Women’s boxing divisional rankings: New No. 1 at atomweight and a debut at junior middleweight

Tina Rupprecht became a three-belt unified atomweight champion with a unanimous-decision victory over Eri Matsuda on Saturday in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Rupprecht (14-1-1, 3 KOs), of Bayern, Germany, dropped Matsuda in Round 1 and then kept her away the rest of the fight to win by scorecards of 97-92, 96-93 and 96-93. The victory was Rupprecht’s seventh defense of the WBC belt.

Matsuda (7-2-1, 1 KO), of Miyazaki, Japan, entered the fight as the WBA and WBO champion. Matsuda was making the third defense of the WBO belt and the first of the WBA title she had won with a majority decision over Monserrat Alarcon in August 2023.

With the victory, Rupprecht takes the No. 1 spot in the division, while Matsuda drops one place to No. 2.

On Friday in Atlanta, Georgia, 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Oshae Jones earned a split-decision victory against Femke Hermans to win the IBF junior middleweight title. Jones won by scorecards of 96-94, 97-93 and 93-97.

Jones (8-0, 3 KOs), of Toledo, Ohio, makes her debut in the 154-pound rankings at No. 4, while Hermans (18-5, 7 KOs), from Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium, drops two spots to No. 5.

Rankings are updated every Tuesday. They’re based on recent bouts, head-to-head competition and the quality of opponent. As with almost everything, until fighters square off against one another, there is a layer of subjectivity to it. Fighters who haven’t fought in 18 months and don’t have a fight scheduled will be removed from the rankings until they fight again.

For a list of the current champions in all weight classes, click here. For women’s P4P rankings, click here.

175+ pounds – Super middleweight – Middleweight – Junior middleweight – Welterweight – Junior welterweight – Lightweight – Junior lightweight – Featherweight – Junior featherweight – Bantamweight – Junior bantamweight – Flyweight – Junior flyweight – Strawweight – Atomweight

175+ POUNDS

1. Claressa Shields*     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 15-0, 3 KO
Last: W (KO2) Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse, July 27
Next: Feb. 2 vs. Danielle Perkins

2. Lani Daniels**     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 11-2-2, 1 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Bolatito Oluwole, Sept. 7
Next: TBA

3. Che Kenneally***     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 14-4-3, 7 KOs
Last: W (TKO3) Angie Paola Rocha, July 20
Next: TBA

4. Raquel Miller     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 13-0, 6 KOs
Last: W (TKO1) Angie Paola Rocha, March 10
Next: TBA

5. Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 7-2, 2 KO
Last: L (KO2) Claressa Shields, July 27
Next: TBA

*Editor’s note: Claressa Shields is the WBC heavyweight champion and the WBO light heavyweight champion.

**Editor’s note: Lani Daniels is the IBF light heavyweight champion.

***Editor’s note: Che Kenneally is the WBA light heavyweight champion.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT (Up to 168 pounds)

1. Savannah Marshall     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 13-1, 10 KOs
Last: W (MD10) Franchon Crews Dezurn, July 1, 2023
Next: TBA

2. Shadasia Green     Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 15-1, 11 KOs
Last: W (SD10) Melinda Watpool, Nov. 15
Next: TBA

3. Franchon Crews-Dezurn     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 9-2, 2 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Shadasia Green, Dec. 15, 2023
Next: TBA

4. Olivia Curry     Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 7-2-1, 2 KOs
Last: Draw (SD6) Melody Popravak, April 27
Next: TBA

5. Nisa Rodriguez     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 3-0, 1 KO
Last: W (TKO2) Melody Popravak, April 27
Next: TBA

MIDDLEWEIGHT (Up to 160 pounds)

1. Claressa Shields     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 15-0, 3 KOs
Last: W (KO2) Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse, July 27
Next: Feb. 2 vs. Danielle Perkins

2. Savannah Marshall     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 13-1, 10 KOs
Last: W (MD10) Franchon Crews Dezurn, July 1, 2023
Next: TBA

3. Desley Robinson     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 9-3, 3 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Kaye Scott, Dec. 13
Next: TBA

4. Olivia Curry     Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 7-2-1, 2 KOs
Last: Draw (SD16) Melody Popravak, April 27
Next: TBA

5. Mary Casamassa     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 6-0, 1 KO
Last: W (UD8) Adriana Dos Santos Araujo, Nov. 15
Next: TBA

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT (Up to 154 pounds)

1. Ema Kozin     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 24-1-1, 12 KOs
Last: W (SD10) Hannah Rankin, Nov. 18, 2023
Next: TBA

2. Cecilia Braekhus     Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 38-2-1, 9 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Maricela Cornejo, Aug. 10
Next: TBA

3. Oshae Jones     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 8-0, 3 KOs
Last: W (SD10) Femke Hermans, Nov. 22
Next: TBA

4. Femke Hermans     Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 18-5, 7 KOs
Last: L (SD10) Oshae Jones, Nov. 22
Next: TBA

5. Mary Spencer     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 9-2, 6 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Naomi Mannes, Nov. 5
Next: TBA

WELTERWEIGHT (Up to 147 pounds)

1. Natasha Jonas     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 16-2-1, 9 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Ivana Habazin, Dec. 14
Next: March 7 vs. Lauren Price

2. Mikaela Mayer     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 20-2, 5 KOs
Last: W (MD10) Sandy Ryan, Sept. 27
Next: TBA

3. Lauren Price     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 8-0, 2 KO
Last: W (TKO3) Bexcy Mateus, Dec. 14
Next: March 7 vs. Natasha Jonas

4. Sandy Ryan     Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 7-2-1, 3 KOs
Last: L (MD10) Mikaela Mayer, Sept. 27
Next: TBA

5. Ivana Habazin     Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 23-6, 7 KOs
Last: L (UD10) Natasha Jonas, Dec. 14
Next: TBA

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT (Up to 140 pounds)

play0:56Katie Taylor edges out Amanda Serrano in controversial decision

Katie Taylor defeats Amanda Serrano to remain undisputed champion at AT&T Stadium.

1. Katie Taylor     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 24-1, 6 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Amanda Serrano, Nov. 15
Next: TBA

2. Amanda Serrano     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 47-3-1, 31 KOs
Last: L (UD10) Katie Taylor, Nov. 15
Next: TBA

3. Chantelle Cameron  

Source: espn.com