Last week, both WBC regular lightweight champion Devin Haney, and his next challenger, former WBA/IBF featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa, passed the first WBC weigh-in requirement. The WBC has a regulation requiring that, thirty days prior to the fight, the boxers must not be more than 10% of the limit of their division. For lightweights, that means 148.5 pounds or less. Both men were well under, as Haney made 143 pounds, while Gamboa reported 146. Haney will battle Gamboa, on Saturday, November 7th, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, in Hollywood, Florida.
Both men are returning from serious injury: Haney injured his right shoulder while defeating Alfredo Santiago and underwent successful surgery on the injury. Gamboa injured his achilles tendon losing to Gervonta Davis late last year. Haney is rated #4 in the world by Boxingtalk, while Gamboa is #24.
1. Vasiliy Lomachenko - The top spot at 135 pounds is not up for debate. The Ukrainian superstar has had four fights at lightweight, three of them against top competition. Next up, he faces young gun Teofimo Lopez for the IBF belt, the only major title missing from Loma's collection.
2. Teofimo Lopez - While Lomachenko is the indisputable sheriff in town, Lopez is the clear-cut #2 at the moment. The 22 year-old IBF champion from New York City had a phenomenal 2019: four big wins capped by an easy mugging of Richard Commey for the IBF title. If you miss Lomachenko-Lopez (no date announced yet), don't bother calling yourself a boxing fan.
3. Gervonta Davis - The former 130-pound champion has had only two fights at 135 pounds- a win over Francesco Fonseca in 2017 when he failed to make the super featherweight limit, and more recently, a solid win over the fading Yuriorkis Gamboa. The WBA lightweight title Davis holds is a secondary one, as Lomachenko holds top recognition with the WBA as well as with the WBO and WBC. Next up is an October 24th fight vs. Leo Santa Cruz where Davis can win another WBA title (Santa Cruz's 130-pound title will also be in play if Davis can make 130 pounds).
4. Devin Haney - Undefeated 21 year-old Haney has beaten a couple of top twenty types, but no one who can be considered a true contender. Other than a 2019 win over South Africa's Xolisani Ndongeni, Haney's opposition level probably doesn't warrant a rating this high. However, his skill set is undeniable. Recovering from shoulder surgery, the WBC belt he holds is purely a paper title.
5. Javier Fortuna - Had two solid wins in 2019, but more importantly, the Dominican Fortuna deserves a top ten ranking based on a 2018 split-decision loss to then-undefeated, then-IBF lightweight champion Robert Easter.
6. Jorge Linares - former three-division titlist from Venezuela returned to lightweight in February with a dominant performance against Carlos Morales. Also holds a 2017 win over Luke Campbell.
7. Richard Commey - The loss to Lopez will follow this warrior from Ghana because it was his most publicized fight, but the second-round loss does not erase the good work Commey did earlier in 2019 (wins over Isa Chaniev and Rey Beltran). He deserves another big fight.
8. Luke Campbell - 2012 Olympic champion exceeded expectations with a reasonably competitive distance loss to Lomachenko in August. Hopefully, Haney agrees to fight him next.
9. Emmanuel Tagoe - He is based in Ghana, where it is nearly impossible to attract top-tier opposition, but after losing his pro debut, Tagoe has beaten everyone put in front of him, so he has clearly earned a title shot, or at least an eliminator. Unfairly, the WBO wont order an eliminator for Tagoe even though he is entitled to one under the organization's rules. Tagoe is 31-1 with his only pro loss coming in 2004... get this man a big fight, stat!
10. Lee Selby- Former IBF featherweight champion lost his title to Josh Warrington in 2018, and promptly jumped up two divisions. In 2019, Selby beat Omar Douglas and former title holder Ricky Burns. This Welshman can legitimately call himself a lightweight contender. Next: George Kambosos in an IBF eliminator on October 3rd.
11. Diego Magdaleno -This Mexican warrior got a big win against Austin Dulay in February, which gave him a boost in the rankings. Next: Magdaleno faces Isaac Cruz Gonzalez (19-1-1) on October 31st.
