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Irish Boxers 2018 World Rankings

The new year is here and Irish boxers are well placed in the world rankings of thee four major governing bodies.

Aside from our two current reigning world champions, a further 11 are placed in Top 15s, and another seven ranked elsewhere.

Belfast bantamweight Ryan Burnett won the IBF bantamweight title in June, and added the WBA belt in October – the same month in which Wicklow lightweight Katie Taylor also picked up a WBA world title.

Also with the WBA, James Tennyson remains at #4 at super featherweight – with Javier Fortuna dropping out above him while Gervonta Davis leapfrogs the Belfast fighter despite not having fought since August.

One weight down at feather, Carl Frampton sits at #3 with both the WBA and IBF, as well as #2 with the WBC, and #4 with the WBO.

Jason Quigley is also ranked with a number of bodies. The Donegal middleweight is WBO #15, WBA #11, and WBC #10.

At light middleweight, Dennis Hogan is #4 with the WBO and primed for a world title fight, or at the very least a final eliminator, in the coming months. The Brisbane-based Kildare fighter is also #8 with the IBF and #21 with the WBC.

Another nearing a world title shot is Portlaoise super bantamweight TJ Doheny. Currently #3 with the IBF, Doheny is set to move up to #1 and the mandatory challenger position for champion Ryosuke Iwasa in the next week or so once his final eliminator win over Mike Tawatchi in Bangkok is factored in.

Having defended his WBA Oceania light welterweight title four times, Dubliner Darragh Foley is now #11 – as well as #32 with the WBC.

Following his big win over Antoine Douglas, Cork middleweight Spike O’Sullivan enters the WBA rankings at #13. The Mahon man remains at #33 on the extended WBC ladder, but is expected to move up substantially when the newest edition is released next week.

Also ranked are Belfast super flyweight Jamie Conlan (IBF #13), Limerick middleweight Andy Lee (WBC #6), Cork cruiser Mike Perez (WBC #10), and Conrad Cummings (WBO #13).

Holder of both the WBO European and WBO Inter-Continental titles, Belfast flyweight Paddy Barnes moves up to #10 with the youngest of the big bodies.

On the same card where Barnes claimed his second belt, Dublin super featherweight Jono Carroll also doubled his strap tally – however his IBF Inter-Continental title win does not see him enter their Top 15. ‘King Kong’ remains at #14 in the IBF Inter-Continental rankings, although will surely move up once they are updated for the first time since early November.

Also in these Inter-Continental rankings, Barnes is #1 at flyweight, Belfast lightweight Paul Hyland Jr is at #3 – as is super featherweight stablemate Tennyson. At middleweight Luke Keeler is #8 and O’Sullivan is #5, Belfast welterweights Paddy Gallagher and Matt Wilton are #13 and #14 respectively, while Stephen Haughian is amazingly at #13 at light middleweight despite having fought just once in the last five year. Finally there is Wexford heavyweight Niall Kennedy who is #8 in the IBF-affiliated USBA rankings.

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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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