Jermell Charlo has officially been stripped of his WBA super welterweight title and dropped to ‘Champion in Recess’ as WBN previously reported.
The WBA Championships Committee named the super welterweight division’s super champion, Jermell Charlo, as champion in recess on Tuesday, March 5. The WBA did this to get the division moving after his long lapse without defending the crown.
Israil Madrimov and Mogamed Kurbanov will contest the vacant belt, ranked number one and number two, this Friday in Saudi Arabia.
Jermell Charlo stripped of WBA title
Charlo has been champion since September 26, 2020, when he defeated Jaison Rosario to win the title. In May 2022, he became the undisputed champion when he beat Brian Castaño.
In September last year, he fought at super middleweight against Saul Canelo Alvarez after requesting a leave of absence.
Given that he has not defended the belt since May 2022 for different medical and personal reasons and that there is no news of defense in the short term, the WBA decided to designate him as champion in recess.
The organization’s internal rules do not allow a champion in recess to be more than six months in that situation. In due time, the WBA will request information from Charlo’s team on whether he will defend the title soon or move up a division.
On the other hand, the winner of Madrimov vs Kurbanov will be required to fight a WBA-certified ranked contender in his next fight.
Madrimov vs Kurbanov
In an expected move, Madrimov and Kurbanov will contest the World Boxing Association [WBA] super welterweight world title on Friday at the Kingdom Arena in Ryad, Saudi Arabia.
Madrimov will fight for the vacant belt after the Championships Committee placed Charlo as champion in recess.
Uzbek Madrimov comes from defeating Raphael Igbokwe in his most recent fight on April 8, 2023. Now, he will have the ample opportunity he has been waiting for to win the belt this Friday.
Kurbanov has proven himself against good opponents such as Johan Gonzalez or Michel Soro and has shown his power. He will have a more significant challenge and believes he has the formula to face it best and come out with the belt in his hands.
Madrimov has a record of 9 wins, one draw, and six knockouts, while Kurbanov has 25 wins, no losses, and 13 knockouts.
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