12. Ryan Garcia - Just 21 years of age, and a social media favorite, Garcia has two straight explosive first-round knockouts, but his resume is just a tad light for a top ten ranking. Unfortunately, the social media star does not seem to be in a rush to get back in the ring.
13. Rances Barthelemy - The Cuban held the IBF title in 2015-2016 and then moved up to junior welterweight. He came back to 135 to face Robert Easter and fought to a draw. That was in April 2019, and Barthelemy hasn't fought since. With no fight scheduled, we're dropping Barthelemy five spots (from #8) for inactivity, with his spot in the top twenty in jeopardy if he remains on the sideleines much longer. Note: announced next fight will be at junior welterweight.
14. Alberto Machado - Former WBA 130-pound title folder from Puerto Rico moved up to lightweight in December with a win, and has now announced his intention to remain in this division, so he enters the rankings at #14.
15. Masayuki Ito - Former WBO 130-pound champion is 2-1 in world title fights. Since losing to Jamel Herring, he moved up and has one win in this division.
16. Edis Tatli - Inactivity warning... its very hard to separate the next three boxers, all Europeans. From Finland, Tatli's key results are a loss to Tefimo Lopez, a win over Yvan Mendy and a split of two fights vs. Francesco Patera.
17. Yvan Mendy - The French Mendy split two fights with Luke Campbell, lost to Tatli, defeated Francesco Patera and had two quality wins in 2019.
18. Francesco Patera - From Belgium, Patera is the reigning European champion and is on a run of four quality wins. However, he's lost to Mendy and split with Tatli. He had an interesting test scheduled for March vs. Italy’s Devis Boschiero that got cancelled.
19. Jon Fernandez - He came to the USA in 2018 from his native Spain, and lost to O'Shaquie Foster at 130 pounds, but he's been unbeaten since making the jump to lightweight, including a stay-busy win in early 2020.
20. George Kambosos - Australian up-and-comer showed he is ready to contend after a split-decision win over former title holder Mickey Bey in December. Next up is ex-IBF featherweight champ Lee Selby. A win over Selby puts Kambosos in or very near the top ten.
21. James Tennyson - Northern Irishman lost a 2018 title shot in the 130-pound division to Tevin Farmer but moved up with four wins in 2019, including two quality ones to close out the year. He seems to have carried his punching power (26-3 with 22 KOs) up to lightweight, as all four wins came inside the distance. Fights on August 1st vs. Gavin Gwynne for vacant British title. [Note: Tennyson won the British title vs. Gwynne].
22. Hector Tanajara - January win over Juan Carlos Burgos elevates this Texan into the the top 25.
23. Felix Verdejo - Former heavily hyped prospect from Puerto Rico looks to be back in form following a very recent manhandling of previously undefeated Wil Madera. Verdejo's now 29-1 and is 27 years old.
24. Yuriorkis Gamboa - Is coming back from an achilles tendon injury in a loss to Gervonta Davis to face Devin Haney.
25. Michel Rivera - Undefeated Dominican got on the board with a February stoppage over gatekeeper Fidel Maldonado, Jr. Considering his early fights were at home in the Dominican Republic, his team has done an excellent job getting high-quality opposition.
26-40: Ladarius Miller, Pavel Malikov, Isa Chaniev, Dejean Zlaticanin, Gustavo Daniel Lemos, Isaac Cruz Gonzalez, Roberto Ramirez, Masayoshi Nakatani, Ricky Burns, Denys Berinchyk, Xolisani Ndongeni, Zaur Abdullaev, Elnur Samedov, Shuichiro Yoshino, Esneiker Correa.
Results for next ratings: Rolando Romero defeats Jackson Marinez; Georgi Chelokhsaev defeats Aik Shaknazaryan; Denis Berinchyk defeats Viorel Simion; Zaur Abdullaev defeats Pavel Malikov; Maxi Hughes defeats Viktor Kotochigov; Liam Walsh (prior win over Hughes); Shuichiro Yoshino defeats Valentine Hosokowa; Emiliano Marsili
