By Dan Ambrose: Josh Taylor (19-0, 13 KOs) has been officially stripped of his 140-lb title by the World Boxing Association for failing to defend his title against #1 contender Alberto Puello.
It’s not a big deal, though, because Taylor is already planning on moving up in weight to the welterweight division in search of more compelling fights that add to his legacy and pay better,
Taylor, 31, should vacate his other three titles at 140 already and move already to 147, so he can challenge the winner of the Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford for the undisputed championship before both fighters leave the division.
It would be a massive mistake on Taylor’s part for him to stay at 140 for another fight or two because he looked totally weight-drained in his last fight against Jack Catterall in February.
Taylor was literally fighting on fumes in that fight and barely won a 12-round split decision.
That fight showed that Taylor needs to move up to 147 pronto because he’s too big for the 140-lb division, and if he stays long enough to fight one of the talented contenders, he’ll lose.
One reason Taylor did so well for so long at 140 is that he was huge for the division. Now that his body has finally said ‘enough,’ he’s got to move up to 147 to fight against guys his own size.
It’s unclear who the 27-year-old Puello (20-0, 10 KOs) defeated to be ranked #1 with the WBA, as his resume is filled with obscure opposition.
Given all the lackluster opposition that the Dominican Republic-born Puello has fought, he shouldn’t be anywhere near the #1 spot in the WBA’s rankings.
Regis Prograis, Gary Antuanne Russell, or Shakram Giyasov would be far better options for the #1 spot in the WBA’s rankings.
Alberto Puello’s last seven opponents:
- Ve Shawn Owens
- Jesus Antonio Rubio
- Cristian Rafael Coria
- Jonathan Alonzo
- David Bency
- Erick Lopez
- Francisco Contreras
With the mediocre opposition on Puello’s resume, it’s hard to make a case that he deserves to be ranked in the top 10, let alone at the #1 spot by the WBA.
The WBA could have done a better job of ranking their contenders because there’s a lot of dead weight in their top 10 rankings with fighters that arguably have no business ranking rated in the top 10.
The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee, in accordance with the organization’s rules, has decided that the Super Lightweight title, which was held by the Scottish Josh Taylor, is vacant #WBABoxing
— WBA Boxing (@WBABoxing) May 14, 2022
WBA’s top 10 at 140
1. Alberto Puello
2. Ismael Barroso
3. Ohara Davies
4. Sandor Martin
5. Regis Prograis
6. Batyr Akhmedov
7. Shakram Giyasov
8. Teofimo Lopez
9. Lewis Ritson
10. Gary Antuanne Russell
