Japanese Rule of Lower Weights Under Challenge; Head-Scratching Latest WBC World Rankings
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 06 Aug 2025
Jerusalem and Taduran remain PH's world champions.
Let's start first with the head-scratching latest world rankings of the four major boxing sanctioning bodies particularly the World Boxing Council or WBC.
Despite his magnificent return to the ring after four years which was spoiled by a split draw against Mario Barrios in a WBC world welterweight title challenge no less; Manny Pacquiao remained unranked especially by the WBC and the three other major boxing bodies, WBA, IBF and WBO as published by BoxingScene.com.
This albeit the fact that Manny now could be singing the Beatles song "Everybody Wants To Be My Baby" for his next much awaited high profile fight.
With even two, former Pacquiao title foe and victim, Keith Thurman and two-time Australian world super lightweight titlist Liam Paro both making a hard sell to the point of tempting Manny to mouth a famous Al Pacino movie line--"You're talking to me?"
Puzzling to say the least.
As puzzling as the same WBC unilaterally promoting Arvin John Paciones from light flyweight where he was erstwhile long-time #2 ranked contender to the flyweight and ranking him last of its 15 rated contenders at 112 lbs class! That virtually killed AJ's chance to challenge new WBC 108 lbs titlist Carlos Canizales.
The WBC also has Kenneth Llover 15th and last of its rated contenders at bantamweights despite the fact that Llover is champion in the division of the OPBF, its main affiliate organisation in the Asia-Pacific! Should Junto Nakatani opt to move up anytime soon, what's the chance of Llover vying for the title he will leave behind?
It's good that the other boxing bodies have retained the high rankings of Filipino fighters in various divisions mostly in the lower weights with only Charly Suarez and Mark Magsayo keeping their lofty ratings above 122 lbs.
Suarez is still #1 at super featherweight with the WBO owing to the controversial ending of his title fight versus defending champion Emanuel Navarrete of Mexico. Suarez lost by technical decision when he should have won by technical knockout due to the indecisiveness of the referee.
Magsayo is rated #2 by the WBC to current world titlist O'Shaquie Foster at 130 lbs. He is ranked third in the WBO behind Suarez.
Carl Jammes Martin keeps his #1 position with the WBO while Marlon Tapales remains top 2 or 3 with the WBC and IBF at super bantamweight where Naoya is the undisputed world champion.
Nonito Donaire is the interim champion at bantamweight in the WBA and chances are could be next for regular titlist Antonio Vargas after Vargas barely kept his crown with a fighting draw against hard-luck challenger Daigo Higa in Japan recently.
Jayr Raquinel and Vince Paras are top 5 at super flyweight with the IBF and WBC. No Japanese is holding any title there following defeats of Kazuto Ioka and Kosei Tanaka. Fernando Martinez and Bam Rodriguez are holding sway in the division.
Mark Vicelles, Esneth Domingo and as mentioned earlier AJ Paciones are the only Filipinos rated at flyweight but they are in the lower rungs. Only one Japanese champion, Masamachi Yabuki, remained as world titlist at 112 lbs following the upset defeat of erstwhile unified WBC-WBA champion Kenshiro Teraji recently to Ricardo Sandoval.
Jayson Vayson, Regie Suganob are in contention at light flyweight even with the forced departure of AJ Paciones. Christian Araneta fell down to the lower rungs following his loss to Thanomsak Simsri for the then vacant IBF crown. Another Japanese, Kyosuke Takami gained a world title at 108 lbs with the WBA after the defeat of Shokochi Iwata early this year.
Finally, Filipino fighters remained highly ranked at minimumweight where two Filipinos namely Melvin and Pedro Taduran are reigning world champions at WBC and IBF respectively. Christian Balunan and Ian Abne are virtually top two at IBF, Joey Canoy is #3 at WBC while Vic Saludar is rated #2 at WBO where Oscar Collazo is unified champion with WBA.
Next time, we will discuss how Japanese fighters hegemony at the lower weights is starting to be sternly challenged.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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