Deontay Wilder made an ominous move in the heavyweight boxing rankings, bringing the American closer to Oleksandr Usyk.
“The Bronze Bomber” overtook British contender Martin Bakole, taking his place as the number one in the WBA Rankings
What makes the leapfrogging of Bakole all the more stunning is that both boxers haven’t fought since the last top-division list was produced.
But somehow, Wilder went from third to the first position, overtaking Bakole, who remained in second place. Before the March WBA announcement, no fighter took up the first position.
“Regular” titleholder Daniel Dubois is still WBA mandatory challenger for Usyk. How Wilder fits into the WBA championship picture is anyone’s guess.
It could be that the WBA will allow Wilder to face Dubois for the WBA title, with the winner facing Usyk. It could also mean that Dubois is allowing Wilder to bypass him and take the next shot at the Ukrainian master.
Top 10 WBA Heavyweight Rankings – April 2023
1 DEONTAY WILDER USA
2 MARTIN BAKOLE COD
3 ANTHONY JOSHUA GBR
4 LENIER PERO LAC CUB
5 ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV NABA CAN
6 LUIS ORTIZ CUB
7 FILIP HRGOVIC CRO
8 JONATHAN GUIDRY USA
9 JARRELL MILLER USA
10 MURAT GASSIEV I/C RUS
Discussion about this post