Unified WBC/WBA/WBO lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko was bumped up to WBC “franchise champion” yesterday at the WBC’s 57th annual convention at the Grand Oasis Cancun.
Franchise champion is a special status from the WBC that offers special privileges in regard to mandatory obligations, fighting for multiple titles in multiple divisions and competing for titles of other organizations. To date, only Lomachenko and Canelo Alvarez have been designated as franchise champion.
As a result of Loma’s promotion, WBC interim lightweight champion Devon Haney was elevated to full WBC lightweight champion.
? Say what? I’m old school, I like the days of a few weight divisions, it seems there were no excuses and we’d see the better fights and contenders fighting each other.
This is total BS. I thought so with Canelo as well. It’s just a way to block the legal ramifications of not having a fighter fight his mandated fighter. If every belt did this there’d be at least 8 world champs per division. People already don’t like the fact there are 4 world belts per division. Now WBC and WBA are going to have potential 6 just between them. I would be good for a potential franchise belt a fighter could apply for if he wanted to challenge another weight class champ but it would have a time limit. Like 90 days then force negotiations.
The reality is that the various commissions (and most promoters) couldn’t care less about what the world incl. the boxing fans think. They have hijacked the boxing world and turned it into their own private business.
The amount of commissions and belts is ridiculous and they have only one purpose: profit, profit and more profit.
This BS of franchise champion brings nothing good for boxing, just more money to this corrupt sanctioning bodies. The essential part of any sport is when the best faces the best, and is more in boxing. With this thing of franchise, you are legally allowing a boxer to skip his mandatory or any other highly risky opponent.
Isn’t it about time, we give the WBC a very SPECIAL BELT? This belt would show how the WBC is many steps below garbage. And would effectively tell them that they’re now out of business because any and all fans of the game have had it with the 40 champs per division, and the 100 different weight divisions. Boxing keeps shooting itself because of these hungry dogs. Years ago the WBC was going to go bankrupt because a champ Rocchiani proved them corrupt and was awarded a real sum of money against them, to bad he did not make them go into the garbage pile where they belong. How much more PHONY can any of this get? FRANCHISE CHAMP???? WWE looks very LEGIT compared to the W B C,(Worlds biggest c#nts)!!!!
Devon Haney, talk about taking the back door. Paper champion!
How is it his fault that Lima didn’t want the to fight him? Are you serious? Your comment is stupid asf!
Nobody looks too happy about this honestly. Lomachenko just seems annoyed that this is delaying his journey to undisputed.
This is mainly about money. More belts = more sanctioning fees.
You mean the “right complexion for the right protection” belt. This is a joke
Need a franchise judge to oversee a bad card at the end of the fight
I believe this tag was created so the franchise holder can be in big fights and they won’t have to adhere to their rules, not like they do anyways, and strip the money fighter. It’s a way to bilk more money from the athlete.
Loma basically gets to sidestep Haney while letting that fight generate a huge amount of interest (). Both fighters continue to generate interest in their “brand” while picking up paydays. WBC collects two 135 sanctioning fees instead of one so they win. The fans Get to see the beginning story of an impending collision course between llama and Haney. It looks positive all the way around.