Women's boxing divisional rankings: Did Sanchez's and Garcia's wins validate a top 5 spot?

Anahi Sanchez got closer to the top 5 at junior welterweight with an important unanimous decision victory (98-89, 97-90 and 96-91) over Marisa Joana Portillo Saturday night in Rosario, Argentina. Sanchez (23-6, 13 KOs), knocked down Portillo in Round 8 of a hard fought bout that had some troubling moments. After multiple warnings, referee Leonardo Franco deducted a point to each fighter in Round 4 due to excessive clinching.

The victory puts Sanchez in good position to fight for a world title in 2024. The former junior lightweight titlist has notable loses against Sandy Ryan, Jessica McCaskill, Chantelle Cameron and Katie Taylor, but she's now 4-1 in her last five fights.

Also on Saturday, in Long Beach, California, Irma Garcia had a dominant performance against Stephanie Silva. She won by unanimous decision and became the new IBF junior bantamweight titleholder. Garcia (23-5-1, 4 KOs) knocked down Silva in Round 5 and won by scorecards of 99-90, 99-90 and 99-90.

With the victory, Garcia enters the 115-pound rankings at No. 5, replacing Lourdes Juarez.

Rankings will be updated every Tuesday. They'll be based on recent bouts, head-to-head competition and the quality of opponent. As with almost everything, until fighters square off against one another, there is a layer of subjectivity to it. Fighters who haven't fought in 18 months and don't have a fight scheduled will be removed from the rankings until they fight again.

For a list of the current champions in all weight classes, click here. For women's P4P rankings, click here.

175+ pounds - Super middleweight - Middleweight - Junior middleweight - Welterweight - Junior welterweight - Lightweight - Junior lightweight - Featherweight - Junior featherweight - Bantamweight - Junior bantamweight - Flyweight - Junior flyweight - Strawweight - Atomweight

175+ POUNDS

1. Lani Daniels     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 9-2-2, 1 KOs
Last: W (TKO4) Razel Mohammed, Aug. 26
Next: Dec. 2 vs. TBA

2. Alrie Meleisea     Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 6-2-1, 0 KOs
Last: L (UD10) Lani Daniels, May 27
Next: TBA

3. Oxandia Castillo     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 19-3-3, 15 KOs
Last: W (UD4) Mery Caba Rancier, March 19, 2022
Next: TBA

4. Angie Paola Rocha     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 14-4-3, 7 KOs
Last: L (TKO1)Raquel Miller, March 10
Next: TBA

5. Bolatito Oluwole     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 6-0, 3 KO
Last: W (UD4) Abiola Olawale, March 5
Next: TBA

Editor's note: Hanna Gabriels and Danielle Perkins have been removed for inactivity.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT (Up to 168 pounds)

1. Savannah Marshall     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 13-1, 10 KOs
Last: W (MD10) Franchon Crews Dezurn, July 1
Next: TBA

2. Shadasia Green     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 13-0, 11 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Olivia Curry, Aug. 5
Next: Dec. 15 vs. Franchon Crews-Dezurn

3. Franchon Crews-Dezurn     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 8-2, 2 KOs
Last: L (MD10) Savannah Marshall, July 1
Next: Dec. 15 vs. Shadasia Green

4. Christina Hammer     Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 28-1, 13 KOs
Last: W (UD8) Luiza Davydova, May 7, 2022
Next: TBA

5. Raquel Miller     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 13-0, 6 KOs
Last: W (TKO1) Angie Paola Rocha, March 10
Next: TBA

MIDDLEWEIGHT (Up to 160 pounds)

1. Claressa Shields     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 14-0, 2 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Maricela Cornejo, June 3
Next: TBA

2. Savannah Marshall     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 13-1, 10 KOs
Last: W (MD10) Franchon Crews Dezurn, July 1
Next: TBA

3. Raquel Miller     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 13-0, 6 KOs
Last: W (TKO1) Angie Paola Rocha, March 10
Next: TBA

4. Olivia Curry     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 7-2, 2 KOs
Last: L (UD10) Shadasia Green, Aug. 5
Next: TBA

5. Mapule Ngubane     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 10-8-3, 2 KOs
Last: W (TKO3) Emily Kabwalo, Nov. 13
Next: TBA

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT (Up to 154 pounds)

