The highest 4 fighters in line for a shot at Teofimo Lopez’s WBO junior welterweight title are, so as, Arnold Barboza, Jack Catterall, Richardson Hitchins and Jose Ramirez.
Hitchins will quickly be taken out of consideration, given his December 7 bout with IBF titleholder Liam Paro.
However the WBO has but to determine whether or not Barboza, Catterall or Ramirez will probably be named Lopez’s necessary.
One cause for that’s as a result of Barboza and Ramirez are because of battle on November 16. Catterall, in the meantime, is coming off a unanimous choice victory on October 26 over Regis Prograis (who was ranked No. 7 earlier than the defeat).
“We haven’t designated but as a result of there’s nonetheless some doable situations that will come up to find out correctly who would be the necessary for Teo,” stated newly elected WBO President Gustavo Olivieri throughout a Thursday assembly of the rankings committee on the sanctioning physique’s conference in Puerto Rico.
“We have now to see what the committee guidelines,” Olivieri stated. “We both do a last eliminator or we simply order the necessary when the necessary comes. Catterall defeated a rated contender; in all probability he’ll be positioned No. 1. We have now to attend and see. Let’s see what occurs in November with Barboza and Ramirez. And we are going to decide.”
Barboza has been within the No. 1 slot for a very long time, courting again to June 2023. Barboza was No. 2 earlier than then. He moved up after Lopez, who was rated No. 1 on the time, and defeated Josh Taylor for the WBO title and lineal championship at 140lbs.
Lopez, 21-1 (13 KOs), has gained two fights since beating Taylor, taking selections over Jamaine Ortiz in February and Steve Claggett in June. Lopez, who additionally was beforehand the lineal champion at 135, is reportedly contemplating departing junior welterweight and heading seven kilos north to welterweight.
Barboza, 30-0 (11 KOs), has additionally added a pair of victories since his ascension within the rankings, stopping Xolisani Ndongeni in eight rounds in January and getting the nod in a cut up choice over Sean McComb in April.
Ramirez, 29-1 (18 KOs), is a former unified titleholder who misplaced to Taylor in Might 2021 in a battle for the undisputed championship. He has not been overly energetic since, outpointing Jose Pedraza in March 2022, knocking out Richard Commey in 11 rounds in March 2023 and successful a unanimous choice over Rances Barthelemy this April. This would be the first time Ramirez has fought twice in a 12 months since 2019.
David Greisman, who has coated boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod. He’s the co-host of the United Boxing Podcast. David’s e book, “Combating Phrases: The Coronary heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is accessible on Amazon.
