Serhii Bohachuk has won his appeal with the WBC and is back at No. 1 at junior middleweight, the sanctioning body announced yesterday. The 26-2 (24 KOs) puncher had held the top spot since January after Errol Spence was dropped from the rankings, before Jaron “Boots” Ennis was unexpectedly installed at No. 1 earlier this month despite not yet fighting at 154.
In its explanation, the WBC noted that ratings are a “subjective determination” by committee vote and confirmed that both its Ratings Committee and Ratings Appeals Committee reviewed Tom Loeffler’s petition and “granted the requested motion,” reinstating Bohachuk to the top spot. The appeal process falls under the review requirements of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act.
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The shuffle matters immediately for a division with multiple moving parts. Bohachuk is slated to rematch Brandon Adams on September 13 on the preliminary undercard of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford. Ennis will make his 154-pound debut against Uisma Lima on October 11 on DAZN. Meanwhile, Vergil Ortiz Jr. is booked to face Erickson Lubin on November 8 on DAZN, and primary titleholder Sebastian Fundora is expected to meet Keith Thurman in October after a dominant July rematch win over Tim Tszyu.
Bohachuk’s reinstatement restores the order many expected at 154. The Ukrainian held the WBC interim belt before a narrow loss to Ortiz in August 2024, then climbed back to No. 1 in January. With his ranking secured and a rematch on deck, he’s once again front of the line for Fundora, or for the Ortiz–Lubin winner if paths cross.
Image Credit: PBC