The ripple effects of Terence Crawford’s retirement continue to reshape the super middleweight division, with Jose Armando Resendiz officially upgraded to full WBA champion at 168 pounds - confirmed in the WBA’s latest regularly scheduled rankings update.
Resendiz previously held the WBA interim title after upsetting Caleb Plant last May and with Crawford stepping away from the sport, the WBA elevated Resendiz from interim to primary titlist.
The shake-up has triggered parallel movements across the division. The IBF has invited Osleys Iglesias and Canelo Alvarez to negotiate for its vacant title, while the WBC has ordered interim champion Christian Mbilli to face Hamzah Sheeraz for its full belt. The WBO, meanwhile, has called for a bout between Diego Pacheco and Sheeraz.
The WBA’s rankings update also reshuffled the contender list beneath Resendiz. Bektemir Melikuziev has reclaimed the No. 1 ranking, moving ahead of Canelo, who drops to second following elbow surgery after his loss to Crawford. Melikuziev had previously held the top spot after a narrow decision win over Darius Fulghum before being displaced when Canelo re-entered the rankings.
Image Credit: The Ring