By Mauricio Sulaiman
WBC world bantamweight champion Nordine Oubaali was scheduled to make a mandatory defense of his title on December 19, 2020, against Number 1 WBC-rated boxer Nonito Donaire. Due to champion Oubaali’s positive Covid-19 test result in late October, the WBC has placed champion Oubaali as WBC world champion in-recess, and approved a bout between Number 1 Donaire and Number 4 Emmanuel Rodriguez for the title.
The WBC wishes to clarify the status of the WBC bantamweight division and WBC world champion Nordine Oubaali, in light of the WBC’s designation of WBC world champion Oubaali as champion in-recess, pursuant to the governing WBC Rules & Regulation.
1. As WBC world champion in recess, champion Oubaali is, remains and will remain WBC world champion.
2. Champion Oubaali now enjoys the designation of WBC world champion “in-recess.” That designation in no way diminishes the WBC’s recognition, or champion Oubaali’s status, as WBC world champion. In fact, the world champion in-recess designation elevates his status to a higher level by conferring to champion Oubaali additional privileges he did not enjoy before.
a. Champion Oubaali will not have a pre-set deadline to return to the ring without losing his world champion status. instead, his return will be driven by the WBC’s and the local commission’s specific medical requirements for cases like his.
b. Champion Oubaali will return to the ring as the fully recognized returning WBC world champion and will be allowed, if he so chooses, to make a defense of his title in a voluntary contest, to get back in the ring and prepare for the mandatory fight.
3. With respect to Champion Oubaali’s future mandatory bout with the winner of the Donaire vs. Rodriguez bout, consistent with the WBC Rules & Regulations, the WBC will start a new free negotiations period. If the parties do not come to an agreement within that period, then the WBC will schedule a new purse offer ceremony, with a purse split stipulation of 60/40 in favor of champion Oubaali.
4. If Champion Oubaali chooses to make a voluntary defense in February of 2021, then the winner of Donaire vs. Rodriguez must fight Champion Oubaali without any intervening bout (assuming Champion Oubaali wins his voluntary defense). If for any reason, Champion Oubaali requests a date after February of 2021 to make a voluntary defense, then the WBC will evaluate the timing of the mandatory bout to make sure that Champion Oubaali will be available to fight within the same timeframe as the winner of the Donaire vs. Rodriguez bout.
They had to do all of this because he tested positive for covid??? He tested positive 2 weeks ago, he’s 34 years old and he’s a world class athlete — he may already have recovered. Surely would have had to postpone his fight, but this just seems like a bit much.
Never can have enough “champions.”
Well done ! The WBC is most prestigious title in the World ! Well done to the President Mauricio Sulaimán
another champion to add to the list yaaaaaay boxing needs to stop this crap already
So, to review…
1. Oubaali is the champion… but he’s not.
2. Donaire and Rodriguez are going to fight for Oubaali’s title, only it’s not Oubaali’s title, and by the way, Oubaali still has it.
3. Oubaali will not have a deadline to return to the ring without losing the championship status which he holds, but doesn’t hold.
4. When Oubaali returns to the ring he’ll do so as our champion, even though there’ll be another champion.
5. We’re imposing a mandatory defense obligation on Oubaali for the title he holds but doesn’t hold, but will allow him to pay another sanctioning fee for a tune-up fight before that mandatory defense of the title he holds but doesn’t hold.
6. If, when Oubaali returns to defend the title he’s lost or not lost as of today, he is obligated to fight the winner of the fight between the two guys who’ll fight to take his title, but not take his title. And if the fighters in question can’t agree on the money? We’ll force a 60/40 purse split in Oubaali’s favor or else we’ll strip the title, including the title that’s not a title, from all concerned.
7. If Oubaali fights between now and February to defend his title that’s not a title anymore, the winner of the Donaire-Rodriguez title fight that’s not a title fight will have to fight Oubaali immediately in order to unify the titles that are or aren’t titles. If Oubaali gets into the ring later than February however, we don’t know what the hell we’ll do except that, rest assured, it’ll be half-assed and squarely aimed at creating the greatest confusion, and sanctioning fees, we can muster.
Glad we could clear all that up…