Following the US team, the teams of the Czech Republic, Great Britain and Ireland refused to participate in the World Amateur Boxing Championship. They are all shocked by the criminal decision International Boxing Organization (IBA) not only allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete, but also allow them to compete under their own flags, despite the bloody war unleashed against Ukraine.
However, there is nothing surprising in this. The IBA has long and completely mired in scandals and corruption, which is why boxing risks disappearing from the Olympic program for a long time. The organization is headed by Russian Umar Kremlev.
The WBC has officially confirmed that the vacant world champion belt in the bantamweight (up to 53.5 kg) will be played against the legendary Filipino veteran Nonito Donaire (42-7, 28 KOs) and the ex-claimant from Mexico Alejandro Santiago (27-3- 5, 14 KOs).
The winner will have to immediately carry out a mandatory defense of the belt – the opponent will be determined in the eliminator.
Another “interim” champion will appear in the IBF: the holder of the organization’s belt in the minimum weight (up to 47.6 kg) Mexican Daniel Vayadares (26-3-1, 15 KOs) is injured (problems with the eardrum) and will not be able to meet his mandatory Filipino challenger Rene Mark Cuarto (21-3-2, 12 KOs).
The organization decided to fight for the interim title between Quarto and Japanese top contender Ginjiro Shigeoka (8-0, 6 KOs).
The first title fight of this year ended without a winner and turned out to be scandalous – the only way Vayadares managed to defend the belt in the fight with Shigeoka. Previously, the organization ordered a bid for the fight for the interim belt Hrgovic vs Ruiz, but should not have done so.
Columnist Jake Donovan calmed the public, who reacted violently over the dubious decision of the WBC. The organization has officially announced that American YouTuber Jake Paul will get into the WBC world ranking if Tommy Fury wins.
“It’s about getting into the top 40. And people reacted as if the fight Paul vs Fury was made the final eliminator for the winner of the fight (for the championship belt) Ilunga Makabu vs Badu Jack, ”wrote Donovan.
In the WBC ratings, the top 40 (and not the top 15) boxers in each (except bridgerweight) weight category are indeed updated monthly.
Rumors of a rematch between the top representatives of the second flyweight (up to 52.2 kg) Japanese Kazuto Yoka (29-2-1, 15 KOs) and American Joshua Franco (18-1-3, 8 KOs) are confirmed by columnist Mike Coppinger. From asserts that the parties have already signed the contract. The fight will take place in June in Japan, but there is no exact date and place for the event yet.
December 31 in Tokyo (Japan) Ioka and Franco failed to determine the winner in the unification. There will be only one title at stake in the revenge – the near-pound champion has abandoned the belt.
Lightweight prospect (up to 61.2 kg) Dominican Michel Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs) has huge problems. In December, he lost without options in prospect-clash to American Frank Martin (17-0, 12 KOs), and then he also failed a doping test – illegal drugs were found in the athlete’s body hydrochlorothiazide And triamterene.
The fighter faces disqualification. For now, he’s been temporarily suspended. Nevada Athletic Commission (NSAC).
