Cruiserweight: Mairis Briedis won the second World Boxing Super Series at 200 lbs. and laid his claim to history’s throne with a masterful performance against the dangerous Yuniel Dorticos. While only one sanctioning body belt was on the line, the consensus was these were the top two in class since former king Oleksandr Usyk moved on to heavyweight. Briedis must now decide if there is better business for him higher on the scale.

Light Heavyweight: The interim claim to the WBA belt changed hands when Robin Krasniqi blitzed Dominic Boesel. Krasniqi would have to defeat Dmitry Bivol to stake a more serious claim to the WBA strap.

Super Middleweight: David Benevidez is good at winning the WBC belt at 168 lbs. He’s also good at losing it outside the ring. Failure to make weight cost Benevidez in August but he stayed undefeated. David Morrell picked up an interim WBA belt in August as well.

Jr. Middleweight: While it wasn’t quite a consensus 1-2 fight going in, Jermell Charlo-Jeison Rosario represented the culmination of an unofficial process of elimination. With respect to WBO titlist Patrick Texieria, he still doesn’t have the sort of wins against the best in class Charlo or Rosario did going into their clash. Charlo’s memorable, nuclear body shot gave him three alphabet straps and the right to call himself history’s champion. A new lineage starts with him.

Welterweight: The big guns are still in the holster for a few more weeks but Yordenis Ugas picked up the primary WBA sub-title in September and Jamal James won the interim strap in August. It was a good string for WBA fees collection.    

Lightweight: We have a new lightweight king. Dominating the first half with better speed, activity, a long jab, and some hammering body shots, Teofimo Lopez set the table for a career making win over Vasyl Lomachenko. The WBC’s silly ‘franchise’ tag is the same thing as the WBA ‘super’ label, then the franchise champ is their real champ  and Lopez has all the hardware that matters. When one goes to the WBC website, the champion at the top of the page is Devin Haney. If belts matter, there is a way to work that out. Lopez is the champ that counts at 135 regardless.  

Featherweight: Emanuel Navarrete won a belt in his second weight class, scoring two knockdowns of undefeated Ruben Villa to claim the WBO diadem.

Jr. Featherweight: There’s been plenty of movement at 122 coming out of the COVID lockdowns. Angelo Leo impressed in winning the WBO belt Emanuel Navarrete left vacant while Luis Nery picked up a belt in his second weight class, winning the WBC strap on the big Charlo card. Both have business on the horizon. Leo will have to see Stephen Fulton, a late scratch due to the virus, while Nery will have to see Rey Vargas who was declared in recess of his reign due to injury.

Jr. Bantamweight: After a healthy wait for a shot at the full WBA honors, Andrew Moloney was upended for their sub-title by Joshua Franco in one of the better summer bouts. Franco and Moloney will do it again before the year is out.

Last Update: March 9, 2020

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