After one month out of the top spot in the WBO’s junior flyweight ratings, Erik Badillo has returned to the No. 1 position.
Badillo had been ranked No. 1 by the sanctioning body starting in August 2025, after he outpointed Gerardo Zapata in an elimination bout for another sanctioning body, the WBC, the month before.
But the WBO shuffled up its top four at 108lbs in December, and it was hard to understand the rationale. The man who replaced Badillo at No. 1, Shokichi Iwata, had previously been at No. 3 on the strength of his October seventh-round knockout of former 105lb title challenger Edwin Cano. Badillo, meanwhile, had been active in November, winning a wide decision over former titleholder Elwin Soto.
Yet in the WBO’s latest ratings update – released on February 2 – it has changed things up again. Badillo, 19-0 (8 KOs), is back up top while Iwata is now No. 2.
The WBO’s titleholder is Rene Santiago, who also added the WBA belt in December with a split decision win over Kyosuke Takami.
Iwata, 15-2 (12 KOs), a former WBO titleholder at 108lbs, was dethroned by Santiago in March 2025. Iwata is scheduled to challenge WBC titleholder Thammanoon “Knockout CP Freshmart” Niyomtrong on March 15 in Japan.
Badillo and Iwata are followed in the WBO’s junior flyweight ratings by Regie Suganob, Daniel Valladares, Cristian Araneta, Jesse Espinas, Gustavo Perez Alvarez, Angel Acosta, Masataka Taniguchi, Jairo Noriega, Arvin Magramo, Sivenathi Nontshinga, Daiya Kira, Takami and ArAr Andales.
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
