You can understand why boxing fans and critics are lashing out at the World Boxing Association (WBA) for its confusing and polluted title hierarchy. The WBA has so many title belts its officials likely have no idea how many champions they have or who among them is the legit one.
The recent case of Manny Pacquiao shows how convoluted the WBA’s title procedure is. The WBA recently stripped Pacquiao of his “super” version of the welterweight title due to inactivity but stressed that the Filipino superstar remains a champion, albeit in recess.
How can a boxer be stripped of a title and still be considered a champion (in recess)?
The WBA should have simply stated that Pacquiao is no longer its “super” champ at 147 pounds due to inactivity or failure to make a mandatory defense within the required period. In the ordinary course of business, the title will be declared vacant and the top two challengers will vie for the crown. The WBA instead promoted another claimant to the throne, the “regular” champ Yordenis Ugas, to “super” champ supposedly to take Pacquiao’s place while the Filipino is in “recess.”
You read it right, the WBA, in just one weight class, has a “super” champ, a “regular” champ, an “interim” champ, a “gold” champ and a champ “in recess.” It used to be that the WBA only had one champ (the regular champ) per weight class, but as years passed by it started adding several versions of its “world” champion. If the regular champ is so good and makes a number of successful defenses, he is promoted to “super” champ status. The problem here is that the “regular” belt the newly promoted “super” champ left behind is declared vacant and is given to another boxer. Presto, you already have two champions in one weight class. If the regular or super champ is not in a position to defend the crown on a regular basis, the WBA will also name an “interim” or “caretaker” champ to fill in the gap. It is worth stressing that when the super or regular champ returns, the interim champ stays put when his designation was supposed to be just an interim or temporary one.
Now comes the “champion in recess” tag. The WBA, citing Rule C, 22-24 of its guidelines, claims a champ who is unable to defend the belt for medical, legal or other reasons beyond his control may be named “champion in recess.” Simply put, if the WBA finds the reasons behind the champ’s failure to defend the crown reasonable, his status as champion will be placed in hibernation or in “recess” until the WBA figures out what to do with the situation.
Pacquiao is a gold mine as his fights command millions of dollars in revenues. The WBA charges sanctioning fees for every fight where its title is at stake. The WBA cannot just strip Pacquiao of the title and let him walk away. A fight involving Pacquiao, with the WBA title at stake, means the WBA will get a hefty share in terms of publicity and, of course, sanctioning fees.
Pacquiao, however, has not fought since July 2019, which means the WBA’s coffers have been suffering with his inactivity. So, the WBA takes the title away, gives it to the more active boxer (Ugas) but tells Pacquiao, just to make sure he does not walk away, that he remains WBA champion in recess.
Here’s the catch: The WBA’s Rule C, 22-24 further states that “any inconvenience that may arise in the process (the designation of the champ as “champion in recess”) will be resolved under the guidelines of the WBA regulations.” What does this mean? Well, the WBA can do whatever it wants to address issues or inconveniences that may crop up regarding its designation of Pacquiao as champion in recess.
One “inconvenience” is the creation of two claimants to the “super” throne: the active champ (Ugas) and the champ in recess (Pacquiao). Pacquiao can inform the WBA that he cannot readily fight because the world is in the midst of a pandemic, and it is not easy to make a fight considering his stature. If Pacquiao decides to fight again, the WBA can remedy the situation by reinstating him as WBA “super” champ, sending Ugas back to “regular” status and allowing each of them to take on separate opponents. The WBA also has enough leeway under its guidelines to order a fight between Pacquiao and Ugas for the WBA “super” belt. In both instances, the WBA title will be at stake and the WBA gets its sanctioning fee.
Dig this: imagine Pacquiao striking a deal today to fight Errol Spence (WBC-IBF) or Terence Crawford (WBO). One can imagine the WBA immediately reinstating Pacquiao as “super” champ if only to avoid being left out of such a huge fight.
Truth be told, Pacquiao no longer needs a world title as he is already an established superstar in the sport. In diplomatic fashion, Pacquiao can tell the WBA that while he appreciates being named “champion in recess,” he has no more intention of fighting for a WBA title again and the organization might as well completely relieve him of the title. This will be the perfect, paralyzing counter punch from Pacquiao.
Last we heard, several boxing publications and websites have withdrawn their recognition of the WBA as a legitimate boxing organization. Just about every fight fan is fed up with the voluminous titles in pro boxing and the WBC, WBO and IBF are just as guilty as the WBA.