1. Natasha Jonas     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 14-2-1, 8 KOs
Last: W (TKO8) Kandi Wyatt, July 1
Next: TBA

2. Terri Harper     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 14-1-2, 6 KOs
Last: Draw (MD10) Cecilia Braekhus, Oct. 7
Next: TBA

3. Marie-Eve Dicaire     Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 18-2, 1 KOs
Last: L (UD10) Natasha Jonas, Nov. 12
Next: TBA

4. Cecilia Braekhus     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 37-2-1, 9 KOs
Last: Draw (MD10) Terri Harper, Oct. 7
Next: TBA

5. Femke Hermans     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 17-4, 7 KOs
Last: W (MD10) Mary Spencer, Oct. 11
Next: TBA

WELTERWEIGHT (Up to 147 pounds)

1. Jessica McCaskill     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 12-3-1, 5 KOs
Last: Draw (SD10) Sandy Ryan, Sept. 23
Next: TBA

2. Natasha Jonas     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 14-2-1, 8 KOs
Last: W (TKO8) Kandi Wyatt, July 1
Next: TBA

3. Sandy Ryan     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 6-1-1, 2 KOs
Last: Draw (SD10) Jessica McCaskill, Sept. 23
Next: TBA

4. Mikaela Mayer     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 19-1, 5 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Silvia Bortot, Sept. 2
Next: TBA

5. Lauren Price     Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 5-0, 1 KO
Last: W (TD6) Lolita Muzeya, Sept. 2
Next: TBA

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT (Up to 140 pounds)

1. Chantelle Cameron     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 18-0, 8 KOs
Last: W (MD10) Katie Taylor, May 20
Next: Nov. 25 vs. Katie Taylor

2. Katie Taylor     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 22-1, 6 KOs
Last: L (MD10) Chantelle Cameron, May 20
Next: Nov. 25 vs. Chantelle Cameron

3. Jessica McCaskill     Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 12-1, 5 KOs
Last: Draw (SD10) Sandy Ryan, Sept. 23
Next: TBA

4. Sandy Ryan     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 6-1-1, 2 KOs
Last: Draw (SD10) Jessica McCaskill, Sept. 23
Next: TBA

5. Oshin Derieuw     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 19-0, 7 KOs
Last: W (TKO7) Francia Elena Bravo, Feb. 4
Next: TBA

Editor's note: Kali Reis has been removed due to inactivity.

LIGHTWEIGHT (Up to 135 pounds)

1. Katie Taylor     Previous ranking: No. 1

Record: 22-1, 6 KOs
Last: L (MD10) Chantelle Cameron, May 20
Next: Nov. 25 vs. Chantelle Cameron

2. Estelle Mossely     Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 11-0, 1 KO
Last: W (UD10) Anisha Basheel, Feb. 17
Next: TBA

3. Caroline Dubois     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 8-0, 5 KO
Last: W (UD10) Magali Rodriguez, Sept. 30
Next: TBA

4. Maira Moneo     Previous ranking: No. 5

Record: 13-1, 3 KO
Last: W (TKO8) Alys Sanchez, July 1
Next: TBA

5. Elhem Mekhaled     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 16-2, 3 KO
Last: W (UD8) Yuliya Kutsenko, May 28
Next: TBA

JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT (Up to 130 pounds)

1. Delfine Persoon     Previous ranking: No. 2

Record: 48-3-1 NC, 19 KOs
Last: W (SD10) Bo Mi Re Shin, May 28
Next: TBA

2. Elhem Mekhaled     Previous ranking: No. 3

Record: 16-2, 3 KOs
Last: W (UD8) Yuliia Kutsenko, May 28
Next: TBA

3. Bo Mi Re Shin     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 15-2-3, 8 KOs
Last: L (SD10) Delfine Persoon, May 28
Next: TBA

4. Beatriz Ferreira     Previous ranking: N/R

Record: 3-0, 1 KO
Last: W (UD8) Karla Ramos Zamora, July 1
Next: TBA

5. Hyun Mi Choi     Previous ranking: No. 4

Record: 20-0-1, 5 KOs
Last: W (UD10) Vanessa Bradford, Oct. 19
Next: TBA

Editor's note: Alycia Baumgardner has been removed for testing positive for a banned substance.

FEATHERWEIGHT (Up to 126 pounds)