A huge super-fight featuring Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder is now a possibility after recent events in Mexico.
Just days after WBN updated the WBC Heavyweight Ratings for October 2019, the World Boxing Council announced a major alteration.
At the closing of the 57th WBC Convention in Cancun, the WBC confirmed the addition of Usyk.
On the back of Usyk relinquishing his position as undisputed cruiserweight king, and defeating Chazz Witherspoon on his top division debut this month, the Ukrainian enters at number five.
This drops Adam Kownacki, Joseph Parker, Kubrat Pulev and Oscar Rivas down a place.
Usyk is now one step closer to challenging champion Wilder. The undefeated 32 year-old is also eligible for a voluntary defense by ‘The Bronze Bomber’.
At present, Wilder is tied to bouts against Luis Ortiz and Tyson Fury, whilst Dillian Whyte is the mandatory challenger.
Whyte is awaiting clearance from UKAD and VADA over an adverse finding in a drug test over the summer. If cleared, the Briton will face Wilder by the beginning of 2021.
That leaves Usyk will only a slight chance of securing a clash with Wilder despite bad blood between the pair in the media.
Any Wilder v Usyk battle would be solely on the exception request of the current green and gold belt holder.
Further down the list, and surprisingly after stopping David Price, Derek Chisora is out of the top ten. UK rival Joe Joyce is boosted from 12th to 10th.
WBC HEAVYWEIGHT RANKINGS
October 29, 2019 – 57th Convention
WBC CHAMPION: Deontay Wilder
1 Dillian Whyte (Jamaica/GB)
2 Tyson Fury (GB)
3 Luis Ortiz (Cuba)
4 Alexander Povetkin (Russia)
5 Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine)
6 Adam Kownacki (US)
7 Joseph Parker (New Zealand)
8 Kubrat Pulev (Bulgaria)
9 Oscar Rivas (Colombia/Canada)
10 Joe Joyce (GB)
11 Filip Hrgovic (Croatia) INTL
12 Agit Kabayel (Germany)
13 Dereck Chisora (GB)
14 Michael Hunter (US) * CBP/P
15 Daniel Dubois (GB) Commonwealth/BBBofC *CBP/P
VOLUNTARY CUT-OFF
16 Dominic Breazeale (US)
17 Charles Martin (US)
18 Carlos Takam (Cameroon)
19 Efe Ajagba (Nigeria/US)
20 Evgeny Romanov (Russia)
21 Arslanbek Makhmudov (Russia/Canada) NABF
22 Marco Huck (GB)
23 Hughie Fury (GB)
24 Gerald Washington (US)
25 Bryant Jennings (US)
26 Martin Bakole (Congo/GB)
27 Sergey Kuzmin (Russia)
28 Otto Wallin (Sweden)
29 Nathan Gorman (GB)
30 Jermaine Franklin (US)
31 Tony Yoka (France)
32 Eric Molina (US)
33 David Price (GB)
34 Petar Milas (Croatia) MEDITERRANEAN
35 Junior Fa (New Zealand)
36 Lukasz Rozanski (Poland)
37 Frank Sanchez (Cuba)
38 Cassius Chaney (US)
39 Bakhodir Jalolov (Uzbekistan/US) NABF Jr.
40 Simon Kean (Canada)