Inside the WBA's Charr-Bryan order
See the detailed letter the organization sent to promoters outlining purse bid details, payment schedule, deadlines and more for the secondary heavyweight title bout
In recent months, the WBA has seriously undertaken its promise to reduce the number of world titles it sanctions.
For years it was the norm to have at least three titleholders in the same division: super, regular and interim titlists. And that doesn’t include an “in recess champion” here and the “gold champions” there. It was just a disgusting, corrupt mess.
Finally, order is being restored by newly hired WBA chief of staff Gary Shaw.
The first step came in August. That is when the Association of Boxing Commissions threatened to recommend to its members, which is virtually every state and tribal commission in the United States and Canada, that they not recognize WBA-sanctioned bouts because having at least three titles in each division “is misleading to the public and boxers.” If no WBA title bouts were recognized in the U.S. or Canada, it would essentially put the WBA out of business since most of its revenue is generated in North America.
So, to save its business, the WBA promised to clean up its toxic swamp of titles and immediately eliminated recognition of all of its interim titleholders, which at the time totaled 11 in the 17 divisions. It placed the stripped interim titleholders either in mandatory positions or ordered them to fight title eliminators, or to participate in four-man box offs that would result in one titleholder in that division.
Great progress has been made. On Aug. 12, about two weeks before the WBA terminated the interim titles, it recognized 43 world titlists in 17 divisions between super, regular and interim titleholders (and not even counting in recess or gold titleholders).
To put things in perspective, on that same date the WBC, WBO and IBF had a combined 54 titleholders, and the WBC even recognizes an 18th division (bridgerweight).
Fast forward 3½ months and as I write his on Nov. 23, the WBA is down to 29 titleholders with more reductions coming soon. The process is, so far, working.
On Saturday, for example, once regular junior featherweight titlist Brandon Figueroa, who also holds the WBC title, steps into the ring for his unification bout with WBO counterpart Stephen Fulton, he will be stripped of the WBA belt. That will make 28.
The WBA is also down having a single titleholder in five divisions: light heavyweight (Dmitry Bivol), junior middleweight (Jermell Charlo), junior lightweight (Roger Gutierrez), bantamweight (Naoya Inoue) and flyweight (Artem Dalakian).
Progress is being made at heavyweight, where Oleksandr Usyk owns the super title, Trevor Bryan (21-0, 15 KOs) is the regular titlist and Mahmoud Charr (32-4, 18 KOs) is the “in recess” titleholder.
Finally, Charr and Bryan have been ordered to fight after their Jan. 29 fight was canceled when Charr was the regular titleholder and Bryan held the interim belt. Lebanon-born, Germany-based Charr, who blamed promoter Don King for failing to get him a visa in time, was re-classified to “in recess” status and Bryan became the regular titlist and beat replacement opponent Bermane Stiverne.
As part of Tuesday’s Charr-Bryan order, the WBA scheduled a purse bid for Dec. 9 in Miami. The sides could make a deal before the promotional rights are auctioned off.
One thing about the WBA purse bid order is how strict it is. Unlike usual, there will be no extensions allowed and instead of the winning promoter having to put up 10 percent of the winning bid at the purse bid they must now put up 25 percent for this one. Also, bidders must appear in person — no more video conferences, electronic or phone bids.
I obtained the full letter that the WBA sent to all of its registered promoters on Tuesday in which it spelled out in great detail all of the rules of this purse bid, including the various deadlines that must be met for payments, scheduling, obtaining visas, the purse split, punishments for a default, etc. It makes for fascinating reading as it is far stricter than a typical WBA purse bid order.
To read more on the topic, including the full WBA detailed purse bid order letter please upgrade to a paid subscription to Fight Freaks Unite.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing
A quick note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: If you have upgraded to a paid subscription, thank you! If you have not, please consider doing so to receive the most content. A paid subscription is your way of keeping this reader-supported newsletter going and supporting independent journalism. I am beholden to no network, promoter, manager, sanctioning body or fighter. If you have read my work at all during the past 20-plus years I’ve covered professional boxing you know that I keep it real and that will not change.
To upgrade your subscription please go here: https://danrafael.substack.com/subscribe
Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!