Philippines, 29 Jun 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


WBA Stripping Pacquiao of its Title A Setback to Pro Boxing's Bid For One True World Champ at 147


PhilBoxing.com





The recent unprecipitated move of the World Boxing Association (WBA) stripping Manny Pacquiao of his welterweight super title is another setback to the effort to realize one true world champion in the welterweight class and for each of professional boxing's now 17 weight divisions.

The effort was started by Nathaniel "Nat" Fleischer who founded and served for a long time as editor in chief of the Ring Magazine way back in 1922, nearly a century ago purposely with the aim to crown the legitimate lineal champion for boxing's then just eight original weight classes.

This was necessitated by the creation of the early beginnings of the so called boxing alphabet bodies as the National Boxing Association or NBA, forerunner of the WBA and rivalling state athletic commissions which recognized their own world champions and ranked sets of contenders.

The Ring bestowed its first lineal championships to Jack Dempsey (heavyweight) and Filipino Francisco Guilledo aka Pancho Villa (flyweight) following the lineage from the late 1880s pre gloved era of boxing.

Pro boxing has since evolved, growing to nine, then twelve to its present 17 weight classes attended by the increase and proliferation of so called world boxing sanctioning bodies, though only the WBA, WBC founded in 1962, IBF (1983) and WBO (1988) are recognized as major organizations internationally.

Nevertheless, this effort was doggedly pursued by Fleischer and his successors from that time, interrupted only in the 90s with the change of Ring Magazine ownership but revived in 2001 under the blue pencils of Nigel Collins and current editor in chief Douglass Fischer.

To date, the Ring has managed to crown the lineal champion in ten of the 17 weight divisions, namely: Tyson Fury (heavyweight), Mairis Breidis (cruiserweight), Canelo Alvarez (super middleweight and middleweight), Jermell Charlo (super welterweight ), Josh Taylor (super lightweight), Teofimo Lopez (lightweight), Naoya Inoue (bantamweight), Francisco Estrada (super flyweight) and Hiroto Kyoguchi (light flyweight).

That means only the light heavyweight, welterweight, super featherweight, featherweight, super bantamweight, flyweight and minimumweight divisions are still without lineal champions.

Since Floyd Mayweather, Jr retired in late 2015, the Ring has been looking for his rightful heir as lineal champion at welterweight. Floyd won that honor when he defeated Pacquiao in their bruited Battle of the Century richest fight in boxing history early the same year.

The long search was nearly ended last year when Bob Arum of Top Rank embarked on a project with financial support from Middle East sponsors to pit his ward WBO champion Terrence Crawford against WBA super titlist Pacquiao in a unification. That would have two of the Ring's top three fighters which would be enough for the Ring to sanction the fight as for its lineal belt also given that the other champion, WBC and IBF unified titlist Errol Spence has repeatedly turned down any fight versus Crawford.

But the Covid 19 pandemic torpedoed that fight from happening so everything is back to square one.

Arum has said that he is willing to re-negotiate that fight inasmuch as the sponsors from the Middle East have remained interested and waiting for the pandemic situation to become more manageable.

Spence for his part has remained keen on pursuing a fight versus Pacquiao though he said it is entirely up to the fighting Philippine Senator.

But WBA chose to be the fly in the ointment when it, without any prior notice, stripped Pacquiao of the super title he won in the ring by defeating erstwhile undefeated and division leader Keith Thurman in July 2019 and relegated him to the limbo as champion in recess.

Oddly, the WBA promoted its regular champion Cuban Yordenis Ugas who has not fought and beaten anybody of note (save for Shawn Porter to whom he lost a disputed verdict), as its new super champion in lieu of Pacquiao.

That effectively threw a monkey wrench on any unification fight between Pacquiao versus either Crawford or Spence.

For champion in recess is not a title that can be used in a unification, even less than the WBA regular title worn by China's Can Xu that disqualified him in a featherweight unification fight with IBF titlist Josh Warrington albeit the Ring announcing that it is willing to recognize the winner as lineal champion as Warrington is its #1.

