The third and final day of the 28th annual WBO Convention kicked off Thursday morning at the Hilton Hotel in Orlando Florida with a brief but informative summary of the duties and responsibilities of WBO supervisors. The discussion, given by WBO first Vice President John Duggan, spent time discussing compliance with the Muhammad Ali Act, as well as discuss issues with collecting sanctioning fees overseas and how to report cash payments to customs in the event that payment was made in cash. He also discussed the discretionary duties inherent in the position, before reminding those supervisors in attendance one area where there was no discretion allowed.
?Weight makes the champion,? Duggan said. ?There is no discretion as to weight.? Duggan reminded supervisors that a WBO title fight could not proceed if the fighters were overweight, even with agreement of the participants and promoters.
From there, President Valcarcel took time to introduce some of the distinguished guest in attendance, including former chairperson of the New York state athletic commissioner Melvina Lathan, who President Valcarcel proudly introduced as a new NABO supervisor.
After several awards were given out, business moved on to the eagerly anticipated Championship and Ratings Committee Meeting. Numerous promoters from around the world jockeyed for time to argue for their fighters in front of the WBO Executive Committee and President Valcarcel. Although there were no promoters or managers pushing for any of the fighters in the 105-pound division, President Valcarcel expressed a desire to see a WBO eliminator take place in which the highest ranked available contenders would meet in the ring to determine who would be champion Kosei Tanaka?s mandatory challenger.
In the 108-pound division, President Valcarcel announced that champion Donnie Nietes was to be given a ?super? championship belt. The Super championship would give Nietes more flexibility in defending his title (he would have up to 18 months to make a mandatory defense). The move shook up things in the division, which prompted ALA International?s matchmaker, Edito Vilamor, to push for his fighter Milan Melindo to move into the WBO rankings
At 112 pounds, Peter Rivera of PR Best Boxing Promotions made a move to have the upcoming McWilliams Arroyo versus Froilan Saludar fight, which is scheduled for November 25th, to be a final eliminator and for the winner to be made a mandatory challenger to champion Juan Francisco Estrada. The match between two of the top ranked flyweights in the world clearly impressed the Executive Committee and it voted unanimously to have that fight be declared an elimination fight. A second request came in from a Thai promoter to have his 6th ranked flyweight, WBO Oriental champion Kwanpichit Onesongchai Gym, to move up from #6 into the top five.
At 115 pounds, ALA Promotions pushed to have unranked Arthur Villanueva move into the top ten. Also Frank Warren pushed to have the upcoming Paul Butler versus Jaime Conlan fight be made an eliminator and the winner to be named a mandatory challenger for champion Naoya Inoue. Butler, the 7th ranked junior featherweight, would be moving down two weight classes in his fight with the 5th ranked Conlan, who holds the WBO Intercontinental championship. Warren made it clear that Butler would be fighting at 115 pounds and was seeking a ranking for his fighter at 115-pounds (and giving up his #7 rank at junior featherweight). However, the move to have the Butler-Conlan fight declared an eliminator wasn?t entirely embraced by the executive committee.
?We cannot ignore #2 ranked David Carmona,? President Valcarcel said. ?He just beat a classified fighter.?
In the 118-pound division, it was announced that the top two fighters, #1 ranked Marlon Tapales from the Philippines and #2 ranked Shohei Omori of Japan would be facing each other in an elimination fight in Japan on December 31st. Warriors Boxing moved to have #5 ranked Emmanuel Rodriguez of Puerto Rico move into the top five.
At 122-pounds, no decision was made regarding who would be fighting for the now vacant title, with President Valcarcel announcing that the WBO would wait until Guillermo Rigondeaux exhausted all of his appellate options with the grievance committee before they announced a fight for the vacant title. ALA Promotions pushed to have Albert Pagara move up in the rankings from his current #5 spot. It was also announced that undefeated #2 ranked featherweight Jesse Magdalendo would be moving down to junior featherweight and would presumably be looking to enter the WBO rankings at 122 pounds.
At 126-pounds, the most noteworthy push came from Wilfried Sauerland who moved to have his undefeated Danish featherweight prospect Dennis Ceylan (16-0-1, 7 KO) move into the WBO world rankings. Joe DeGuardia also moved to have his prospect, Luis Franco (13-1-1, 9 KOs) crack into the top fifteen. Representatives from the #5 ranked Kamil Laszczyk pushed to have him move up into the top four to possibly set up an elimination bout in the near future and Jason McClory of Queensberry Promotions pushed to have British boxer Ryan Walsh (19-1, 8 KOs) moved into the WBO ratings. ALA Promotions also pushed to have undefeated Mark Magsayo move into the WBO ratings.
At 130 pounds, promoter Frank Warren pushed to have Liam Smith move up in the rankings as well as to get the #8 ranked Mitchell Smith, the WBO Intercontinental champion, fight Orlando Cruz, the NABO champion in a fight that would most likely push the winner into the top five. There was also a push for 10th ranked Evgeny Chuprakov from Russia, the WBO European champion, to move up in the rankings.
