Angelo Leo (right) had a career-best performance against The Ring’s no. 1-rated featherweight Luis Alberto Lopez delivered. Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank
On August 10, the boxing world was treated to fight-of-the-year and KO-of-the-year candidates with competitive main events.
In Las Vegas, Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Serhii Bohachuk battled it out for 12 rounds on brutal equal footing and delivered one of the best action bouts of 2024.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, former 122-pound belt holder Angelo Leo ended Luis Alberto Lopezs IBF featherweight title reigns with a single left hook in the 10th round of what was a competitive and entertaining battle.
Both main events were good matches on paper and both matches exceeded expectations.
Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs) rallied from two knockdowns and literally hit a short majority decision, relegating the former welterweight contender to the No. 4 spot in The Ring. junior middleweight rankings.
Vergil Ortiz digs hard at Serhii Bohachuk’s body during their Fight-of-the-Year contender. Photo by Adam DelGiudice
Leo’s cold knock has him up to number 2 the featherweight rankingswhile the former no. 1-ranked Lopez to no. 5 fell. The sad news of Lopez has a small brain bleed broke down just one week after the fight, putting his career in jeopardy.
The Ring ratings panel briefly discussed what to do with the troubling and unfortunate information about Lopez before dropping the case pending an official announcement on behalf of the 31-year-old Mexicali native.
“Early days and not quite up to speed, but I heard Luis Alberto Lopez has a brain bleed,” commented Anson Wainwright. “If this is correct, we must take out the fallen warrior. I hope he is doing well.”
Abraham Gonzalez Wainwright cautioned about acting before more is known about Lopez’s condition.
“I think we should wait a bit,” he said, “see what the whole situation is.”
Added Jake Donovan: “Agree with Abe. We can have Top Rank (or Lopez and his immediate team) release an official statement before we make a move.”
Adam Abramowitz, Daisuke Sugiura, Tom Grey and Wainwright agreed.
“What a cruel sport,” remarked Sugiura. “I wish Venado only the best.”
“Let’s pray that he comes through,” added Grey.
The panel briefly debated where to rank Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs), who scored two knockdowns (in Rounds 1 and 8) while pressuring (and sometimes outworking) the hard-hitting Ortiz throughout the fight.
Bohachuk connects with a big right cross. Photo Adam DelGiudice
Ortiz’s no. 4 ranking pushed Tim Tszyu to No. 5 and Bohachuk to No. 6, but some panelists thought the 29-year-old Ukrainian was still worthy of the No. 5 spot he held in the Aug. 10 showdown.
“I’ll bring Ortiz and Bohachuk at junior (center) and drop Tszyu behind both,” suggested Tris Dixon. “Great fight. High level and both should be rewarded.”
Michael Montero and your favorite Chief Editor agreed with Dixon.
Abramowitz disagreed with rating Bohachuk ahead of Tszyu.
“I think Tszyu did a lot more in the division, even with his loss,” he said.
answered Montero: “Yes, you can certainly make that argument. But technically, Tszyu is coming off a loss with nothing scheduled, while Ortiz and Bohachuk only fought on equal footing in the FOTY.
“But maybe I get caught up in the moment. I’d prefer Tszyu over both Ortiz and Bohachuk, as well as (Gabriel) Fundora in a rematch.”
Added Gonzalez: “I don’t think Tszyu should take a back seat to Bohachuk. Although Tszyu lost, it was a close fight and he wasn’t shut out or anything like that. In the lead up to that fight, he faced the best fighters who would not avoid him. He should drop one in the rankings, but not two. Also, (Erickson) Lubin coming up on a year without a fight next month with nothing on the schedule so something to keep an eye on.
“1. Bud, 2. Madrimov, 3. Fundora, 4. Ortiz, 5. Tszyu, 6. Bohachuk, 7. Lubin, 8. Conwell, 9. Ramos, 10. Mendoza (Michel Soro drops out).”
Added Wasim Mather: “The fight was great. I like Adam Abramowitz’s suggestion for the 154-pound division. I’m going to watch the fight again!”
RING RATING UPDATE (as of August 17):
SUPER MIDDLE WEIGHT – Christian Mbilli stay on no 1 Earned a 10-round decision about the gallant veteran Sergey Derevyanchenko. Osley Iglesias stay at no. 3 after stopping Sena Agbeko in two rounds.
No. 1-rated Christian Mbilli takes it to the body of Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank
JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT – Ortiz enters at no. 4. Bohachuk drops to no. 6. Charles Conwell stay at no. 9 after achieving a second round body shot KO of Khiary Grey.
JUNIOR LIGHT WEIGHT – Otar Eranosyan exits due to inactivity. Eduardo Nunez (27-1, 27 KOs), a 27-year-old knockout artist from Los Mochis, Mexico, is ranked no. 10 in.
“Eranosyan has been inactive for one year now and has nothing scheduled,” noted Donvoan. “It’s bad that he was screwed twice for a title shot and his obligation was not enforced. But, the price to pay for believing in the sanctioning bodies and not having a team that can deliver fights.
“I think Albert Bell was the last to be bumped from the top ten; I like the same Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nuñez. Other names, for the sake of debate: Rocky Hernandez, Andres Cortes, Abraham Nova (if you felt he was robbed against Cortes), Barrett herself.”
Wainwright leaning towards the Mexican fighter.
“Between Bell and Nunez, I think I’ll go with Nunez. That victory (Shavkatzhan) Rakhimov in Tajikistan is the decider for me.”
Added Donovan: “Yes, I’m with you on Nuñez. Just wanted to make sure it didn’t break policy.”
FEATHER WEIGHT – Leo advances to no. 2. Lopez drops to no. 5.
“Lopez and Leo went at it until Leo landed a perfect shot to put Venado’s lights out to claim the IBF title and become a two-division champion,” noted Wainwright. “Amazing one-touch knockout that will be in the running for Knockout of the Year. Leo to number 4 and Lopez to drop to number 7. It feels a little harsh for Lopez to go from number 1 to number 7 after fighting on equal terms, but it was such a definitive ending, not sure what else to do.”
Angelo Leo stopped a KO of the Year candidate against respected title holder Luis Alberto Lopez. Photo by Mikey Williams / Top Rank
Abramowitz disagreed with dropping Lopez so low.
“I’d move Lopez down to 5th, not 7th. He still has a much better body of work in the department left (Brandon) Figueroa and (Raymond) Ford in my opinion.”
Other panelists co-signed Adam’s opinion.
Added Donovan: “The more I think about featherweight, we have to be mindful of the current landscape. Leigh Wood will probably never fight at the weight again plus will be inactive for one year in October. Once he goes down, our current rankings will have Rey Vargas at No. 1, who comes in with a draw and hasn’t won at featherweight since July 2022 (Magsayo).
“Makes me think maybe Leo should go up to at least no. 2 jump (with Wood floating up to No. 1). To get the no. 1 to beat as he did and as an already ranked contender would justify the move, IMO.
1) Leigh Wood 2) Angelo Leo 3) Rey Vargas 4) Nick Ball 5) Luis Alberto Lopez.”
FLIGHT WEIGHT – Angel Ayala advances to No. 2 after stopping previously undefeated Dave Apolinario in the sixth round of a world title bout.
“Ayala battered poor Apolinario’s body and stopped the Filipino in six rounds to win the vacant IBF title,” noted Wainwright.
Email Fischer at (email protected). Follow him on Twitter and IG at @dougiefischer, and join him, Tom Loeffler, Coach Schwartz and friends via Tom’s or Doug’s IG Live most Sundays.
