Shakur Stevenson’s move up to light welterweight quietly removed the WBC lightweight title from circulation, leaving the 135-pound division without an active champion.
The 135-pound division finally has some movement, though it comes after months of unnecessary waiting. Shakur Stevenson’s jump to junior welterweight effectively took the WBC lightweight title off the map, leaving a weight class once full of momentum in neutral.
Stevenson beat Teofimo Lopez last weekend to capture the WBO title at 140 pounds. That win was his fourth divisional conquest, but he never actually said if he planned to come back to defend his lightweight belt. The WBC’s February 3 ratings update provided the answer fans were looking for. The organization now lists the lightweight championship as vacant.
There was no major announcement or explanation from the WBC. It is still unclear whether Stevenson officially vacated the title or whether the sanctioning body stripped him based on his weight gain. The lack of communication reflects the confusion that has plagued the division for months.
Top contenders spent Stevenson’s 140-pound campaign in a holding pattern. A better approach would have seen the title declared vacant the moment Stevenson signed to fight at a higher weight. By letting him hold, the WBC kept mandatory challengers frozen.
The latest update doesn’t quite fix the mess either. Interim titleholder Jadier Herrera, who stopped Ricardo Nunez in January, was not elevated to full champion. While Herrera’s win cleared a small chunk of the rankings, it didn’t solve the leadership void at the top.
William Zepeda now sits at the no. 1 place. Zepeda is a familiar face in this position, having previously held the interim belt before losing a decision to Stevenson last July. His current ranking is more about Stevenson’s departure than a new opportunity being created.
The rest of the WBC lightweight top 15 includes:
- William Zepeda
- Lamont Roach Jr.
- Andy Cruz
- Dmitry Asanau
- Sam Noakes
- Justin Pauldo
- Ricardo Nunez
- Joe Cordina
- Shu Utsuki
- Bakhodur Usmonov
- Lucas Bahdi
- Jordan White
- Alan Abel Chaves
- Armando Rabi
- Albert Bell
The WBC lightweight title is just a name on a list right now. Whether Stevenson walked away or was bumped, the result is identical. The division is left with the fallout of a long delay that has already sapped the energy from the 135 pound weight class.
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Last updated on 02/03/2026
