By Mauricio Sulaiman
WBC President – Jose Sulaiman’s son

It has been a very good year for boxing so far, it is my pleasure to report a disclosure of the WBC administration of each division derived from the convention ruling and happenings during this time.

The WBC goal remains to do everything possible to facilitate and mediate to try to make the best fights possible for the fans.

WBC MID-YEAR REPORT ABOUT CONVENTION RULING AND ACTIVITY ON EACH DIVISION – OCTOBER 2017 / JUNE 2018.

Heavyweight:

Champion Deontay Wilder will make his mandatory defense against #1 ranked Bermane Stiverne on November 4. The WBC concluded the process, according to its Clean Boxing Program protocol, for the adverse finding of Luis Ortiz, and has withdrawn its sanction of the Wilder vs. Ortiz fight. An official ruling has been sent to the corresponding parties. Specific details will be released at a later date.

Dominique Breazeale will fight a final elimination bout with Eric Molina the same card as Wilder vs Stiverne as he had a valid contract to engage in a final elimination for WBC.

Dillian Whyte vs. Robert Helenius for the vacant silver.

• Deontay Wilder defeated Bermane Stiverne by KO1 on November 4, 2017.
• Dominic Breazeale defeated Eric Molina by KOT8 and won the final elimination fight on November 4, 2017.
• Dillian White defeated Robert Helenius by UD12 on October 28, 2017 and won the vacant silver title.
• Deontay Wilder defeated Luis Ortiz by KOT10 on March 3 in New York, in a voluntary defense.
• Dillian Whyte defeated Lucas Browne by KO6 for the silver on March 24 in London.
• WBC ordered Dillian Whyte vs. Luis Ortiz as a final eliminator for the second mandatory of the division. Dillian Whyte withdrew from this fight.
• The WBC position has been to support the efforts to make Wilder vs. Joshua a reality and will wait for confirmation by both camps.

Cruiserweight:

Champion Mairis Briedis is in the World Boxing Super Series, so his mandatory status depends on who emerges as the winner and will be addressed at a later date.

• Oleksandr Usyk defeated Mairis Briedis by D12 and won the cruiserweight title on January 27 in Riga.
• Maxim Vlasov defeated Olanrewaju Durodola by KOT10 and won the vacant silver title on February 3 in Sochi.
• Oleksandr Usyk vs. Murat Gassiev – July 21 in Moscow

Light Heavyweight:

Champion Adonis Stevenson is scheduled to make a mandatory defense against #1 ranked Eleider Alvarez in December. Number 2 Oleksandr Gvozdyk against number 4 Marcus Browne was approved as final eliminator and when we know the availability of Barrera, he will fight the highest available contender.

• Oleksandr Gvozdyk vs. Marcus Browne – final eliminator. The manager of Browne did not accept to participate.
• Oleksandr Gvozdyk vs. Sullivan Barrera for the Interim – purse offer Dec. 22. Barrera did not accept to participate.
• The WBC ordered Adonis Stevenson vs. Badou Jack voluntary May 19.
• Oleksandr Gvozdyk defeated Mehdi Amar by UD12 and won the interim title on March 17.
• The winner of Stevenson vs. Jack to fight the interim champion with 65-35%
• Eleider Alvarez remains as mandatory challenger and will fight versus the winner of champions vs. interim champion.
• Eleider Alvarez will fight for the title of another organization, consequently was withdrawn his rights as mandatory contender and silver champion
• Adonis Stevenson vs. Badou Jack fight ended in a draw and Stevenson retained his title on May 19, 2018.
• Adonis Stevenson vs. Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the undisputed – purse offer July 2, 2018.

Super Middleweight:

Champion David Benavidez will fight a rematch against Ronald Gavril. This Saturday, #3 ranked Avni Yildirim is scheduled to fight #4 ranked Chris Eubank Jr. and Callum Smith conquered the WBC Diamond. Both Smith and Yildirim entered the WBSS and the WBC accepted to support such tournament. Mandatories will be addressed at the conclusion of the tournament with the winner being mandatory.

