Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Enter Luis Ortiz.

The Cuban heavyweight improved his stock as a legitimate heavyweight contender by brutally knocking out the capable Bryant Jennings in seven rounds on national television Saturday night in Verona, New York.

As a result, Ortiz enters THE RING heavyweight ratings at No. 5, behind only Champion Tyson Fury and Nos. 1-4 Wladimir Klitschko, Alexander Povetkin, Deontay Wilder and Kubrat Pulev. Jennings falls from No. 5 to No. 8 and Carlos Takam (No. 10 last week) drops out.

Ortiz has the amateur background (reportedly more than 300 fights), size (6 feet 4 inches, around 240 pounds) and punching power to give anyone trouble.

Time will tell.

In other divisions:

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Unbeaten Ukrainian Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (unrated last week) defeated Yunieski Gonzalez (No. 10 last week) by a majority decision on the Ortiz-Jennings card. Thus, he assumed Gonzalez’s position.

MIDDLEWEIGHT

Billy Joe Saunders (No. 4 last week) did enough to beat Andy Lee (No. 3 last week) by a majority decision Saturday in Manchester, England. Saunders climbs to No. 3 – behind only Champion Canelo Alvarez and Nos. 1 and 2 Gennady Golovkin and Daniel Jacobs – while Lee drops to No. 5.

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT

Liam Smith (No. 9 last week) retains his position after stopping Jimmy Kelly (unrated) in seven rounds on the Saunders-Lee card.

LIGHTWEIGHT

Unbeaten Rances Barthelemy (unrated last week) defeated Denis Shafikov (No. 3 last week) by a unanimous decision on Friday in Las Vegas. Thus, Barthelemy enters the ratings at No. 7 while Shafikov drops to No. 8. Felix Verdejo (No. 10 last week) drops out.

JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT

Rikki Naito (No. 9 last week) drops out of the Top 10 after losing to Kenichi Ogawa (unrated last week) by a fifth-round technical decision in a fight that ended prematurely after Naito was cut by an accidental butt.

That opened a spot for Nicholas Walters (unrated last week), who had to settle for a draw with Jason Sosa (unrated last week) on the Ortiz-Jennings card even though most thought he deserved to win. Walters enters at No. 10.

Ogawa hasn’t done enough overall to merit a rating.

FEATHERWEIGHT

Walters (No. 1 last week) drops out because he has moved up in weight. Satoshi Hosono enters at No. 10.

BANTAMWEIGHT

Marlon Tapales (unrated last week) stopped previously unbeaten Shohei Omori (unrated last week) in two rounds Wednesday in Kyoto, Japan. That performance – in hostile territory – allowed Tapales to enter at No. 10. Rau’shee Warren (No. 10 last week) was pushed out.

JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHT

Zolani Tete (No. 4 last week) stays put after easily outpointing Jether Oliva (unrated last week) in South Africa. Luis Concepcion (No. 10 last week) also retains his spot after outpointing veteran Hernan Marquez (unrated last week) on Thursday in Panama.