When Abass Baraou defeated Yoenis Tellez last month to capture the WBA’s interim title at 154lbs, it left a vacancy in the No. 1 spot that Baraou previously occupied.
As a result, a few junior middleweights have moved up one spot higher in the WBA’s latest ratings update, which was released on September 1.
Among them: Jaron “Boots” Ennis, whom the WBA had just installed at No. 2 at 154lbs the previous month after Ennis departed the welterweight division, where he’d unified the IBF and WBA world titles.
Also moving up were Pavel Sosulin, who went from No. 3 to No. 2, and Jesus Ramos Jnr, who jumped from No. 4 to No. 3. Without his belt, Tellez is now in the No. 4 slot.
Ennis had also been inserted at No. 1 in the WBC’s latest ratings update but was pushed to No. 2 after the man he replaced, Serhii Bohachuk, successfully appealed the sanctioning body’s decision.
The WBO has Ennis at No. 2 as well. The IBF has not yet ranked Ennis at 154lbs.
Ennis, 34-0 (30 KOs), is scheduled for an October 11 bout in his hometown of Philadelphia against Uisma Lima, 14-1 (10 KOs). Lima is ranked ninth by the IBF, WBA and WBC. He will be Ennis’ first opponent at junior middleweight.
The WBA’s primary titleholder is Terence Crawford, but it is reasonable to believe that Crawford has departed junior middleweight for good given his September 13 mega-fight with undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
If that is the case, then Baraou would be elevated and Ennis would be in position to challenge him.
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.
