The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee approved the joint permit requested by Matchroom Boxing and TGB Promotions to allow featherweight super champion Leo Santa Cruz to face Rey Vargas in a unification fight and featherweight champion Leigh Wood to make a defense against Mauricio Lara.
Both fights were approved with the condition that the super champion will face the champion to define the sole champion of the category within 120 days after the fight between Santa Cruz and Vargas.
It should be noted that the WBA, in the midst of world title reduction plan, ordered the Santa Cruz-Wood last April 6, 2022. On July 11, TGB requested a permit to make the Santa Cruz Vargas, which was denied on July 15 by the championships committee, which called for a purse bid for Santa Cruz-Wood.
On August 12, both companies sent a communication stating that they had reached an agreement and the purse bid was suspended. Subsequently, on the 22nd of that same month, the joint permission was requested in which the Santa Cruz-Vargas and the Wood-Lara were requested, with the commitment that both winners would face each other in the established term to define the only champion.
The Championships Committee made the decision based on the internal rules of the organization. Rule C.16 states that the body may modify the periods of mandatory defenses for good cause, either in response to a request for special permission or on its own initiative.
In addition, Rule C.46 states that the BMA may suspend or modify the strict application of these rules when it deems justified in its sole discretion to accommodate special circumstances. Such reasons include “participating in an optional title defense”, “participating in a bout of recognized importance and significance to the boxing world”, “extending or modifying a mandatory defense period”, or for any reason the Committee and the President deem just.
The WBA sent the resolution to the parties and once both fights are fulfilled there will be no more permits. The next fight must be between the super champion belt holder and the champion, to define the sole monarch of the division.
