Laryea moves up in WBO world rankings

Undefeated Ghanaian boxer, Jacob Tetteh Laryea, has moved a step up to realising his world championship dreams after being listed in the top 15 of the latest World Boxing Organisation (WBO) world ranking.

The reigning WBO Africa champion makes the entry into the rankings to join stablemate, Sheriff 'One Time' Quaye, the long reigning WBO Africa lightweight champion and another Ghanaian continental champ, Faisal 'Ponco Power' Abubakari, in the global ratings.

Laryea (12-0, 11 KOs) was crowned continental champion in December 2023, following a ruthless round-one stoppage of experienced compatriot, Richmond Djarbeng, in Accra to become the WBO Africa Junior Middleweight titlist, and was last in action on May 25 when he demolished another experienced campaigner, Daniel Lartey, in seven rounds at the Accra Sports Stadium.

"This is nothing new, it's not unexpected but it is still good news," the trainer of Laryea, Lawrence Carl Lokko, said.

"This is what we have been working hard towards; so for us, it's just a motivation to work harder because we are getting closer to the ultimate and it is the hardest," the world championship trainer added.

Coach Lokko, who was previously in the corner of Richard Commey in a world title fight against Robert Easter Jr in 2016, is also the trainer of the WBO Africa lightweight champion, Sheriff Quaye, who has been in the global ratings for a long time. He rose as high as 8th at a point but is down to 11th after the latest release.

Quaye (24-3-1, 16 KOs) has held the continental belt since a round three knockout of Emmanuel Amos of Tanzania in Accra in December 2021 and has successfully defended it twice.

First, against Nigeria's Oto Joseph in 2022, and against countryman Bright Ayala last year. The 29-year-old was also last in action in May at the Accra Sports Stadium, claiming a round eight TKO win in a brutal ring war with Michael Dodoo.

Abubakari, (17-0, 14 KOs) on the other hand, became the African champion in early March when he ground out a resounding unanimous points victory after 12 gruelling rounds against Ugandan, Latibu Muwonge, also then unbeaten, at Lord's Wembley in Shukura.

Abubakari, 31, made his global rankings debut in May and has already negotiated a successful first defence of the WBO Africa junior welterweight title via a round 5 TKO of Samuel Opaogun of Nigeria at the Bukom Boxing Arena on August 31, albeit he still remains at number 15 in the world.

Meanwhile, three other reigning WBO continental champs from Ghana are missing in the latest global rankings. Heavyweight titlist, Haruna Mohammed, John Abaja Laryea, who has the featherweight strap, as well as Daniel Selassie Gorsh, the newly-crowned bantamweight champion, do not make the top 15 globally.

Also missing from the world rankings despite having a continental title is 25-year-old Holy Dorgbetor (11-0,-1, 7 KOs), who became the IBF Continental Africa featherweight champion in June after dominating Hamadi Furahisha for six rounds at the Bukom Boxing Arena.