• Chris Eubank Jr. defeated Avni Yildirim by KO3 on October 7, 2017 and won the elimination fight.
• Juergen Braehmer defeated Rob Brant by UD12 on October 27, 2017 and won the eliminator fight.
• Benavidez defeated Ronald Gavril by UD12 on February 17 in Nevada, in a voluntary defense.
• Callum Smith defeated Niekey Holzken by UD12 for the Diamond on Feb. 24 in Germany.
• Azizbek Abdugofurov defeated Dmitri Chudinov by UD12 and won the vacant silver on May 5 in Uzbekistan.
• David Benavidez vs. Anthony Dirrell – first mandatory is scheduled for September

Middleweight:

The WBC Board of Governors ordered a direct rematch between champion Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez. Mandatory contender Jermall Charlo, will fight an available contender for the WBC interim championship.

• Saul Alvarez was officially pulled out of the fight against Golovkin due to the adverse test results
• Jermall Charlo defeated Hugo Centeno by KO2 and won the interim title, on April 21.
• Gennady Golovkin defeated Vanes Martirosyan by KO2 in a voluntary defense on May 5.
• Martin Murray defeated Roberto Garcia by UD12 and won the silver title on June 23.
• Gennady Golovkin vs. Saul Alvarez – September 15, Las Vegas

Super Welterweight:

Champion Jermell Charlo is scheduled to make a mandatory defense on October 14 against Erickson Lubin. The winner of the semi-final bout between #4 ranked Maciej Sulecki and #5 ranked Jack Culcay will then fight #3 ranked Vanes Martirosyan in a final elimination bout.

• Jermell Charlo defeated Erickson Lubin by KO1 on October 14, 2017, in a mandatory defense.
• Maciej Sulecki defeated Jack Culcay by UD10 on October 21, 2017 and won the semifinal elimination.
• Maciej Sulecki vs. Vanes Martirosyan final eliminator. Sulecki decided to fight for the title of another organization.
• Kell Brook defeated Sergey Rabchenko by KO2 and won the vacant silver title on March 3.
• Jermell Charlo defeated Austin Trout by MD12 on June 9 in a voluntary defense.

Welterweight:

Champion Keith Thurman, who is recovering from an injury, is scheduled to return to the ring in January. Mandatory challenger Shawn Porter is scheduled to fight Adrian Granados on November 4 for the WBC Silver title.

• Shawn Porter defeated Adrian Granados by UD12 on November 4, 2017 and won the vacant silver title.
• Thurman will return in a voluntary defense in April.
• Shawn Porter mandatory.
• Victor Ortiz defeated Devon Alexander BY MD12 in an eliminator fight on February 17 in Las Vegas.
• Danny Garcia defeated Brandon Rios by KOT9 in a final eliminator for the second mandatory, on February 17 in Las Vegas.
• Qudratillo Abdukakhorov defeated Laszlo Toth by UD12 on March 17 in Malaysia and won the vacant silver title.
• Jessie Vargas and Adrien Browne drew in an elimination fight on April 21 in New York.
• Keith Thurman relinquished his title due to injuries and has the rights to challenge for the title whenever he is ready
• Shawn Porter vs. Danny Garcia for the vacant championship.

Super Lightweight:

If champion Terence Crawford vacates the title, #1 ranked contender Amir Imam will fight #3 ranked Jose Carlos Ramirez for the vacant title. #2 ranked Regis Prograis will fight #4 ranked Viktor Postol for the interim title and then both winners to fight each other with a 50-50 split.

