Anthony Joshua now finds himself below the likes of Martin Bakole and Agit Kabayel in the latest heavyweight rankings.
Joshua was sat third in the Ring Magazine listings and was looking to cement his status as a top dog with a win over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on September 21.
But AJ was dropped four times en route to a devastating defeat, which sees him firmly out of the heavyweight elite for now.
As a result, the former two-time world champion has now dropped significantly to seventh position, being leapfrogged by his recent conqueror.
Dubois now sits in second position, only behind current unified champion Oleksandr Usyk, who leads the list and Tyson Fury who sits in first.
The pair will rematch on December 21, with ‘Dynamite’ potentially in line to face the winner for the undisputed crown, though a rematch with AJ remains an alternative option.
Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang sit in third and fourth respectively, with Agit Kabayel and Martin Bakole in fifth and sixth all ranked above the declined Joshua.
Parker and Zhang have both recently picked up wins over Deontay Wilder to boost their position, while the New Zealander sits above ‘Big Bang’ after beating him in December last year.
Kabayel beat Frank Sanchez to send him rocketing into the top ten, while Martin Bakole stunned American prospect Jared Anderson to continue his ascent.
AJ sits marginally in the top ten ahead of Dubois’ other most recent victim Filip Hrgovic, while Nigerian Efe Ajagba and Justis Huni round off the list.
It was a tough night at the office for Joshua, who can clearly see by his position in the rankings, that he needs a significant rebuild.
AJ has faced some calls to retire following his defeat, which leaves him a long way back to the top.
But he defiantly refused those pleas, insisting he still has more to give at the top of the division.
The 34-year-old still could have some big fights left on the table, and has one outing remaining on his contract with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.
Joshua has the opportunity to pursue a rematch from his side of the negotiating table contractually, but his next move is currently unclear.
talkSPORT
