Ladies’s Rankings Replace: Serrano lifts Ring belt at 126, Shields vacates and Harper breaks in at 154

Even with the postponement of the Shields-Marshall all-women’s boxing card, the month of September is on its option to being the most effective in latest historical past, and the outcomes of the fights which have taken place not too long ago have produced some vital adjustments in our Rankings.

In crucial one, Terri Harper crashed into the occasion at junior middleweight with an excellent win over titlist Hannah Rankin final week.

The previous junior light-weight titlist who moved as much as light-weight after dropping her belt to Alycia Baumgardner determined to take the dramatic step of leaping up three extra weight lessons to problem Rankin, and the outcome was fairly spectacular. Harper seemed sturdy and dominant in her win over an even bigger opponent, and appears like she is going to slot in fairly properly on this all of the sudden talent-laden division.

“Discuss a sea change,” mentioned historian Malissa Smith. “Terri Harper proved the naysayers very improper with an excellent efficiency. She left Rankin punching on the air together with her fast motion, and confirmed that she has been a superb scholar of the sport with coach Stefy Bull.”

Smith’s fellow author Yesica Palmetta added that “I noticed that Harper was extra crafty exposing Rankin’s technical deficiencies in her protection, one thing that Harper knew the right way to overcome.”

Simply as Harper moved up, present champ Claressa Shields additionally did. “T-Rex” has not fought at 154 kilos for over 18 months and has no obvious plans to return to the load any time quickly. Subsequently, she was stripped from her Ring belt, simply in time for the winner of the not too long ago introduced battle between present No. 1 Marie Eve Dicaire and No. 2 Natasha Jonas to be finally topped as the brand new champ.

Within the featherweight division, a long-overdue reward to one of many sport’s best-ever was lastly awarded when perennial pound-for-pound entrant and No. 1 Amanda Serrano dominated No. 3 Sarah Mahfoud to elevate the inaugural Ring featherweight belt.

“Serrano’s efficiency was as soon as once more unbeatable and even though Mahfoud had been displaying good expertise, she was clearly surpassed by the Puerto Rican,” mentioned Rincon Rojo journal editor Irene Deserti, with Smith including a number of caveats by saying that “Amanda Serrano’s mastery of the sport proved to be an excessive amount of for Mahfoud, however Serrano’s efficiency, whereas demonstrating her boxing prowess, was in no way explosive and waned a bit giving Mahfoud alternatives to counter successfully and rating factors. Had Mahfoud been extra assured within the earlier rounds, she might need given Serrano an even more durable time.”

Serrano’s promotion meant {that a} emptiness was generated on the backside of the record, and Argentina’s legendary a number of champ Marcela Acuña, contemporary off a win over the at all times powerful Laura Griffa, was picked to occupy the No. 5 place.

“Acuña seemed quick, exact and clever, anticipating assaults and utilizing her legs to realize the proper angle that might enable her to land the most effective pictures. She dominated all the battle,” mentioned Deserti, with columnist Mark Jones including that “I doubt if Marcela Acuña, who will flip 46 in a number of weeks, may defeat Serrano, Mahfoud, or Cruz-Hernandez, however she may compete and deserves the No. 5 rating at featherweight. Acuña is arguably the best junior featherweights of all time and a future IBHOF inductee.”

Within the at all times aggressive decrease divisions, a few younger fighters on their means up additionally made a splash, led by Argentina’s Celeste Alaniz and her impeccable efficiency over rugged contender Debora Rengifo. And Germany’s Sarah Bormann additionally scored a major win that earned her a promotion within the all of the sudden stacked strawweight division.

“Alaniz has bodily expertise that make her a aggressive determine among the many greats of the division,” mentioned Palmetta, who adopted Alaniz’s profession intently, whereas Jones agreed by saying that “(Alaniz is) an absolute beast and a severe menace to any fighter competing at 112 lbs,” including that “I’d declare that Sarah Bormann would unify titles and change into a doable pound-for-pound entry in another division, however Seniesa Estrada and Yokasta Valle forestall that. She ought to be ranked forward of Christina Rupprecht, who hasn’t fought since July 2021.”

Diego M. Morilla writes for The Ring since 2013. He additionally wrote for HBO.com, ESPN.com and lots of different magazines, web sites, newspapers and different retailers since 1993. He’s a full member of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America and an elector for the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame. He has received two first-place awards within the BWAA’s annual writing contest, and he’s the moderator of The Ring’s Ladies’s Rankings Panel. He served as copy editor for the second period of The Ring en Español (2018-2020) and is at the moment a author and editor for RingTV.com. Comply with him on Twitter @MorillaBoxing