Sergiy Bohachuk has regained his #1 position in the World Boxing Council (WBC) super welterweight rankings after his promoter successfully challenged the organization's previous decision to demote him. The Ukrainian boxer (26-2, 24 KOs) had lost his top spot to American Jaron Ennis (34-0, 30 KOs) in August, despite Ennis not having fought a single bout in the division.
"The WBC Rankings Appeals Committee reviewed this appeal and granted the petition, ruling to reinstate Mr. Bohachuk to first place in the rankings," the WBC stated in their official announcement.
The 28-year-old Ukrainian previously held the WBC interim champion title until his defeat against Vergil Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs) in August last year. Since that setback, Bohachuk has bounced back with two consecutive victories, which should have positioned him as the mandatory challenger for either a rematch with Ortiz or a title shot against current champion Sebastian Fundora (23-1-1, 15 KOs).
Losing his top-ranked status had temporarily derailed Bohachuk's championship aspirations, prompting his promoter Tom Loeffler to file the appeal that has now proven successful. The reinstatement effectively puts the hard-hitting Ukrainian back in line for a title opportunity.
By the way, this news comes at a time when Ukrainian boxing has faced some controversy, as the current national champion Maksym Zinevich recently received a ten-year disqualification following a positive doping test.
With Bohachuk now officially restored as the division's top contender, will we see him challenging for world championship gold in the near future? The boxing world certainly awaits that answer.