However, Pacquiao remains top three in the Ring divisional ranking and that qualifies him to fight for the lineal title against either Crawford or Spence, if he so desires.

As soon as Pacquiao was stripped, the Premier Boxing Champions and Errol Spence announced that they are interested to a fight with Ugas. Could it be that the PBC was also on the fix?

However, it is doubtful if the Ring will approve of a Spence versus Ugas unification fight as for its lineal title since Ugas is only rated #6 as of its last divisional ranking behind Thurman and Porter.

Hence, the Ring will continue without a lineal champion at welterweight.

Until Pacquiao, Crawford and Spence agree to fight one or the other.

When will that happen is anybody's guess at this point.

For information, aside from Pancho Villa, eight other Filipino fighters have been recognized by the Ring as lineal world champions namely: Flash Elorde and Ben Villaflor (super featherweight), Dado Marino, Erbito Salavarria, Frank Cedeno and Sonny Boy Jaro (flyweight), Nonito Donaire (super bantamweight) and Manny Pacquiao (featherweight, super featherweight and super lightweight).

Pacquiao will actually be aiming for his fourth lineal world championship at welterweight, another world record high for him if he wins.

The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Paul vs. Chavez Jr: Can Julio Derail Jake Paul?
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Dr. KO: Christian Mbilli Stops Maciej Sulecki in 1
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • GOLDEN BOY SIGNS UNDEFEATED MIDDLEWEIGHT BLUE-CHIP PROSPECT AMARI JONES
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Paul vs. Chávez Jr. is a Go: All Fighters Make Weight in Anaheim Ahead of High-Stakes Bout
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • IIEE Chessmasters Overall Champion in the International Bundesliga with GM Joey Antonio
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Kittipong of Thailand Battles Bhavesh of India in Brico Santig's Exciting Show in Bangkok
    By Carlos Costa, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Weights from Philadelphia
    , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Alekhine Nouri and John Jerish Velarde struck gold and bronze
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 28 Jun 2025
  • Would OKC Still Win the West If Dallas Had Not Traded Doncic?
    By Teodoro Medina Reynoso, , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • Asenso Ozamis Open chess tournament on July 12 and 13
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS’ JAKE PAUL VS. JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ JR. PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
    , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • Guro Dan Inosanto: Guardian of the Filipino Fighting Spirit
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • Weigh-In Results: Christian Mbilili vs. Maciej Sulecki
    , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • Unbeaten Philippines Top Prospect Criztian Pitt Laurente Signs with Sanman Boxing
    , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • SALITA PROMOTIONS SIGNS PROMISING AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHT SARDIUS SIMMONS
    , Fri, 27 Jun 2025
  • Madoka Wada Halts Chay Rivas in Tokyo, Retains OPBF Belt
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimàn: The Grand Prix a Grand Concept
    By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • PHOTOS: Pacquiao Showcases Vintage Form During Media Day Workout at Wildcard Gym
    By Dong Secuya, , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Press Conference Notes: Christian Mbilli & Maciej Sulecki Collide for Interim Super Middleweight World Title FRIDAY in Quebec City
    , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Rivas vs Wada: Battle for Women’s OPBF Supremacy Today in Japan
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Mexican boxing icon Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez Respects Cuban fighters & rivalry
    , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Claressa Shields Partners with King Moore to Empower Detroit Youth with the “Follow Your Dreams” Program Presented by SMT Financial Partners
    , Thu, 26 Jun 2025
  • Saturday’s title defense vs. Yuniel Dorticos could be prelude to mega-fight for Gilberto Ramirez against Jake Paul or Unification showdown with Jay Opetaia or Badou Jack
    , Wed, 25 Jun 2025
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 25 June 2025: Norman Flattens Sasaki; Simsri Edges Araneta; Rodriguez Outpoints Yafai
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 24 Jun 2025
  • FM Daluz rules 7th AQ Prime FIDE Standard Open chess tilt
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 24 Jun 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.