WBC convention wrap up: mandatories set in each weight class
Division-by-division guide to what was ruled on and more notable news from the recently completed gathering in Hamburg, Germany
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Of the four major sanctioning bodies the WBC puts on the most elaborate and comprehensive annual convention, where numerous past and current champions and other dignitaries turn out. It’s a celebration of boxing but also with work to be done as promoters and managers from around the world gather to fight it out for their boxer’s place in the divisional rankings and the organization sets mandatory title bouts and approves elimination fights.
The WBC recently completed its 62nd annual convention in Hamburg, Germany, where one of the first orders of business was the unanimous re-election of WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman to a third four-year term as well as the unanimous re-election of his 36-person board of governors.
There were representative from more than 100 countries the WBC is affiliated with along with past and present fighters such as Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko, Michael Moorer, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last summer, newly elected HOFer Vinny Paz, Terence Crawford, Shawn Porter, Miguel Cotto, Junto Nakatani, Amir Khan, Mikey Garcia, Conor Benn, O’Shaquie Foster, Sebastian and Gabriela Fundora, Badou Jack, Adonis Stevenson, Alfonso Zamora, Carlos Zarate, Humberto “Chiquita” Gonzalez, Daniel Zaragoza, Henry Maske, Mia St. John, Caroline Dubois, Chantelle Cameron, Yokasta Valle and many others.
I always find the setting of the mandatories and eliminators most interesting. Here is an update on what was set at the convention for each men’s division as well as a few other notable things that happened. As for the mandatory orders, keep this in mind: This is what the WBC wants to happen, but things can (and inevitably will) change as some fighters might elect to go in another direction.
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Heavyweight
While unified champion Oleksandr Usyk and former champion Tyson Fury meet in their rematch on Saturday, an interim title bout was approved between Agit Kabayel and Zhilei Zhang, who are set to meet Feb. 22 on the mega Riyadh Season card.
Bridgerweight
Kevin Larena is due to defend the title against Serhiy Radchenko on Feb. 22 in Kyiv, Ukraine, Radchenko’s home country. Also, an interim title bout was approved between No. 1 contender Adam Balski and former cruiserweight titlist Krzysztof Wlodarczyk and a final eliminator between Ryad Merhy and Andrew Tabiti.
Cruiserweight
Badou Jack won the title in February 2023 but was made “champion in recess” last year while he pursued the bridgerweight title. However, the fight fell through and he decided to return to cruiserweight and was re-instated as the titleholder at the convention.
He essentially swapped places with Noel Mikaelian, who won the vacant title in his absence. But Mikaelian was reclassified as “champion in recess” because his mandatory defense against Ryan Rozicki was postponed multiple times and then canceled due to a lawsuit between Mikaelian and promoter Don King. Rozicki instead fought for the interim title in a draw against Yamil Alberto Perala on Dec. 7. With Jack back, he will make a mandatory defense versus Rozicki and the WBC approved an interim title bout between Peralta and Michal Cieslak.
Light heavyweight
Undisputed champion Artur Beterbiev is set for a rematch with Dmitry Bivol on Feb. 22. Interim titlist David Benavidez is set to face WBA “regular” titlist David Morrell on Feb. 1. The winner is the WBC mandatory for the Beterbiev-Bivol winner.
Super middleweight
Unified champion Canelo Alvarez, who is expected to defend his belts in May, is in a voluntary period. An interim title fight between No.1 contender Christian Mbilli and Jaime Munguia was approved but Munguia got knocked out by unheralded Bruno Surace on Saturday night in a massive upset, so it remains to be seen if the WBC will order an interim title bout between Mbilli and somebody else. It is also possible Alvarez could defend against him in May.
Middleweight
Carlos Adames is scheduled to make a mandatory defense against Hamzah Sheeraz on the Feb. 22 Riyadh Season card. The winner will be required to then make a mandatory defense against Meiirim Nursultanov, who has not boxed since winning an eliminator in November 2023 on a card that took place at the pervious WBC convention.
Junior middleweight
Unified titlist Sebastian Fundora’s mandatory challenger is Terence Crawford, although Crawford holds the WBA title and the WBO interim title. It is unlikely the fight will happen. Not that the WBC brought this up at the convention, but Fundora is more likely to have a defense in the spring against former unified welterweight titlist Errol Spence Jr.
