A recent ruling by the World Boxing Association means the heavyweight division will finally have one sole champion in the sanctioning body’s ranks.
The WBA faced criticism for years after introducing the “regular” belt during the mid-2000s. Now, fifteen years on, they will rid boxing of the title.
The current belt holder, Trevor Bryan, will battle number one contender Daniel Dubois. The winner will then take on overall champion Oleksandr Usyk in a move that will eventually see only one sole ruler.
Releasing information on a purse bid, the WBA said: “The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee has announced the purse bid.
“The auction for the bout between world heavyweight champion Trevor Bryan and official challenger Daniel Dubois will be held on Monday, March 14, 2022.
“The bidding, which will get directed by the chairman of the Championships Committee Carlos Chavez, will be held at 10:00 am US Eastern time and will be through the Zoom platform.
“The WBA sent the communication to both parties with all the Purse bid proceeds, explaining the rules and conditions for this type of situation.
“Bryan must defend the title against Dubois after receiving special permission to face Jonathan Guidry last January. Dubois is the mandatory challenger because he held the division’s interim title when the pioneer body’s world title reduction plan kicked off.
“The American has a record of 22 wins, no losses, and 15 knockouts, while Dubois has 17 wins, one loss, and 16 knockouts.”
WBA HEAVYWEIGHT RANKINGS – MARCH 2022
1 DANIEL DUBOIS
2 MICHAEL HUNTER
3 ROBERT HELENIUS
4 HUGHIE FURY
5 ANTHONY JOSHUA
6 DEONTAY WILDER
7 AGIT KABAYEL
8 NOT RATED
9 ZHAN KOSSOBUTSKIY
10 MARTIN BAKOLE
11 ANDY RUIZ JR
12 FILIP HRGOVIC
13 JOSEPH PARKER
14 TONY YOKA
15 LENIER PERO
The views expressed in this article are opinions of Phil Jay.
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