Paddy Barnes joint top in WSB ratings- Conlan and Donnelly nicely poised
By IABA Press Officer Bernard O’Neill
Paddy Barnes and Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusnatov (Ukraine Otmans) are in joint first place in the updated World Series of Boxing Individual rankings
Click here for updated WSB Individual rankings.
Both boxers are locked on 20 points at the top of the table after winning four fights each this season. Barnes, who boxes with former WSB champions Italia Thunder, won his fourth outing for the Italian side on a unanimous decision over Kazakhstan’s Asian champion Temirtas Zhussupov (Astana Arlans) in Almaty, Kazakhstan last Saturday.
Michael Conlan, who also boxes with Italia Thunder, was very unlucky not to beat AIBA World No.1 ranked bantam Kariat Yeraliyev. One of the judges marked all five rounds to the dominant Belfast stylist (50-45), but, unfortunately for Ireland and Italia Thunder, the other two judges scored it for Yeraliyev on a split decision. Conlan is in third spot at bantam.
Steven Donnelly is nicely poised in the welterweight rankings. The 2014 Irish Elite champion, who boxes with the Hussars of Poland in the WSB, is in third position.
The top ranked light-fly at the end of the regular WSB season in April will qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics. Barnes and Conlan, who between them possess three Olympic medals, will have another three fights. The top two ranked bantams and welters will book tickets for the 31st Olympiad.
Meanwhile, Gary Sweeney won on his WSB debut for the Mexico Guerreros versus the British Lionhearts in York Hall in London last Thursday. Dean Gardiner is also signed with the Guerreros.
