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AAP
AAP
Sport
Murray Wenzel

Winwood's WBC rankings surge offers shot at history

Alex Winwood is aiming to box his way into Australia's sporting record books. (JASON OBRIEN/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Alex Winwood's "unheard of" jump from No.13 to No.2 in the WBC's minimum weight rankings has the boxer positioned to bump Aussie boxing legend Jeff Fenech out of the record books.

While Winwood is on a potential fast-track to Australian boxing history, fellow Tokyo Olympian Paulo Aokuso is tracking to equal Fenech's mark.

Winwood has competed only three times professionally but is now potentially just two fights away from a world title.

Fenech took seven fights to win his first world title, the fewest of any Australian.

West Australia's Winwood, who is based in Kingscliff on the NSW-Queensland border, is now eyeing No.1 challenger Luis Castillo.

Victory against the Mexican would mean he's next in line to fight the winner of a clash between interim champion Yudai Shigeoka and world-title holder Panya Pradabsri.

Winwood's manager Tony Tolj said only Ukraine's two-time Olympic champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, who won a world title in a record three fights, can compare.

"(Winwood's) rise is unheard of," Tolj said.

"There's no other boxer really on this planet, apart from Lomachenko, that's had three fights and is number two in the world. It's just unbelievable.

"But it's a testament to him. He only wants to fight the best - and in boxing you can't always fight the best but we've managed to get the highest-rated fighters in front of him."

"We're looking at everyone above us and now that's Castillo."

Winwood's quest for a piece of Australian boxing history follows light-heavyweight prospect Aokuso's breezy points defeat of a brave Renold Quinlan on Wednesday night.

Aokuso has had five fights and is now primed for an eliminator for the vacant IBO belt against Germany's Adam Deines next month.

Victory in that bout would open doors for a shot at the Russian-Canadian WBO, IBF and WBC champion Artur Beterbiev.

Tolj told AAP he is also working on securing a home defence for Jason Moloney, who won the WBO bantamweight world title in California in May.

Moloney (26-2) took more than a month off after the fight due to ligament damage and severe bone bruising in his hand suffered in the majority points win over Vincent Astrolabio.

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