At lightweight, it was announced that Jose Felix would be moving down from 140 to compete in the lightweight division. Felix was the #5 ranked junior welterweight and was hoping to be classified in the top ten at lightweight as well. Felix Verdejo?s team also pushed to have the #5 ranked fighter move up in the rankings, noting that he was the WBO Latino champion. It was also announced that #2 ranked Petr Petrov would be fighting #3 ranked Michael Perez for the NABO title in January or February, and there was a push to have that fight be classified as a final eliminator. There was also a petition by Lucas Lee of Castle of Champion to have Dominican prospect Yohan Vasquez (15-1, 14 KOs) move into the WBO rankings. Vasquez is currently the WBC Latino champion.
In the 140 pound division, undefeated NABO champion Maurice Hooker (19-0, 14 KOs) petitioned to move up from the #10, requesting a top five ranking. Wilfried Sauerland petitioned to have undefeated Anthony Yigit, the 10th ranked junior middleweight, ranked at junior welterweight. Sauerland indicated that Yigit would be competing at 140 from now on. Joe Deguardia moved to have his undefeated New York prospect Cletus ?The Hebrew Hammer? Seldin (17-0, 14 KOs) move into the WBO rankings. Seldin, who was present, spoke briefly to the WBO executive committee.
?I am a hard punching, hard working individual,? Seldin said. ?It would be a dream to be part of the WBO organization.?
At welterweight, Sadam Ali was confirmed as the mandatory challenger to Timothy Bradley. 9th ranked Bradley Skeete, the WBO European champion, petitioned to move up in the rankings. Also, representatives of boxing?s comeback fighter of the year Randall Bailey petitioned to have the popular former champion move back into the world ratings based on his performance in winning the Asia-Pacific title earlier this year.
?You will probably have a good position in the ratings,? Presidnet Valcarcel said of Bailey?s request.
Dean Lonergan petitioned the WBO executive committee to have #8 ranked Jeff Horn, the Oriental champion, to move up into the rankings. Horn is currently the 8th ranked welterweight. Main Events also moved to have 11th ranked Dmitry Mikhaylenko enter the top ten.
At 154-pounds, representatives for Carlos Molina asked to have him enter the WBO top fifteen while representatives for Joshua Clottey requested he return to the world rankings. Representatives for former world champion Sirimongkoi Singwancha, the Asia-Pacific champion, asked to have him moved into the top three where he could position himself as a possible challenger for champion Liam Smith. K2 Promotions also express a desire to see 6th ranked Oleksandr Spyrko move back into the top three (he had slipped down the rankings as he had been the #2 ranked contender).
In the middleweight division, representatives for Tommy Langford, the WBO Intercontinental champion, challenged anyone in the top ten to fight the 5th ranked middleweight. Seeking to put Langford in a final eliminator, President Valcarcel would not guarantee that Langford?s next fight would be classified as an eliminator.
?We?ll take that into consideration,? Valcarcel said.
Willie Monroe?s team made an argument that he should enter the WBO world rankings.
In the super middleweight division, Frank Warren petitioned to have the winner of the upcoming Tyron Zeuge versus Eduard Gutknecht to be ranked at #2. Zeuge is currently ranked #4 while Gutknecht is currently ranked #7. Also, Star Boxing?s Joe DeGuardia petitioned to have undefeated Australian Zac Dunn move into the top fifteen.
In the light heavyweight division, the biggest news was the announcement that Andre Ward was moving up to 175 pounds. Although it was well publicized that Ward?s next fight would be at 175, Roc Nation Sports? Eric Bottjer gave boxing fans and the WBO something to ponder about the future of the division when he told President Valcarcel that Ward was ?going to stay at light heavyweight.? However, Bottjer did tell Fightnews that this move is not yet ?official.?
?He?s going to campaign at 175,? Bottjer told Fightnews, ?but nothing is official. He?s going to campaign right now at 175-pounds on November 21st. He hasn?t been stripped (of his 168-pound title) he hasn?t relinquished the belt. That?s something the WBA will address at their convention.?
In the cruiserweight division, a petition was presented to the WBO Executive Committee to move Mairis Briedis up from his #10 position. Also, WBO European champion Damir Beljo of Bosnia-Herzegovina introduced himself to the Executive Committee and petitioned to move up from his #6 ranking.
From K2 a petition to name the #1 ranked Oleksandr Usyk as the mandatory challenger was tabled as President Valcarcel wanted to wait until after Krzysztof Glowacki?s next fight to determine if Usyk would be named a mandatory challenger.
In the heavyweight division, Jason McClory moved to have Alexander Ustinov move into the top 15 while Wilfried Sauerland moved to have Kubrat Pulev move up into the WBO top ten. There was also a petition to have Mark Di Mori move into the WBO rankings as well as an announcement that Charles Martin would be fighting U.S. Olympian Dominic Breazeale in 30 days for the NABO title. The winner would almost certainly skyrocket to the front of the WBO rankings.
Dean Lonergan petitioned to have Joseph Parker move up the rankings. There was also a petition to have undefeated Polish bomber Izu Ugonoh (14-0, 11 KOs) move into the WBO rankings.
The WBO convention closed with the much-anticipated gala dinner celebration. At the gala, WBO junior flyweight champion Naoya Inoue was formally named a ?super champion? while numerous other awards were handed out. Over the three day convention, the WBO handed out dozens of plaques to fighters and promoters. Also, an impromptu birthday celebration was held for Dr. Ramon Pina, who recently turned 93-years young.
