Former World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion Andrew `Sixhead' Lewis has dropped to fifth in the association's rankings following his defeat at the hands of Ricardo Mayorga last month.

The latest listing of the WBA has no fighter in the number one position.

Lewis, who will turn 32 in December is rated below the champion, Thomas Damgaard, Michael Trabant and Michelle Piccirilo respectively.

Piccirilo, who won the vacant International Boxing Federation welterweight crown after outpointing Cory Spinks in Italy last Saturday, has a win over former Commonwealth champion the late Andrew Murray who he knocked out in the ninth round of their August 5 2000 match.

Lewis lost his title via a fifth round technical knockout on March 30 at the Sovereign Centre in Pennsylvania. Mayorga decked the Guyanese with a six-punch combination to snatch the title.

The defeat was the former champion's first in 24 fights and Lewis stated after that he had trouble making the 147-pound welterweight limit and he would me moving up to the junior middleweight division.

Known as the `Albouystown Cyclone,' Lewis became the first Guyanese fighting under the Golden Arrowhead to win a world title when he flattened James Page in the seventh round on February 17 2001 in Las Vegas.

He later made two defences of the title in both of which he showed a marked decline in performance. In the first against Larry Marks Lewis was all but dropped in the first round but rallied to win by unanimous decision.

The second defence was against Ricardo Mayorga in July of last year and was ruled a technical draw after a clash of heads in the second round which resulted in the rematch with Mayorga.

Meanwhile, internet website Fightnews.com has also dropped Lewis in its latest ratings.

The Guyanese, who up to late last month was ranked number three behind WBC champion Vernon Forrest and `Sugar' Shane Mosley, is now listed eighth. (Steve Ninvalle)