Photo: Rhonda Costa/ Premier Boxing ChampionsThe WBC’s latest ratings update – released July 11 – includes the installation of three new No. 1 contenders.
At super middleweight: Christian Mbilli went from being the WBC’s No. 1 contender to being its interim titleholder by virtue of his first-round TKO of Maciej Sulecki on June 27.
That vacancy allowed Jermall Charlo, who somehow was slotted in at No. 2 the previous month following his May TKO win over the unrated Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna, to become the new No. 1.
However, don’t expect Charlo to remain in that slot long. Hamzah Sheeraz’s TKO win over Edgar Berlanga on Saturday was an elimination bout.
Mbilli is still ahead of Sheeraz and Charlo for a potential shot at the winner of September’s fight between undisputed champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford. However, if Canelo or Crawford were to vacate the WBC belt, then Mbilli would be upgraded and Sheeraz would be his mandatory challenger.
At welterweight: Devin Haney was pulled from his No. 1 spot in the WBC’s rankings after signing to fight WBO titleholder Brian Norman Jnr this November.
That meant Souleymane Cissokho moved up from No. 2 to No. 1. Cissokho had been in that first position before, prior to the WBC positioning Haney ahead of him in its February rankings update.
The WBC titleholder is Mario Barrios, who is defending against Manny Pacquiao on July 19.
At flyweight: Francisco Rodriguez Jnr, previously No. 1, won a wide decision over Galal Yafai on June 21 to capture the WBC’s interim belt. Whether Rodriguez will get to keep the belt is another question, given the recent revelation that he tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug.
Rodriguez’s ascension left the No. 1 spot vacant. Former WBA titleholder Seigo Yuri Akui moved up from No. 2 to No. 1, though he would be behind Rodriguez for a shot at the belt.
Yafai is now rated No. 4.
Kenshiro Teraji is the unified WBA and WBC titleholder. He is scheduled to defend against Ricardo Rafael Sandoval on July 30.
The WBC’s titleholders and No. 1 contenders in each weight class are:
Heavyweight: Oleksandr Usyk has the WBA, WBC and WBO world titles. He was previously the undisputed champion before vacating the IBF belt. Usyk remains the lineal champ. Usyk is scheduled to face IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois on July 19 for the undisputed championship.
Agit Kabayel is the WBC’s interim titleholder. Lawrence Okolie is the WBC’s No. 1 contender. Okolie will fight Kevin Lerena on the undercard of Usyk-Dubois II.
Bridgerweight: Kevin Lerena has the world title; he will face Lawrence Okolie at heavyweight on July 19. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk is the interim titleholder; Andrew Tabiti is the No. 1 contender.
Cruiserweight: Badou Jack has the world title; Noel Mikaelyan, who was previously the “champion in recess” and lost to Jack on May 3, is his No. 1 contender. The WBC has ordered a rematch.
The WBC’s interim titleholder is Michal Cieslak. He will be ordered to face Yamil Peralta.
Light heavyweight: David Benavidez has the WBC world title and also has the WBA’s secondary “regular” title (and is therefore the WBA’s mandatory challenger to one of the three belts held by lineal champion Dmitry Bivol). Benavidez will face Anthony Yarde in November.
Artur Beterbiev is the No. 1 contender for the WBA, WBC and WBO belts. Bivol – who is the IBF, WBA and WBO titleholder – is expected to have a rubber match with Beterbiev, but that fight is not yet official and is no longer expected to take place in 2025.
Super middleweight: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is the undisputed champion with all four world titles; he is scheduled to defend the undisputed championship against Terence Crawford (unranked at 168lbs) on September 13.
Christian Mbilli is the WBC’s interim titleholder. Jermall Charlo is the WBC’s No. 1 contender.
Middleweight: Carlos Adames has the world title; Meiirim Nursultanov is his No. 1 contender.
Junior middleweight: Sebastian Fundora has the WBC world title and is scheduled to have a rematch with Tim Tszyu on July 19. Vergil Ortiz Jnr is the WBC’s interim titleholder; Serhii Bohachuk is the WBC’s No. 1 contender.
Welterweight: Mario Barrios has the world title; he is scheduled to face Manny Pacquiao on July 19. Souleymane Cissokho is the No. 1 contender.
Junior welterweight: Subriel Matias has the world title; Dalton Smith is his No. 1 contender.
Lightweight: Shakur Stevenson has the world title; Andy Cruz is his No. 1 contender.
Junior lightweight: O’Shaquie Foster has the world title; he is expected to face featherweight titleholder Stephen Fulton next. Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez is the No. 1 contender.
Featherweight: Stephen Fulton has the world title; he is expected to challenge junior lightweight titleholder O’Shaquie Foster next.
Bruce Carrington is the No. 1 contender; Rey Vargas is the “champion in recess.”
Junior featherweight: Naoya Inoue is the undisputed champion with all four world titles; Inoue and interim WBA titleholder Murodjon Akhmadaliev are scheduled to fight on September 14.
Alan David Picasso is the WBC’s No. 1 contender.
Bantamweight: Junto Nakatani has the world title; Tenshin Nasukawa is his No. 1 contender.
Junior bantamweight: Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez has the WBC world title and lineal championship; he is scheduled for a unification bout against WBO titleholder Phumelele Cafu on July 19 and, if he wins, another unification bout with WBA titleholder Fernando Martinez in November.
Carlos Cuadras is the WBC’s No. 1 contender.
Flyweight: Kenshiro Teraji has the WBA and WBC world titles; he is scheduled to defend against Ricardo Sandoval on July 30.
Francisco Rodriguez Jnr is the WBC’s interim titleholder; Seigo Yuri Akui is the WBC’s No. 1 contender.
Junior flyweight: Panya Pradabsri has the world title; Carlos Canizales, who lost a highly controversial decision to Pradabsri in a fight in December for the vacant belt, is the No. 1 contender. Pradabsri-Canizales II is expected to take place on August 1.
Minimumweight: Melvin Jerusalem has the world title; Knockout CP Freshmart is his No. 1 contender.
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.
