Boxing divisional rankings: Dubois stays put at heavyweight, Morrell exits at light heavyweight

Daniel Dubois pulled himself off the canvas twice to stop Fabio Wardley in the 11th round of an epic heavyweight battle for the WBO heavyweight title in Manchester, England on Saturday. Wardley, who has made a habit of pulling off come-from-behind victories, had the tables turned on him against Dubois after sending him to the canvas in Rounds 1 and 3.

Dubois settled down and began piling up rounds behind a sharp jab, gradually turning Wardley's nose into a bloody mess. By the championship rounds, Wardley was exhausted but continued to show tremendous toughness, surviving several dangerous moments that looked close to ending the fight. By the 11th round, Wardley appeared to be running on little more than heart and determination as Dubois landed one final crushing right hand, prompting the referee to step in and stop the bout.

Dubois and Wardley entered the fight as ESPN's No. 3 and No. 4-ranked heavyweights, respectively. Both will hold their spots behind Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, with Moses Itauma looming at No. 5.

On the undercard, David Morrell's stunning 10th-round stoppage loss to Zak Chelli in the light heavyweight division drastically shook up the rankings. Morrell was seemingly taking a tune-up fight after his showdown with Callum Smith was scrapped due to a Smith injury. Morrell entered the fight having only lost to David Benavidez but hadn't looked his best against Iman Khataev last July when he escaped with a split decision victory.

Despite being a heavy betting favorite, Morrell struggled to build a significant lead in the fight against Chelli. Instead, Chelli held his ground, boxing well to keep Morrell at bay. In Round 9, Chelli connected withed a right hand that put Morrell on shaky legs, but Morrell survived the round. Chelli finished the job in Round 10 with the right hand and a series of punches that left Morrell defenseless and forced the referee to stop the fight.

Morrell tumbles out of the light heavyweight rankings from the No. 2 spot, while Chelli makes his debut at No. 10.

ESPN's divisional boxing rankings highlight the best in the sport in every weight class. Rankings will change based on recent results and performances. Fighters who have announced they are moving to a different weight class will be ranked in that new division, if warranted, only once they fight in that weight class. Fighters who currently own titles in two divisions can be ranked in both.

Fighters who haven't competed in the past 12 months -- and don't have a fight scheduled -- will be dropped from the rankings until they fight again. Any fighter who tests positive for a performance-enhancing substance will also be removed. That boxer will be eligible to reenter the rankings after his next bout.

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

Jump to weight classes with changes: Light heavyweight, super middleweight and welterweight

HEAVYWEIGHT (UNLIMITED)

CRUISERWEIGHT (UP TO 200 POUNDS)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT (UP TO 175 POUNDS)

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT (UP TO 168 POUNDS)

MIDDLEWEIGHT (UP TO 160 POUNDS)

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT (UP TO 154 POUNDS)

WELTERWEIGHT (UP TO 147 POUNDS)

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT (UP TO 140 POUNDS)

LIGHTWEIGHT (UP TO 135 POUNDS)

JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT (UP TO 130 POUNDS)

FEATHERWEIGHT (UP TO 126 POUNDS)

JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHT (UP TO 122 POUNDS)

BANTAMWEIGHT (UP TO 118 POUNDS)

JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHT (UP TO 115 POUNDS)

FLYWEIGHT (UP TO 112 POUNDS)

JUNIOR FLYWEIGHT (UP TO 108 POUNDS)

STRAWWEIGHT (UP TO 105 POUNDS)