Friday is the last day of the 89th annaul WBA convention in Managua, Nicaragua, and today’s session dealt initially a joint talk by WBA Vice President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza and Miguel Prado. Each took turns addressing various points concerning the administration of boxing business and business models. In the case of WBA business, everything from the responsibilities of the fight supervisors, to adapting a business model for the WBA and applying marketing strategies was assessed.
Jose Oliver Gomez delivered the summation of the ratings meeting that occurred earlier in the week. No new promoters had any new ratings movements for which to lobby or address, so the ratings report was approved and ratified. It was also added that the WBA will work to improve the timliness with which their rating will appear on their website, with January 2011 as a target for these improvements to take place.
Mandatories were then discussed with much buzz concerning certain weight classes and chanpions. The following are notes in each weight class from heavyweight on down to minimumweight:
HEAVYWEIGHT:
Mandatory challenger is currently Ruslan Chagaev with the defense due by 4/3/11. However, with the ongoing controversy over Chagaev’s hepatitus B+ status, the WBA’s medical advisory chair Dr. Calvin Inal-Singh indicated that even if Chagaev’s positive level was 1:1,000,000, he would advise against approving Chagaev to challnge for the WBA title, let alone fight anyone in the ring. Mendoza Jr. initially stated that it is up to champion David Haye to make the request for testing on his challenger.
CRUISERWEIGHT:
Mandatory challenger is regular champion Steve Herelius, due by February 2011.
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT:
Former champion Gabriel Campillo is due as mandatory challenger by 4/23/11.
SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT:
Regular champion Dimitry Sartison is due to make his mandatory against Brian Magee in January 2001. Super champion Andre Ward is still involved in the Super Six tournament.
MIDDLEWEIGHT:
Felix Sturm is elevated to Super champion status. Regular champion is Gennady Golovkin, and recent interim champion is Hassan, N’Dam N’Jikam. Golovkin and N’Jikam should fight by January 2011.
SUPER WELTERWEIGHT:
Miguel Cotto has been eleveated to super champion status due to the high level of match options that await him. Regular champion Riboerto Alvarez must defend against mandatory Austin Trout by January 2011.
WELTERWEIGHT:
Champion Vyacheslav Senchenko must defend against interim champion Souleymane M’Baye by March 2011.
SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT:
Amir Khan will make his mandatory against interim champ Marcos Maidana on 12/11/11.
LIGHTWEIGHT:
Juan Manuel Marquez or Michael Katsidis has until 8/28/11 to defend against regular champion Miguel Acosta, Acosta’s mandatory is Brandon Rios. No due date for that yet.
SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT:
Takashi Uchiyama must meet interim Jorge Solis in January 2011.
FEATHERWEIGHT:
Super champion Chris John must meet regular champion Yurorkis Gamboa by March 2011.
SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT:
Super champ Celestino Caballero is fighting at 130 lbs. This weekend and will likely vacate the title. New regular champ Retsuri Lee has until 4/21/11 to make his mandatory and new interim Guillermo Rigondeaux has until March 2011. Incidentally, the WBA had ruled not to order a rematch between Rigondeaux and former interim champ Ricardo Cordoba, whom Rigondeaux just defeated in a highly controversial match on the Pacquiao-Margarito undercard.
BANTAMWEIGHT:
Anselmo Moreno has requested to be elevated to super champion status and the vacancy to fill the regular title may possibly be decided between Koki Kameda and Lorenza Parra, but contracts, medicals and other details have not yet been reviewed by the WBA.
SUPER FLYWEIGHT:
Hugo Cazares is due his mandatory by 3/9/11.
FLYWEIGHT:
Daiki Kameda is fighting on 12/26/11 but must meet his mandatory, regular champion Luis “Nica’ Concepcion in 2011.
LIGHT FLYWEIGHT:
Unified (WBA/WBO) champion Giovanni Segura has official relinquished his dual titles and moving up to 112 lb. waters. Regular champ Juan Carlos Reveco will meet interim champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez in february 2011.
MINIMUMWEIGHT:
New champion Kwanthai Sithmorseng must meet interim champion Sammy Gutierrez by 3/5/11.
