Just when you thought the heavyweight division couldn’t get any more incredible, the ante gets upped by the World Boxing Association once again.
Declassified by World Boxing News earlier this year due to a facial situation regarding Bermane Stiverne, the current happenings seem to be deepening the crisis.
After Stiverne got rated at the last minute despite no victory in five years to face Trevor Bryan for the “regular” strap, Mahmoud Charr was made “Champion in Recess” by the WBA.
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t recess mean he’s no longer a champion?
Not so, according to a scheduled fight in Cologne, Germany tonight. Charr vs. Christopher Lovejoy gets billed as a WBA heavyweight title bout.
If Bryan has the strap and Charr effectively lost it outside of the ring, how can the WBA belt be on the line, even in a recess capacity?
It’s unfathomable.
Add to that the fact Robert Helenius is the “Gold” champion and Daniel Dubois is facing Bogdan Dinu for the interim version, that’s five title-holders in one division.
We all know who the absolute ruler is in Anthony Joshua.
Until the WBA gets a grip on this situation and stops taking influence for rankings, WBN will not consider a reinstatement.
Despite not losing a fight, Lovejoy splitting with Don King saw him dropped from the rankings unceremoniously. We all know he didn’t deserve it in the first place, but it now seems evident that it could have been down to a lack of King in his corner.
Gilberto Mendoza has a lot to answer for right now. The fans are the ones who will ultimately suffer.
It’s a shame as the rankings are beginning to look somewhat semi-normal at the moment if you take out on abomination. The fact Dinu got a boost to number two despite back-to-back losses at the top level.
Two shocking wins in Bulgaria are no reason to rank the Romanian above Deontay Wilder, Andy Ruiz Jr., and even Luis Ortiz.
Decisions like this are where it all goes wrong. Hopefully, somebody over at the WBA soon has a word with the man at the top.
