Finally, Manny Pacquiao Rated WBC #1 Contender, Reenters Ring Welterweight Ranking at #9
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 11 Aug 2025
Finally, boxing authorities have come to their senses
as the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the Ring Magazine included Manny Pacquiao in their latest boxing ranking with the WBC rating Pacquiao as its number one contender at welterweight.
Pacquiao also reentered the Ring Magazine highly exclusive ranking of the world's top ten welterweight fighters, placing him at #9 just below the man he recently nearly defeated for the WBC crown, Mario Barrios. Barrios had to rally in the last three rounds to extract a split draw with Pacquiao who was making a comeback at age 46 after four years away from the ring and spotting his taller opponent by six inches in height.
This is the first time Pacquiao has returned to Ring ranking since his victory over Keith Thurman for the WBA welterweight super title in 2019. It's a vindication for Pacquiao who then Ring columnist and now editor-in-chief Douglas Fischer had insisted as "washed".
With his performance against Barrios who is ten years younger, Pacquiao proved that he has just grown old but far from being over the hill. In fact, top name fighters are lining up to be his opponent in his next high profile and lucrative fights in the USA.
It can be recalled that in the early 2010s when Pacquiao was WBO welterweight titleholder, the WBC likewise rated him top contender for its then champion Floyd Mayweather ostensibly in a bid to force their long awaited confrontation.
Apart from Pacquiao, Mark Magsayo also is elevated as WBC #1 contender at super featherweight where the current champion is American O' Shaqquie Foster.
Charly Suarez keeps his #1 rating in the same division with the WBO.
Also keeping their top positions are Carl Jammes Martin #1 at super bantamweight with the WBO, Vince Paras and Regie Suganob at top two and Jayson Vayson at #3 (with top two vacant) at light flyweight with the WBO and IBF, respectively, Christian Balunan and Ian Abne at top two and Vic Saludar at #2 at minimumweight with the IBF and WBO, respectively.
Making the Ring Magazine ratings with Pacquiao are Charly Suarez #8 at super featherweight, Marlon Tapales #1 at super bantamweight, Kenneth Llover #10 at bantamweight, Regie Suganob #7, Christian Araneta #8 and Jayson Vayson #10 at light flyweight and Melvin Jerusalem and Pedro Taduran #1 and #2 at minimuweight.
The Philippines has three world champions- Jerusalem and Taduran as WBC and IBF minimumweight titlist respectively and Nonito Donaire Jr as WBA interim bantamweight titleholder.
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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