The ill-fated WBA heavyweight title, or the ‘regular’ championship, has descended into further chaos after the reappointment of Mahmoud Charr.
Despite a ruling by the WBA to reinstate Charr after a legal challenge to his previous stripping, a stipulated title bout failed to be agreed.
WBA chiefs gave Charr until October 14 to sign a fight against Jarrell Miller after handing back the strap he never lost in the ring.
Charr saw his status as ‘champion in recess’ revoked in December 2021. The decision by the WBA came after Charr did not travel to the USA to fight with Trevor Bryan. Charr claimed visa issues prevented him from doing so.
Therefore, after two years and a judicial process between Charr and the WBA, the organization decided to reinstate the regular champion status to the boxer.
WBA regular heavyweight title
The ruling was probably to stave off any possible financial penalties stemming from the legal process. Once the decision was made to reinstate Charr, the WBA set two critical conditions.
First, Charr must face Jarrell Miller, fifth rated [now sixth] boxer of the division, before October 14. Second, the winner of this matchup must meet the next available contender, which the body will determine.
Deontay Wilder is currently ranked number one by the WBA, so would probably hold first refusal. Martin Bakole, Anthony Joshua, and Lenier Pero fall in line next.
Judging by the WBA process of choosing Miller, the likely candidate would be Pero.
It’s still a mess for the World Boxing Association to clean up for what has become a running theme for its secondary belt.
WBA President Gilberto Mendoza, who promised WBN in 2013 that he would eradicate the title for good, hopes to do so in the next twelve months.
“The judicial agreement constitutes a temporary decision of the organization, which has been taken in the best spirit of overcoming a difference that prevented the WBA from moving forward in its plans.
One single champion
“For now, such a juncture only delays the institution’s purpose of having only one champion per category. However, far from abandoning the path, the pioneer organization will continue to work resolutely to achieve this goal.
“The aim is to do it within the framework of its “One Champion Only” policy, which has been 70% achieved. There are now twelve single champions in seventeen categories.
“The WBA continues to work in favor of boxing worldwide and to make decisions that favor the sport,” he added.
Once the heavyweight event in Saudi Arabia concludes this weekend, fans might have a clearer picture of who will be Charr’s first defense.
Charr initially won the strap in 2017. He’s fought three times since and never put the title on the line.
If a championship bout doesn’t happen soon, calls to scrap the belt will continue getting louder.