Welterweight
Mario Barrios is entitled to an optional defense (and has been linked to a potential fight with Conor Benn). Souleymane Cissokho suffered a broken hand, forcing his final eliminator against Egidijus Kavaliauskas scheduled for Dec. 7 to be postponed. The WBC said it would wait until sometime in January to rule on the status of an eliminator.
Junior welterweight
Alberto Puello will make a mandatory defense against Sandor Martin on March 1 on the Gervonta Davis-Lamont Roach undercard. No eliminator was set.
Lightweight
Shakur Stevenson will make an optional defense against Floyd Schofield on the Feb. 22 Riyadh Season card while interim titlist and mandatory challenger William Zepeda, who Stevenson was initially supposed to fight, heals from a hand injury suffered in his decision win over Tevin Farmer on Nov. 16.
Junior lightweight
O’Shaquie Foster, who outpointed Robson Conceicao to reclaim the title in their mandated rematch on Nov. 2, is entitled to an optional defense. A final eliminator to produce the next mandatory challenger was approved between former featherweight titlist Mark Magsayo and Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez, although Hernandez is scheduled to first fight Rene Tellez Giron on Feb. 28.
Featherweight
Brandon Figueroa will defend the title in a rematch with Stephen Fulton on Feb. 1 on the Benavidez-Morrell undercard. No. 1 contender Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington was approved for an elimination fight.
Junior featherweight
Undisputed champion Naoya Inoue is set to face WBO/IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman on Jan. 24 and the WBA mandatory fight against interim titlist Murodjon Akhmadaliev is supposed to be after that.
Bantamweight
Junto Nakatani is in position to have an optional defense in his next fight.
Junior bantamweight
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez defended the title by third-round knockout of interim titlist Pedro Guevara on Nov. 9 and is allowed an optional defense next. A final eliminator was approved between former champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Andrew Moloney.
Flyweight
Kenshiro Teraji stopped Cristofer Rosales for the vacant title on Oct. 13 and the WBC typically requires the winner of a vacant title to make two consecutive mandatory defenses. However, the WBC said it will allow Teraji an optional defense next. A final eliminator between Galal Yafai and Francisco Rodriguez was approved.
Junior flyweight
Carlos Canizales and Panya Pradabsri are scheduled to fight for the vacant title, which Teraji vacated to move up in weight, on Dec. 26 in Bangkok, Thailand, Pradabsri’s hometown. The WBC plans to order elimination bouts to produce the next two mandatory challengers.
Strawweight
Melvin Jerusalem, who made is first title defense by winning a unanimous decision over mandatory challenger Luis Castillo on Sept. 22, will next make an optional defense. A final eliminator between former WBC titlist Yudai Shigeoka and former WBA titleholder Thammanoon Niyomtrong was approved.
There were also other notable activities at the convention, including:
Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, who has overseen the Riyadh Season events and poured hundreds of millions of dollars into boxing in a little over the past year, was awarded the WBC man of the year award for his massive impact on the sport.
Sulaiman and Alalshikh announced the creation of the “Boxing Grand Prix” in February. It will be a tournament for prospects — no fighter can enter if they are older than 26 or have more than 10 pro fights — and will consist of five events with 128 boxers over four divisions: featherweight, junior welterweight, middleweight and heavyweight. Sulaiman said such a tournament was a dream of his late father, Jose Sulaiman, who was the longtime WBC president. The “Grand Prix” will begin with quarterfinals in which the bouts will be scheduled for eight rounds, as will the semifinals. The finals will be 10-rounders.
Caroline Dubois, who was the women’s interim lightweight titleholder, was elevated to full titleholder. Katie Taylor, who won the undisputed junior welterweight title, vacated at lightweight.
It was announced that beginning in 2026, no one will be able to fight for the WBC title if they do not have a retirement savings plan as the organization aims to make sure fighters do a better job planning for their financial future after boxing.
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Photo: WBC
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only in boxing does the word "interim" have a completely different meaning than what it actually means. Asinine behavior from sanctioning bandits.
The Grand Prix tournament of prospects sounds like something to keep an eye on. Although I don't fully agree with the age criteria, as some prospects get a later start and will be exempt from competition, it sounds like they are on the right track. Also, a participant must have no more than 10 pro fights, but imagine a "ringer" like a young Lomachenko comes into this thing, with little to no pro fights but like 500 amateur bouts under his belt. Either way, should be fun and I will be watching for further developments on this.