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WBA bamboozle yet again with hideous heavyweight eliminator sanction

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  • 3 min read

A quick look through the confirmed undercard for Teofimo Lopez vs. George Kambosos Jr. brought about a startling heavyweight discovery this week.

There seems to be a WBA heavyweight eliminator just two weeks after another contender won an interim bout for some strange reason.

At the time – and when Daniel Dubois beat Bogdan Dinu with ease, WBN pointed out that there are now FIVE belt holders in the top division with the WBA.

They are “super” champion Anthony Joshua, “regular” ruler Trevor Bryan, interim holder Dubois, “Champion in Recess” Mahmoud Charr, and “Gold” title-holder Robert Helenius.

Now, you’d think that the last thing the World Boxing Association would need is further congestion by adding another eliminator. But then you don’t know the WBA. Not only have they sanctioned a fight for the Lopez vs. Kambosos Jr. bill, but it’s one of the most dumbfounding yet.

Michael Hunter deserves his opportunity at something, even if he has accepted the sanction from the WBA. However, his opponent is Mike Wilson.

Let me tell you a bit about Wilson.

For one, he hasn’t fought for 21 months. Secondly, Wilson hasn’t fought at heavyweight since 2009. And thirdly, the “White Delight” has one hundred percent never defeated anybody who remotely would warrant a place in the top 15 of any organization.

As happening far too much these days, the WBA re-wrote the rules to please whichever promoter asks for it.

Michael Hunter Mike Wilson

HEAVYWEIGHT RATINGS

“The Bounty” Hunter begins a massive favorite and will probably get the stoppage. Still, talk turns to why the WBA are allowed to place fighter after fighter strategically in the ratings whenever they feel like it.

It’s so obvious it’s painful.

Questions have to get raised. For example, the WBA should prove why Mike Wilson is rated as the number 13 heavyweight globally when he’s never fought at the weight.

Add to that the fact he’s never secured any significant victory at the weight.

Why don’t the WBA provide this evidence? – Because there is none.

This scenario further explains why WBN no longer recognizes the WBA as a significant body within our sport – even if we didn’t necessarily need it.

The views expressed in this article are that of Phil Jay.

Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2018. And a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.