Boxing world champions get the recognition they deserve for reaching the sport’s summit after years of sacrifice and training. But not with the WBA.
The World Boxing Association, which WBN declassified earlier this year, continues to be the anomaly of the sanctioning bodies.
Listed on their roster of titlists are too many “Champions” to name, something President Gilberto Mendoza believes is a good thing.
Mendoza says the WBA wants to give as many boxers the chance to fight in a championship bout. If you ask any avid fan, they would disagree with this wholeheartedly.
A champion, by its very definition, is the best of the best. Those who challenge should be the best of the rest.
The WBA recognizes an unbelievable 55 boxers with “titles” from the Super, Regular, Interim, and Gold. All of which get separated from the ratings.
Only one solitary division, bantamweight, has only one champion. That only happened in the last few days when Guillermo Rigondeaux got stripped as he entered the ring against WBO ruler John Riel Casimero.
There will soon be another bantamweight “regular” contest in the pipeline.
Mendoza has vowed to remove some titles. But judging by the list below, it could take years to clean up the mess.
Those who currently hold the “regular” version are being called “world champions” by their promoters. I’m afraid that’s not right, as WBN believes.
The only champions should be the top belts holders and no others. It truly is a sad situation when boxers think they have conquered the world when they have not.
This shocking scenario is why the WBA must remove these extra belts as soon as possible.
LIST OF WBA TITLISTS
Bonafide Boxing World Champions are in bold. Others are not world champions in the true sense of the word.
Heavyweight
Anthony Joshua – WBA Super
Trevor Bryan – WBA “regular.”
Mahmoud Charr – WBA “Champion in Recess”
Daniel Dubois – WBA interim
Robert Helenius – WBA Gold
Cruiserweight (200 lbs.)
Arsen Goulamirian – WBA Super
Ryad Merhy – WBA “regular.”
Alexey Egorov – WBA Gold
Light heavyweight (175 lbs.)
Dmitry Bivol – WBA Super
Robin Krasniqi – WBA interim
Super middleweight (168 lbs.)
Canelo Alvarez – WBA Super
David Morrell – WBA “regular.”
Fedor Chudinov – WBA Gold
Middleweight (160 lbs.)
Ryota Murata – WBA Super
Erislandy Lara – WBA “regular.”
Chris Eubank Jr. – WBA interim
Super welterweight (154 lbs.)
Jermell Charlo – WBA Super
Erislandy Lara – WBA “regular.”
Michel Soro – WBA Gold
Welterweight (147 lbs.)
Yordenis Ugas – WBA Super
Manny Pacquiao – WBA “Champion is Recess”
Jamal James – WBA “regular.”
Vergil Ortiz – WBA Gold
Super lightweight (140 lbs.)
Josh Taylor – WBA Super
Gervonta Davis – WBA “regular”
Alberto Puello – WBA interim
Ismael Barroso – WBA Gold
Lightweight (135 lbs.)
Teofimo Lopez Jr. – WBA Super
Gervonta Davis – WBA “regular”
Rolando Romero – WBA interim
Roman Andreev – WBA Gold
Super featherweight (130 lbs.)
Gervonta Davis – WBA Super
Roger Gutierrez – WBA “regular.”
Chris Colbert – WBA interim
Mark Urbanov – WBA Gold
Featherweight (126 lbs.)
Leo Santa Cruz – WBA Super
Leigh Wood – WBA “regular.”
Michael Conlan – WBA interim
Super bantamweight (122 lbs.)
Murodjon Akhmadaliev – WBA Super
Brandon Figueroa – WBA “regular”
Raeese Aleem – WBA interim
Ronny Rios – WBA Gold
Bantamweight (118 lbs.)
Naoya Inoue – WBA Super
Super flyweight (115 lbs.)
Roman Gonzalez – WBA Super
Joshua Franco – WBA “regular.”
Mikhail Aloyan – WBA Gold
Flyweight (112 lbs.)
Artem Dalakian – WBA
Luis Concepcion – WBA interim
David Jimenez – WBA Gold
Junior flyweight (108 lbs.)
Hiroto Kyoguchi – WBA Super
Esteban Bermudez – WBA “regular”
Daniel Matellon – WBA interim
Strawweight (105 lbs.)
Knockout CP Freshmart – WBA Super
Victorio Saludar – WBA “regular”
Leyman Benavides – WBA Gold
Erick Rosa – WBA interim
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