On January 29, 2021, the WBA announced that it had designated Manny Pacquiao “champion in recess” while promoting regular champion Yordenis Ugas to welterweight super champion. Sean Gibbons, president of Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, commented on what Pacman received for the hundreds of thousands of dollars he paid in sanctioning fees to the organization.
“I can tell you what Manny didn’t receive – due process and respect,” said Gibbons. “It took two years to get the world title belt he earned inside the ring by beating the undefeated super champion Keith Thurman. Hell, Manny only received that belt on Saturday. The WBA never inquired about Manny’s title defense plans. The WBA never warned us Manny’s super champion status could be in jeopardy. The WBA never informed us that Manny had been designated its champion in recess. We had to read the WBA’s press release on that on the internet. And speaking of Keith Thurman, the WBA had no concern about his lack of activity when he went over 22 months between title defenses.”
Pacquiao returns on August 21 at T-Mobile Arena against unified WBC/IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence, Jr. It was pointed out by Team Pacquiao that Ugas has not fought since taking Pacquiao’s super belt.
I’d have thought the WBA would need MP more than MP needs them.
It mentioned that Pac paid “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in sanctioning fees. Over what time period I wonder? Kind of curious how much they collect for a typical title fight, how different the fees are for the various WBA belts, if there are fees for the Intercontinental belts and other lower level titles. Would be interested in knowing how many employees the WBA has, and what other sources of revenue they have other than sanctioning fees….
Well, to kind of answer my own question, these sanctioning bodies are listed as non-profit organizations. Here’s a recent tax filing by the WBA….
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521799613
Wow! This is a first for the WBA to not give someone a belt. Hell, I even got one
Frankie Randall waited well over a year to get his belt when he won the WBA 140 pound title in the 90s
MP is bigger than that dam belt from WBA. He does not need it!!!
Manny is such an incredible boxing legend he don’t need no organization!
Who cares about a worthless belt. Manny has won that title so many times what difference does it make. Manny is an 8 division champ that could have been a 9 division champ if he chose to go after GGG (who has terrible footwork). His legacy is already intact. He doesn’t need a belt or “super champion” status.
Manny started off at 106, has max fought at 146, why would you want to see him fighting at 160 against GGG, even if GGG has bad footwork?
By the same rationale he’d probably also box the nuts off Valuev or some other plodding HW, right?
You can’t close off the ring if you have terrible footwork.
GGG terrible footwork ?! He has one of the best footwork in the game and is a master at cutting the ring !
F*** the wba.
Good. No fees for the wba when he fights Spence.
Anyway, Pacman needs their belt, like another hole in his ass.
This will straighten things out: There are now 17 weight classes and 4 governing bodies in boxing. Not only does that translate to 68 friggen champions, it clearly states where the WBA’s priorities lie.
What would yesteryear’s champs think of this?
WBA is a joke, they have three WBA champions in every division. I only recognize the ring championship these days.
Would love it if ODLH sold, to eliminate any potential conflict of interest, and The Ring became the standard
The WBC is starting to give the WBA a run for its money on that, especially at 135 lbs.
The WBA totally sucks but Manny hasn’t defended his belt for 2 years. They we’re right to strip him.
If they gave him a deadline to fight a mandatory and he declined, then yes. Strip him for inactivity. But I don’t think that happened here.
They did when they made him the “champion in recess” because he was trying to fight McGregor or Garcia.
Then why does he keep giving money to these organizations for their useless belts? Would be a big step if he were to declare all the belts from all the organizations worthless and refuse to pay sanctioning fees for them. Others may follow to put these criminals out of business
Pac-Man has a great team.
Nothing new here, criminality reigns supreme in all the governing bodies (WBC,WBA,IBF,WBO,). When there was only one body accusations were rife,then the others were created to achieve honesty.
Well what a joke that was… they’re all the same !!!