Read the full WBA resolution that once again ordered Santa Cruz and Wood to fight
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The saga of the WBA featherweight title is winding toward a conclusion — I hope.
It should never have been very complicated.
The WBA, with its business being threatened by regulators in the United States, promised in August 2021 to get down to one titleholder per division instead of the usual three. It eliminated all interim titles on the same day and then said it would embark on a plan to have its “super” titleholders face the “regular” titleholders to get to one titlist.
I always knew it would not happen overnight. It would take time and I get that. Slowly but surely the WBA has gotten down to one titlist in many divisions because some were straightforward where they new policy could be implemented with ease.
Featherweight seemed like one of those divisions, especially after “super” titlist Leo Santa Cruz responded to the WBA’s inquiry about his plans by saying he would indeed return to the division (after having boxed at junior lightweight and winning a title) and face “regular” titlist Leigh Wood. Ultimately the sides told the WBA they had a deal and a purse bid was canceled. But then they decided — without input from the WBA — to take interim bouts and the WBA, against its previous order, wrongly approved the plan.
But then, in an about face, the WBA changed its mind and again ordered Santa Cruz-Wood in the wake of Wood’s planned Sept. 24 interim bout against Mauricio Lara being canceled due to a Wood biceps injury.
I wrote what happened in a notebook on Saturday with that news being based on the WBA resolution issued on Friday.
I obtained the two-plus page resolution, which was not made public, and figured you might like to read it in full for yourself. It makes for interesting reading and gives good insight into how the WBA got to its most recent decision about the organization’s featherweight title.
Here is the resolution in full: