Kameda set to lose WBO title for facing unrated McDonnell

The organization’s current bantamweight title holder Tomoki Kameda has now received correspondence that confirms he will be stripped of the belt if he faces McDonnell next month.

As WBN first reported in March, the fact that McDonnell is the ‘regular’ WBA champion and not the highest recognised title holder at the weight (which is Juan Carlos Payano), means Kameda is not allowed to put his title on the line as the Briton is not ranked with the WBO.

Below is the letter sent to all parties on Tuesday:

We write to you in response to the various press reports that make mention of a proposed Unification Championship contest with Jamie McDonnell. This matter falls under the purview of the WBO World Championship Committee, as per our WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests. Specifically, the following is within our power and discretion:.

1. (1) To determine the format and venue for making any determination that is the subject of the WBO World Championship Rules; and,
2. (2) To determine if there is good cause to extend the time during which a champion must make a Mandatory Challenge; and,
3. (3) To approve the terms and conditions under which a Champion may extend the time for a Mandatory Challenge so as to compete in a Unification Bout or a Unification Tournament; and,
4. (4) To recommend to the President and the Executive Committee that a title should be vacated if a Champion fails to comply with the WBO World Championship Rules (Emphasis added); and,
5. (5) To determine whether a Champion is entitled to a disability extension to make a Mandatory Challenge, and the terms and conditions for such a disability extension; and,
6. (6) To sanction all Championship Contests and Eliminatory Bouts; and,
7. (7) To make or recommend exceptions or variations from the Rules as the World Championship Committee determines are necessary; and,
8. (8) To vacate a championship Title regardless of the cause or fault, if the Champion has not defended within a nine (9) month period; and,
9. (9) To recommend to the President and the Executive Committee amendments to these Rules.

The WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests also authorize the application of our WBO Champion to unify World Championships with the WBA, the IBF and the WBC,?

pursuant to SECTION 7: UNIFICATION BOUTS AND UNIFICATION TOURNAMENTS AS MANDATORY TITLE BOUTS:

• (a) The World Championship Committee has the power and authority to sanction a Unification Bout or participation in a unification tournament as a Mandatory Title Bout. A Unification Bout is a championship bout with the champion of another world sanctioning organization recognized by the WBO, including the WBA, the WBC and the IBF. A Unification Tournament is a tournament of single elimination bouts involving 4 Champions or top contenders of 2 or more WBO recognized world sanctioning organizations.
• (b) […]

In addition to this, Section 15 of said rules (on NONCHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS or
NON-WBO CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS) state that:

1. (a) A WBO champion shall not participate in any fight that is not for the WBO Championship without the prior authorization of the WBO World Championship Committee. This authorization shall be subject to such conditions as the WBO World Championship Committee determines. In addition, this authorization will be granted only on the condition that the WBO Champion pay a fee to the WBO that is the equivalent of the amount that the WBO Champion would have paid to the WBO as a WBO Championship fight.
2. (b) […]
3. (c) The WBO Championship Committee may vacate the title of any Champion who conducts a contest in the Champion’s Weight Division or any other division without the authorization of the WBO Championship Committee (Emphasis added).

Based on the above dispositions, the WBO World Championship Committee will not authorize your proposed bout with Jamie McDonnell as a Unification Contests, as it our position not to recognize the “secondary titlists” of organisms that opt to have more than one champion per division— as is the case with the WBA, which has Juan Carlos Payano as its so-called “Super Champion” in the Bantamweight division and Yonfrez Parejo as its “Interim” titleholder. Simply put, the WBO only recognizes the “highest” titleholder of other sanctioning organisms as legitimate champion for unification purposes (in this case Payano). In addition to this, the WBO World Championship Committee may only sanction contenders to the WBO World Championship title that are rated within the top 15 of the WBO. In this case, McDonnell does not meet the criteria of the WBO Ratings Committee and is not rated.

Finally, please note that should you decide to participate of the aforementioned bout in spite of this warning and without our authorization, this Committee may order you to show cause as to why the WBO Bantamweight Championship of the World should not be declared vacant or, in the alternative, it may declare the title vacant without further hearing you.

Very truly yours,
WBO World Championship Committee

Luis Batista Salas, its Chairman

The next fighters in line to be called upon to battle it out for any vacant strap are Ryo Akaho of Japan and number two rated Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand.