HAMBURG – The mandatory positions and title pictures have been discussed and debated in great detail at the WBC Convention in Germany. Some of the weight divisions have started to evolve.
The highlights that were addressed follow. The occasion was the first in which the rankings for the men and women have been discussed simultaneously at the convention.
– Heavyweight – Men – Zhilei Zhang-Agit Kabayel for the interim title will take place on February 22. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury contest the full title on December 21. The winner of Usyk-Fury II might find themselves in a trilogy, or could fight the IBF champion Daniel Dubois.
Women – Claressa Shields is champion. She fights the mandatory challenger Danielle Perkins in February.
– Bridgerweight – Kevin Lerena is set to fight the seventh-ranked Serhiy Radchenko in Kiev, Ukraine in February.
The representatives of the third-ranked Ryad Merhy argued that he had been waiting a long time, and that he should be in a final eliminator to challenge for the title.
There was a motion for the number one, Adam Balski, to fight the former cruiserweight king Krzysztof Włodarczyk for an interim title, and that motion was approved.
Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the WBC, said that Grigory Drozd tested positive in 2014 when he took Włodarczyk’s title, and the results had been kept secret.
Meanwhile, Andrew Tabiti’s representative said that he would like the idea of a tournament with the top four, but Sulaiman ordered Merhy to fight Tabiti for a final eliminator to decide the mandatory challenger.
– Cruiserweight – The champion in recess Badou Jack pressed his claims to fight Noel Mikaelyan for the belt and after that to fight the first-ranked Ryan Rozicki as the mandatory.
Mikaelyan’s team said he wanted the biggest challenges and wanted to look for unification fights with Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez or Jai Opetaia. Sulaiman said he would find unification difficult to accept, given that a bout with Jack is a big fight.
A spokesman for Rozicki said he would be happy to fight Jack or Mikaelyan as long as they could fight for the green and gold belt. The veteran fight fixer Don Majeski contended Rozicki should fight Jack or Mikaelyan.
Mikaelyan is in a legal situation with Don King, but nothing is in court yet, and Mikaelyan’s team hope it won’t go that far.
Also, the case of Michal Cieslak, ranked third, was argued. “We are completely ready,” said his promoter.
It was decided that Mikaelyan would become champion in recess, with the WBC’s assurance that he will be immediately back in the picture when he returns from his promotional dispute, Jack will fight Rozicki for the full title, and Cieslak could fight Yamil Peralta for the interim title.
When Mikaelyan returns, he would take 55 per cent of the purse if he fights for the title. Jack was made the full champion; Mikaelyan slipped to champion in recess.
– Light heavyweight – The winner of the February 1 fight between David Benavidez and David Morrell will be made mandatory contender. The title is being contested on February 22 in the rematch between the undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
– Super middleweight – Men – The WBC ordered Christian Mbilli and Jaime Munguia to fight for the interim title. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is permitted a voluntary.
Eye of the Tiger thanked WBC for Mbilli and Munguia and said Oselys Iglesias, ranked fifth, is ready to fight anyone anytime, and that he wants the biggest fight possible.
Luka Plantic will fight to be the mandatory for the interim title.
Women – Roberto Diaz asked for the second-ranked Raquel Miller to get moved up to first to challenge Franchon Crews-Dezurn. Talks have started to make that bout with Salita Promotions.
– Middleweight – Women – The committee said it was a quiet division for the women – the most difficult division in women’s boxing because of the lack of depth. No one came to make a case for any match.
– Junior middleweight – Women – Ema Kozin had been ordered to fight Cecilia Braekhaus, but that fight hasn’t yet happened.
There was a movement to make Femke Hermans mandatory, her having won titles at super middle and middleweight. Femke was told to file for a final eliminator.
Braekhaus wants to organise a promoiton in Norway at the end of March and it could be a farewell fight.
– Welterweight – Mario Barrios is allowed a voluntary title defence. Despite Manny Pacquiao, Conor Benn and Blair Cobbs wanting to fight him, no one spoke.
– Super lightweight – Men – The champion Alberto Puello is defending against Sandor Martin on March 1 in Brooklyn. Top Rank’s Carl Moretti petitioned for Martin, should he win, to be allowed a voluntary defense rather than a mandatory (instead of fighting Gary Russell, who has been matched with Rayo Valenzuela on the same promotion).
Matchroom asked for Dalton Smith to be made mandatory. Smith, likely on January 25 in Nottingham, will fight Walid Ouizza.
Women – Lee Eaton asked for Chantelle Cameron to be made mandatory challenger and for a fight with Katie Taylor, who she has won and lost against, to be made immediately.
Eddie Hearn said that they would consider the Cameron fight, but first wanted time to see if they could make a trilogy fight with Amanda Serrano.
