The impossible has finally happened. Venezuelan contender Ronald Chacon now finds himself as the top minimumweight contender according to the WBO after years of facing inadequate opposition ― with thirty opponents out of a total of thirty-seven comprised he faced having been fighters with a losing record. Astoundingly, this decision also appears dubious due to Chacon having competed at junior flyweight, drawing plenty of questions regarding the WBO’s credibility despite the organization having arguably proved themselves the best sanctioning body over the past decade.
Ronald Chacon (33-3-1, 24 KO’s) has been highlighted several times by Boxing Vault for his inexplicable ranking within the WBO’s top 10 minimumweight (105 lbs) ranking boards ― a position he has been in since 2023, but with him now becoming the actual #1 contender, what was construed as an undeserved position has now become inexplicable to explain.
Chacon, 33, has been active throughout his career but beneath his activity the inescapable fact of an extremely poor resume that should have prevented the WBO’s latest decision. As of June 15, 2025, Chacon’s #1 ranking by the WBO denotes a lack of thorough examination by the sanctioning body regarding the fighter’s list of opponents.
Notably, Chacon received the ranking after beating just his seventh fighter that did not have a losing record ― fellow Venezuelan Luis Golindano (22-15, 17 KO’s) whose own current record speaks for itself. Notably, the fight between the two Venezuelans was held at junior flyweight (108 lbs) rather than the 105-pound division Chacon has found himself ranked the WBO top contender in.
Chacon has further competed in only one minimumweight bout over his last ten fights, having faced and defeated countryman David Rengel (4-11-2, 4 KO’s) in 2024 who notably had a losing record ― with the bulk of Chacon’s opponents having similar unflattering records.
Ronald Chacon also suffered two clear losses against the top fighters he would eventually face in Japanese contender Masamichi Yabuki (18-4, 17 KO’s) and Filipino fighter Regie Suganob (16-1, 6 KO’s); both fighters of which have proven to be top-flight boxers having attained world titles throughout their career ― with Yabuki currently retaining the IBF flyweight (112 lbs) title.
The current WBO minimumweight champion is Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KO’s) from Puerto Rico who also holds the WBA title in the same division.
As with Ronald Chacon’s previous two fights against Yabuki and Suganob suggested, there is virtually no point in making him the #1 contender given he does not have the experience to face top-rated fighters, regardless of which weight class they’re ranked in.
Concerning the safety and health of Chacon, this position further puts him in danger as the WBO may order him to compete in a final eliminator, or outright order him and Collazo to face each other in a thoroughly undeserved title bout. This could potentially only further unravel what now appears to be an inefficient ranking system where one’s activity seems to be prioritized over the actual quality of opponents they have faced.
