WBC Lists Light Title Vacant After Stevenson’s Move

Stevenson beat Teofimo Lopez last weekend to win the WBO title at 140 pounds. That win marked his fourth division win, however he has not said if he plans to return to defend his lightweight belt. The WBC ratings update for February 3 provided the answer fans were looking for. The organization now lists the lightweight championship as vacant.

There is no major announcement or explanation from the WBC. It is not clear if Stevenson officially left the title or if the sanctioning body stripped him based on his weight gain. The lack of communication reflects the confusion that has plagued the unit for months.

The top contenders ended Stevenson’s 140-pound campaign with a catch. A better way would have seen the title declared vacant when Stevenson signed to fight at a higher weight. By letting him stick with it, the WBC kept mandatory challengers frozen out.

The latest update doesn’t fully fix that either. Interim title holder Jadier Herrera, who replaced Ricardo Nunez in January, was not promoted to full champion. Although Herrera’s win removed a small part of the ranking, it did not solve the leadership vacancy at the top.

William Zepeda is now sitting at No. Zepeda is a familiar face in this position, having held the interim belt before losing a decision to Stevenson last July. His current situation is more about Stevenson leaving than a new opportunity being created.

The rest of the WBC lightweight top 15 include:

1. William Zepeda
2. Lamont Roach Jr.
3. Andy Cruz
4. Dzmitry Asanau
5. Sam Nowakes
6. Justin Pauldo
7. Ricardo Nunez
8. Joe Cordina
9. Shu Utsuki
10. Bakhodur Usmonov
11. Lucas Bahdi
12. Jordan White
13. Alan Abel Chaves
14. Armando Rabi
15. Albert Bell

The WBC lightweight title is currently just a name on the list. Whether Stevenson walked or was pushed, the result is the same. The rest of the division faces a long-delayed fall that has already sapped the strength of the 135-pound weight class.