WBO No. 1 Contenders: Zhilei Zhang, Bruce Carrington, And Others Rise To The Top

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has shaken up its rankings, announcing four new WBO No. 1 contenders in its latest update released on December 27. These changes are already stirring excitement as they hint at big fights in the near future. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening in boxing’s key divisions.

Heavyweight: Zhilei Zhang Takes the Lead

Big news in the heavyweight division! Zhilei Zhang, the Chinese powerhouse with a record of 27 wins (22 by knockout), 2 losses, and 1 draw, is now the WBO’s No. 1 contender. He moved up after Tyson Fury fell to No. 3 following his recent rematch loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

This is a huge moment for Zhang, but there’s a catch. On February 22, he’s scheduled to fight Agit Kabayel for the WBC interim title. If Zhang wins, it could complicate his WBO ranking because sanctioning bodies often drop fighters who pursue titles in other organizations. Still, a victory would keep Zhang in the mix for a chance to challenge Usyk, the reigning heavyweight champion and one of the best fighters in the world today.

Featherweight: Bruce Carrington Climbs to No. 1

Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington is having a moment. The undefeated featherweight (14-0, 8 KOs) just climbed from the No. 2 spot to become the WBO’s top contender. This happened after Robeisy Ramirez dropped down the rankings following his tough loss to Rafael Espinoza, the WBC champion. Ramirez, who had been ranked No. 1, was stopped in the sixth round of their fight, and he’s now sitting at No. 7.

Carrington is also ranked No. 1 by the WBC, making him a rising star to watch. If he keeps this momentum, he could soon find himself in a major title fight.

Flyweight: Juan Carlos Camacho Jnr Moves Up

The flyweight division saw a surprising change, with Juan Carlos Camacho Jnr (18-1, 8 KOs) leapfrogging his way to the No. 1 contender spot. This happened after Francisco Rodriguez Jnr was removed from the rankings. Rodriguez hasn’t fought at 112 pounds in nearly two years and was finally shifted to the 115-pound division.

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Camacho’s rise wasn’t exactly expected, considering he was previously ranked third, but the WBO decided to skip over the No. 2 fighter, Olimjon Nazarov. With Anthony Olascuaga (8-1, 6 KOs) currently holding the WBO flyweight title, it’ll be interesting to see if Camacho can seize this opportunity.

Minimumweight: Vic Saludar Back on Top

In the minimumweight (or strawweight) division, Vic Saludar (25-6, 15 KOs) has reclaimed his position as the WBO’s No. 1 contender. This happened after Masataka Taniguchi, who briefly held the top spot, lost a close fight at 108 pounds to Thanongsak Simsri.

Taniguchi hadn’t fought at minimumweight for nearly two years, which raised eyebrows when he was ranked No. 1 in the first place. Now that he’s dropped to No. 5, Saludar is back in the lead. The reigning champion in this division, Oscar Collazo (11-0, 8 KOs), holds both the WBO and WBA titles, setting up a potential showdown between him and Saludar.

Source: WBO’s four new No. 1 contenders: Zhilei Zhang, Bruce Carrington and more

Other Surprises

One of the biggest shocks this month was Jaime Munguia’s upset loss to Bruno Surace. Munguia, who came into the fight with a record of 44 wins and only 1 loss, was widely expected to win but ended up being outclassed. What’s strange is that despite this loss, Munguia has held onto his No. 3 ranking at super middleweight. Meanwhile, Surace, who is undefeated at 26-0-2, hasn’t even cracked the rankings.

WBO No. 1 Contenders: Zhilei Zhang, Bruce Carrington, and Others Rise to the Top

What’s Happening Across the Divisions?

Here’s a quick rundown of the WBO’s current champions and their No. 1 contenders in each weight class:

Heavyweight: Oleksandr Usyk is the champion, Joseph Parker holds the interim belt, and Zhilei Zhang is the top contender.
Cruiserweight: Gilberto Ramirez is the WBO champion, with Michal Cieslak as the No. 1 contender.
Light Heavyweight: Artur Beterbiev is the undisputed champion, Joshua Buatsi holds the interim WBO title, and Dmitry Bivol is the No. 1 contender.
Super Middleweight: Canelo Alvarez reigns supreme, with Diego Pacheco as the top challenger.
Middleweight: Janibek Alimkhanuly is the champion, and Denzel Bentley is the leading contender.
Junior Middleweight: Sebastian Fundora holds the title, with Xander Zayas ranked first.
Welterweight: Brian Norman Jnr is the champion, and Shakhram Giyasov is his No. 1 challenger.
Junior Welterweight: Teofimo Lopez Jnr holds the title, with Arnold Barboza ranked first.
Lightweight: Denys Berinchyk is the champion, with Keyshawn Davis as the top contender.
Junior Lightweight: Emanuel Navarrete holds the belt, with Charly Suarez ranked first.
Featherweight: Rafael Espinoza is the champion, and Bruce Carrington is the No. 1 contender.
Junior Featherweight: Naoya Inoue is the undisputed champion, with Sam Goodman as the top challenger.
Bantamweight: Yoshiki Takei is the champion, and Christian Medina is the No. 1 contender.
Junior Bantamweight: Phumelele Cafu holds the title, with Roman Gonzalez ranked first.
Flyweight: Anthony Olascuaga is the champion, and Juan Carlos Camacho Jnr is the new No. 1.
Junior Flyweight: Shokichi Iwata is the champion, with Regie Suganob as the top contender.
Minimumweight: Oscar Collazo holds the WBO and WBA titles, with Vic Saludar as the leading challenger.

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Next in Line: Rising Contenders and the Fight for Boxing Glory in 2025

These rankings set the stage for some exciting matchups in 2025. Zhilei Zhang’s February fight, Bruce Carrington’s rise in the featherweight division, and Juan Carlos Camacho Jnr’s leap in the flyweight rankings are all worth keeping an eye on. Fans of the sport can look forward to an action-packed year as these fighters battle it out to cement their legacies.

Boxing, as always, is full of surprises, and the WBO rankings are just the latest chapter in a story that keeps evolving. Stay tuned—there’s a lot more to come!