BANAL CRACKS TOP 10 OF RING MAG'S BANTAMWEIGHT RANKINGS
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 25 Jul 2012
Bantamweight contender AJ 'Bazooka' Banal enters the top ten of Ring Magazine's latest weekly ranking (link) in the bantamweight division and marking the first time the Cebuano knockout artist joins the prestigious list. Another Cebuano, former world champion Malcolm Tu?acao, stays at No. 6 in the division where he has been ranked in the top 10 the past 76 weeks.
Ranked No. 1 is Panama's Anselmo Moreno, the current WBA champion, followed at No. 2 by Ghana's Joseph Agbeko; WBC champion Shinsuke Yamanak of Japan is listed at No. 3 followed by Koki Kameda, also of Japan; Puerto Rico's Eric Morel follow suit at No. 5; Tu?acao, No. 6; IBF champion Leo Sta Cruz of Mexico at No. 7; Jorge Arce, also of Mexico, at No. 8 and Hugo Ruiz, also of Mexico at No. 9.
Banal, who has racked up 11 consecutive victories after he lost to Panama's Rafael Concepcion in 2008, gets into the rankings after the Ring dropped Vic Darchinyan who has lost his two last fights. Banal may nudge higher if Arce, who is set to battle Nonito Donaire one division higher, leaves the bantamweight division entirely.
Banal, ranked No. 1 by the WBO, is set to contest the vacant WBO bantamweight title against WBO number two ranked Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand. Banal is also rated No. 7 by the WBC and No. 11 by the IBF.
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