Notebook: WBO convention moves impact titles in several divisions
Usyk riffs on Fury; Zepeda sets records in domination of Diaz; Dirrell, Williams on PBC card Saturday; Quick hits; Show and tell; more
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.
The recently completed annual WBO convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico — home base of the sanctioning organization — produced several notable decisions and orders.
Here’s a rundown of the key moves:
Junior lightweight: A fight for the vacant title was approved between former WBC titlist Oscar Valdez (30-1, 23 KOs), 31, of Mexico, and reigning WBO featherweight titlist Emanuel Navarrete (36-1, 30 KOs), 27, of Mexico, who will move up in weight for a bout Top Rank is planning to put on Feb. 3. Shakur Stevenson outpointed Valdez in April to unify the WBO and WBC titles but he was stripped of both when he failed to make weight for a defense against Robson Conceicao on Sept. 23. If Navarrete beats Valdez, he has 10 days to notify the WBO of which title he plans to keep. If Navarrete relinquishes the featherweight title after the Valdez bout, Robeisy Ramirez would meet former junior featherweight titlist Isaac Dogboe for it later in February.
Lightweight: Former champion Vasiliy Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs), 34, of Ukraine, was installed as the lightweight mandatory challenger for undisputed champion Devin Haney (29-0, 15 KOs), 23, of Las Vegas. Lomachenko, who outpointed Jamaine Ortiz on Saturday in New York — with Haney at ringside and then in the ring with him for a join interview following the bout — likely will challenge Haney in the spring. It is a fight Top Rank planned to make regardless of if Lomachenko was a mandatory challenger or an optional defense for Haney.