Between Eaton and Hearn, they said that they would determine what the direction was by January 31.
– Lightweight – Men – Shakur Stevenson has a voluntary title defense against Floyd Schofield on February 22. His mandatory challenger William Zepeda doesn’t need surgery but has been told by doctors he needs to take a six-to-eight-week break before he can return to the gym, having sustained damage against Tevin Farmer in November.
Sulaiman pitched a tournament between Raymond Muratalla, Keyshawn Davis, Isaac Cruz and Tevin Farmer. But Sean Gibbons, for Cruz, warned that Cruz might yet return to lightweight, depending on what happens in his next fight, with Angel Fierro, on February 1. Top Rank’s Carl Moretti told the committee that Davis is likely fighting for another title and that Muratalla had already beaten Farmer. The tournament idea was soon scrapped.
Women – Caroline Dubois has been upgraded to full champion after Katie Taylor relinquished her title.
Katharina Thanderz spoke about the recent birth of her son but said that she was back in training two weeks after giving birth and that she wanted to hold on to her number-five ranking. Her baby was also in attendance.
– Junior lightweight – Men – Top Rank want to look at a unification fight between O’Shaquie Foster and WBO champion Emanuel Navarrete, or for Foster to have a voluntary defense.
Sean Gibbons, for Mark Margsayo, asked for a final eliminator with Eduardo Hernandez. That will be ordered if they both win fights they have signed for.
Foster has been allowed to unify or take a voluntary.
Women – the champion is Alycia Baumgardner, and Delfine Persoon was on hand. She asked for a return after their fight was ruled a No Contest following a head clash.
“I want to do the rematch,” said Persoon, who said she fought last time with a bad knee injury. “Now I know I’m going to be 100 per cent, I want to do the rematch.”
The WBC ordered the rematch.
– Featherweight – Men – Brandon Figueroa is preparing to face Stephen Fulton in a rematch on February 1. Bruce Carrington is fighting at a similar time and Moretti wants Carrington, if he wins, to be made mandatory for the winner. Sulaiman asked to see the opponent first before it was considered as an eliminator.
Rey Vargas, recovering from injuries, is champion in recess and has no return date scheduled.
Women – Skye Nicolson is in advanced talks for a unification homecoming fight in Australia early next year, but otherwise will fight mandatory challenger, the third-ranked Tiara Brown.
Brown’s representative for OTX said Brown has already stepped aside once and that she wants the fight now, but it was agreed that she would wait to see what can be arranged for Nicolson.
The former champion Jelena Mrdjenovich approached the dais and said that she was back and wanted a title fight. Sulaiman said the WBC committee would assess her request. “I just want to retire with the opportunity to win my belt back before I retire,” she said.
Sulaiman has given Matchroom a month to make arrangements for the Nicolson event in Australia. OTX agreed to that, on the proviso that Brown is next.
– Super bantamweight – Women – Lee Eaton is looking to get the third-ranked Segolene Lefebvre to be made mandatory challenger to the champion Yamileth Mercado.
– Bantamweight – the former WBC flyweight champion Charlie Edwards, with Wasserman, said he was available for any fight.
Sulaiman said Edwards, ranked fourth, was in their plans in the division.
Women – Dina Thorslund said she has to move up in weight because she can’t get anyone at bantamweight because no one wants to fight her.
– Junior bantamweight – Men – Mauricio Sulaiman made a mandatory contender bout between Roman Gonzalez and Andrew Moloney.
Women – The winner of Thursday’s fight in Hamburg, between Mary Romero and Asley Gonzalez, will fight the interim champion Ginny Fuchs.
– Flyweight – Men – The WBC has ordered the fight with Galal Yafai, ranked second, and the third-ranked Francisco Rodriguez, as a final eliminator.
– Light flyweight – Women – Kim Clavel is to become mandatory for Lourdes Juarez, the champion.
The former champion Yessica Nery Plata relinquished her title after she became pregnant. But she sadly lost the baby, and now wants to fight for her old crown.
Sulaiman said if she was medically cleared Plata would be the first to fight Juarez, and Clavel will fight the winner. If Plata is not cleared to fight, then Clavel will instead fight Juarez.
– Strawweight – Men – There will be a final eliminator between between Yudai Shigeoka and Thai Thammanoon Niyomtrong. The winner will be mandatory, and reigning champion Melvin Jerusalem can take a voluntary defence.
Women – Yokasta Valle is to fight Yunoka Furukawa, and the winner will fight for the title.
– Atomweight – Women – Tina Rupprecht just won a unification fight for the WBC, WBA and WBO titles and is looking to be undisputed champion and has made a deal with Japan’s IBF champion Sumire Yamanaka for a bout in February or March.