey and is headed towards a showdown with division leader Vasyl Lomachenko. The winner will be recognized here as the new lineal king of the division, the first since Terence Crawford vacated the throne in 2015.

Jr. Lightweight: The WBA shenanigans continue. Just as they demoted Jezreel Corrales for no discernible reason to clear a path for their primary ‘super’ title to be won in a lopsided match by Gervonta Davis, they have now elevated Leo Santa Cruz into the vacant spot. He was allowed to bypass reigning WBA titlist Rene Alvarado in fighting a Miguel Flores who had won two in a row against middling opposition after consecutive knockout losses. Joseph Diaz won his belt straight up with a career best performance against Tevin Farmer for the IBF bauble. 

Jr. Featherweight: Good things come to those who refuse to wait. Murodjon Akhmadaliev captured the WBA and IBF belts in only his eighth fight with a testy split decision over Daniel Roman. Guillermo Rigondeaux, the longest reigning lineal king in the sport, has not formally abdicated his throne yet though it may be coming with the Cuban marksman moving down to bantamweight in his last fight.

Bantamweight: Johnriel Casimero, now a titlist in three weight classes, ended the roughly six-year win streak of Zolani Tete in the third to win the WBO belt last November. He’ll attempt to end an unblemished streak in April when he faces Naoya Inoue. The winner will be recognized here as the new lineal king of the class. TBRB will also recognize the winner as champion. Ring already recognizes Inoue.

Jr. Bantamweight: It turns out Roman Gonzalez had more left in the tank than outings since a pair of losses to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai led on. Whipping himself into great shape, Gonzalez turned in a gem to stop undefeated Khalid Yafai and return to the big mix in what remains one of the sports most compelling classes. The WBA has already elevated Gonzalez to their ‘super” spot, which is bad news for Andrew Moloney but good news for anyone who would like to see Gonzalez chase unification as the clock ticks.

Flyweight: Julio Cesar Martinez used his exciting offense to snare the vacant WBC belt in December with a stoppage of former titlist Cristofer Rosales and has already posted his first defense against a game Jay Harris. Kosei Tanaka vacated the WBO belt and will chase a mandatory one division up against Kazuto Ioka.

Last Update: November 11, 2019

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com