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Conrad Cummings and Carl Frampton receive World Rankings boost

Cyclone Promotions stablemates Conrad Cummings [11(5)-1(0)-1] and Carl Frampton [23(14)-1(0)] both find themselves as new entries in the latest World Boxing Organisation (WBO) rankings.

Released today, the Shane McGuigan-trained pair both enter the Top 15 of their respective weights.

Unsurprisingly, Mr Dynamite Cummings is added to the middleweight ladder following his impressive third round knockout win over Austrian Gogi Knezevic last month which saw him claim the WBO European belt. This victory sees gives him the #14 spot at 160lbs.

The current champion at middleweight is Billy Joe Saunders, who defends his belt against Georgian Avtandil Khurtsidze on July 8th.

The Middleweight Top 15 in full is:
1 – Ryota Murata (Japan)
2 – David Lemieux (Canada)
3 – Rob Brant (USA)
4 – Willie Monroe Jr (USA)
5 – Danny Jacobs (USA)
6 – Tommy Langford (UK)
7 – Francis Lafreniere (Canada)
8 – Liam Smith (UK)
9 – Maciej Sulecki (Poland)
10 – Walter Kautondokwo (Namibia)
11 – Immanuel Aleem (USA)
12 – Rafael Bejaran (Dominican Republic)
13 – Obodai Sai (Ghana)
14 – Conrad Cummings
15 – Kamil Szeremeta (Poland)

What comes as something of a surprise is Frampton’s entry at #9 in the featherweight rankings. ‘The Jackal’ is set to make a Belfast homecoming in Windsor Park this Summer ahead of, hopefully, a world title fight towards the end of the year.

His new ranking with the WBO now means that the Ulsterman is ranked with all four major governing bodies at 126lbs – WBC #1, WBA #2, IBF #3, WBO #8.

While a fight with WBO champ Oscar Valdez, promoted by Top Rank, seems unlikely for the Al Haymon-advised Frampton, it certainly looks as though he is keeping as many avenues open as possible.

The WBO featherweight Top 15 in full is:
1 – JoJo Diaz (USA)
2 – Carlos Diaz Ramirez (Mexico)
3 – Christoper Diaz (Puerto Rico)
4 – Mark Magsayo (Philippines)
5 – Matias Rueda (Argentina)
6 – Oleg Malynovskyi (Ukraine)
7 – Sakaria Lukas (Namibia)
8 – Miguel Marriaga (Colombia)
9 – Carl Frampton
10 – Kamil Laszczyk (Poland)
11 – Marco McCullough
12 – Ronny Rios (USA)
13 – Albert Pagara (Philippines)
14 – Dennis Ceylan (Denmark)
15 – Luke Jackson (Australia)

Also featuring in the WBO Rankings are Marco McCullough (#11 Featherweight), Dennis Hogan (#3 Light Middleweight), and Ryan Burnett (#12 Bantamweight)

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (@ThefIrish)

LISTEN: Mick Conlan joins Gavan Casey and Joe O’Neill on Episode 4 of The Irish Boxing Show

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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