WBO Light Heavyweight boxing rankings- December 2016

WBO Light Heavyweight rankings archive for December 2016. This page is the WBO-only list. View all WBO rankings, or compare the Light Heavyweight boxing rankings across all organizations, or open the latest WBO Light Heavyweight rankings.

Browse the Light Heavyweight archive

Rank	WBODecember 2016
	Andre WardNEW World Champion
1	Sergey Kovalev-1
2	Dominic Boesel
3	Artur Beterbiev
4	Robert Stieglitz
5	Erik Skoglund
6	Oleksandr Gvozdyk+2
7	Sean Monaghan+2
8	Isidro Ranoni Prieto-1
9	Marcus Browne-3
10	Enrico Koelling+1
11	Richard Baranyi+3
12	Mike Lee+3
13	Vyacheslav Shabranskyy
14	Joe Smith Jr-2
15	Igor Mikhalkin-5

Source

December 2016 archive

Box-Rank presents each published list in a consistent format. Browse this division and its archive, read the methodology, or see how Box-Rank differs from BoxRec.

Month-over-month changes since November 2016

There is a new Champion: Andre Ward

Became champion: 19 November 2016

Won the title by defeating Sergey Kovalev.

First shown in December 2016 rankingsView source

Entered the top 10

Enrico KoellingUp from #11 - now #10

Dropped out of the top 10

Igor MikhalkinCurrently at #15

Biggest risers

Richard BaranyiUp 3 places to #11
+3
Mike LeeUp 3 places to #12
+3
Oleksandr GvozdykNow ranked #6 (was #8)
+2

Biggest fallers

Igor MikhalkinFell from #10 to #15
-5
Marcus BrowneDropped from #6 to #9
-3
Joe Smith JrSlipped from #12 to #14
-2

WBO Light Heavyweight Title History

Champions who have held each belt, from oldest to most recent. Title history only goes back as far as our earliest WBO monthly rankings (May 1991).

WBO Light Heavyweight - Super Champion

Sergey Kovalev

February 201519 November 2016

1 year 10 months

WBO Light Heavyweight - World Champion

Dmitry Bivol

22 February 2025Current

1 year 9 months

Became champion: 22 February 2025

Won the title by defeating Artur Beterbiev by majority decision in their rematch.

First shown in February 2025 rankingsView source

Artur Beterbiev

18 June 202222 February 2025

2 years 9 months

Became champion: 18 June 2022

Won the title by defeating Joe Smith Jr.

First shown in July 2022 rankingsView source

Joe Smith Jr

10 April 202118 June 2022

1 year 3 months

Became champion: 10 April 2021

Won the vacant title by defeating Maxim Vlasov.

First shown in April 2021 rankingsView source

Saul Alvarez

2 November 201917 December 2019

2 months

Became champion: 2 November 2019

Won the title by defeating Sergey Kovalev.

First shown in November 2019 rankingsView source

Sergey Kovalev

2 February 20192 November 2019

10 months

Became champion: 2 February 2019

Won the title by defeating Eleider Alvarez.

First shown in February 2019 rankingsView source

Eleider Alvarez

4 August 20182 February 2019

7 months

Became champion: 4 August 2018

Won the title by defeating Sergey Kovalev.

First shown in August 2018 rankingsView source

Sergey Kovalev

25 November 20174 August 2018

10 months

Became champion: 25 November 2017

Won the vacant title by defeating Vyacheslav Shabranskyy.

First shown in December 2017 rankingsView source

Andre Ward

19 November 201621 September 2017

11 months

Became champion: 19 November 2016

Won the title by defeating Sergey Kovalev.

First shown in December 2016 rankingsView source

Sergey Kovalev

18 August 2013February 2015

1 year 7 months

Became champion: 18 August 2013

Won the title by defeating Nathan Cleverly.

First shown in August 2013 rankingsView source

Nathan Cleverly

19 May 201118 August 2013

2 years 4 months

Became champion: 19 May 2011

Promoted from interim champion after Juergen Braehmer was stripped.

First shown in June 2011 rankingsView source

Juergen Braehmer

13 November 200919 May 2011

1 year 7 months

Became champion: 13 November 2009

Promoted from interim champion after Zsolt Erdei vacated the title.

First shown in November 2009 rankingsView source

Zsolt Erdei

17 January 200413 November 2009

5 years 11 months

Became champion: 17 January 2004

Won the title by defeating Julio Gonzalez.

First shown in February 2004 rankingsView source

Julio Gonzalez

January 200417 January 2004

1 month

Julio Cesar Gonzalez

10 October 2003December 2003

3 months

Became champion: 10 October 2003

Won the title by defeating Dariusz Michalczewski.

First shown in rankingsView source

Julio Gonzalez

10 October 2003November 2003

2 months

Became champion: 10 October 2003

Won the title by defeating Dariusz Michalczewski.

First shown in November 2003 rankingsView source

Dariusz Michalczewski

10 September 199410 October 2003

9 years 2 months

Became champion: 10 September 1994

Won the title by defeating Leeonzer Barber.

First shown in January 2000 rankingsView source

Leeonzer Barber

9 May 1991September 1994

3 years 5 months

Became champion: 9 May 1991

Won the vacant title by defeating Tom Collins.

First shown in rankingsView source

WBO Light Heavyweight - Interim Champion

Callum Smith

22 February 2025Current

1 year 8 months

Became champion: 22 February 2025

Won the interim title by defeating Joshua Buatsi by unanimous decision.

First shown in February 2025 rankingsView source

Joshua Buatsi

21 September 202422 February 2025

6 months

Became champion: 21 September 2024

Won the vacant interim title by split decision against Willy Hutchinson at Wembley.

First shown in September 2024 rankingsView source

Nathan Cleverly

11 December 201019 May 2011

6 months

Became champion: 11 December 2010

Won the vacant interim title by unanimous decision against Nadjib Mohammedi in Liverpool.

First shown in December 2010 rankingsView source

Juergen Braehmer

22 August 200913 November 2009

4 months

Became champion: 22 August 2009

Won the vacant interim title by stopping Aleksy Kuziemski in the eleventh round in Budapest.

First shown in September 2009 rankingsView source

WBO Light Heavyweight Title History

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