Nevin on top of the World

John Joe Nevin has moved to No. 1 in the updated World rankings published by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) yesterday.

The London 2012 silver medalist picked up 800 rankings points by virtue of winning gold at the European Championships in Belarus last month.

The points sees the Cavan BC bantamweight leapfrog Cuba’s Jorge Alvarez-Estrada, who he beat in the 2012 Olympic semi-final, into pole position.

Nevin’s elevation means that Ireland now has two boxers ranked No. 1 in the World for the first time as Katie Taylor has occupied top spot for the last seven years.

Taylor is current in the Hungary with the Quick Park EU sponsored Irish squad. The Bray woman, the current Olympic, World, European, EU and Irish champion, will go 

into 2014 as World No.1 for her 8th consecutive year as there are no ranking tournaments for women in 2013.

Paddy Barnes, who won silver in Belarus, upgraded to third – equal on points with Thailand’s Kaeo Pongprayoo, who is in No.2 spot – in the light-fly class in the updated rankings.

Michael Conlan, also a silver medalist in Belarus, remains 3rd, while Jason Quigley, a gold medalist in Belarus, is included in the World rankings for the first time.

Quigley comes in in joint 7th spot with Uzbek middleweight Shurat Abdullaev.  World No. 1 Ievegen Hyytrov of the Ukraine, Romania’s Bogdan Jurantoni and Germany’s Stefan Haertel – all of whom Quigley beat in Belarus – are ranked higher than the Donegal man.