World Boxing Organization President Paco Valcarcel let his feelings known on the current situation regarding world champions.
As WBN revealed over the weekend, there are currently 67 world champions recognized in boxing today.
The number doesn’t include ‘interim’ or ‘regular’ belt holders as WBN discounted any notion of those championships on May 9th of this year.
World Boxing Association
WBN confirmed at the time: “World Boxing News would like to make a record of their renewed stance against the World Boxing Association continually adding new titles.
“The most recent ‘Gold’ WBA championship has muddied the already murky waters of straps in the sport.
“Something needs to be done to reverse the flow. Therefore, WBN will no longer recognize the WBA ‘Regular’ belt brought in some years ago.
“This comes on the back of a broken promise by President Gilberto Mendoza to WBN back in 2013.
“At the time, Mendoza stated unequivocally that he would eradicate the ‘regular’ titles at the earliest opportunity in order to have one sole champion per division.
“This has not transpired, and furthermore, has been made even more complicated.
“Should promoters and other resources offering WBN information on their upcoming fights want to continue acknowledging such titles, WBN will not stand in the way of this when processing the information for publication.
“But WBN will no longer place the ‘regular’ title on the champions section of the site.”
PACO
Five months on, and it seems as though the WBO head has joined WBN and a large portion of the boxing fans in offering his dismay.
“My friend Gilberto Mendoza Jr. runs the WBA as he sees fit,” said Paco.
“What I don’t understand is the complacency of certain boxing writers and TV commentators when it comes to the 42 so-called world champions that the WBA currently has in 17 divisions.
“(The WBA) have been designated as Super, Regular, Interim and Gold. For example, they currently have four champions in the Heavyweight Division.
“I don’t understand it, and I’m not going to keep quiet about it either.”
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman had already asked all organizations to arrange more unifications.
“Our position is to be open to unifications. To try to keep the champions unified. Regulations need to be fulfilled, but sometimes there are some rules that provoke injustices,” stated Sulaiman.
“I have seen how champions lose their championships by desk decisions. Sometimes you have to attend. To specifically address the status case by case.”
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