• Josh Taylor defeated Miguel Vazquez by KO9 on November 11, 2017 in a defense of his silver champion.
• Amir Imam vs. Carlos Ramirez – March 17 – New York for the vacant.
• Regis Prograis defeated Julius Indongo by KOT2 and won the interim title on March 9.
• Prograis must fight the winner of Imam-Ramirez fight with a 50-50 split.
• Josh Taylor defeated Winston Campos by KOT3 in a defense of his silver title on March 3 in Glasgow.
• Jose Carlos Ramirez vs. Regis Prograis for the undisputed – purse offer April 27 with a 50/50 split CANCELLED. Both camps reached an agreement for a voluntary defense.
• Josh Taylor vs. Viktor Postol – silver and final eliminator – June 23.
• Josh Taylor defeats Viktor Postol by UD on June 23 in Glasgow and becomes mandatory.
• Jose Carlos Ramirez vs. Danny O’Connor – voluntary – July 7.
• Regis Prograis vs. Juan Jose Velasco voluntary of the interim July 14.
• WBC will support WBSS in this division.

Lightweight:

Champion Mikey Garcia is scheduled to fight Diamond champion Jorge Linares for the undisputed lightweight championship.

• Yvan Mendy defeated Jesus Arevalo by KO8 on December 14 in Paris for the silver.
• Mikey Garcia and Jorge Linares are granted to have a voluntary defense of their titles.
• Jorge Linares fought Mercito Gesta on January 27, 2017 but he did not defend the WBC Diamond title.
• Mikey Garcia defeated Sergey Lipinetz by UD12 in a special event on March March 10 in super lightweight.
• Jorge Linares and Mikey Garcia must fight next – free negotiations started on March 12.
• Linares did not accept to participate and withdraws from any rights under the WBC.
• Zaur Abdullaev defeated Deiner Berrio by UD12 and won the silver vacant title on April 22.
• Mikey Garcia vs. Robert Easter Jr. – July 28 in California
• Ivan Mendy vs. Luke Campbell for the mandatory challenger position of the division – September in England.

Super Featherweight:

Champion Miguel Berchelt is scheduled to make a voluntary defense against Orlando Salido in December. #2 ranked Francisco Vargas and #3 ranked Jhonny Gonzalez are scheduled to fight in a final elimination to determine the mandatory contender.

• Miguel Berchelt got injured.
• The WBC ordered Miguel Roman vs. Orlando Salido on December 9, for the interim, but in a very strange situation Salido camp pulled out of fighting a championship fight but only a 10-round over the weight fight against Roman.
• Miguel Roman in a great performance knocked out Orlando Salido and requested the WBC to recognize him as mandatory contender of the division.
• The Board of Governors voted in favor to name Miguel Roman as mandatory challenger of the division.
• Miguel Berchelt defeated Maxwell Awuku by KOT3 in a voluntary defense on February 10 in Cancun.
• Miguel Roman mandatory challenger.
• Miguel Berchelt defeated Jonathan Barros TKO3 on June 23.
• Berchelt vs. Roman mandatory is next.

Featherweight:

Champion Gary Russell is scheduled to fight a voluntary defense and mandatory contender, Joseph Diaz, next. That will be mandated for around May.

• Russell vs. TBA voluntary. Russell opted to fight the mandatory defense directly.
• Gary Russell defeated Joseph Diaz by UD12 in a mandatory defense on May 19, 2018.
• Leo Santa Cruz defeated Abner Mares by UD12 for the Diamond.

Super Bantamweight:

Champion Rey Vargas is scheduled to fight mandatory challenger Julio Ceja, who won a final eliminator. #2 ranked Diego De La Hoya and #3 ranked Hugo Ruiz will fight in a final eliminator.

• Julio Ceja defeated Breilor Teran by UD12 and won the silver title on November 25, 2017
• Rey Vargas defeated Oscar Negrete by UD12 on December 2, 2017 in a voluntary defense.
• Rey Vargas defeated Azat Hovhannisyan by UD12 in a voluntary defense on May 12.
• Franklin Manzanilla defeated Julio Ceja by KOT4 and won the silver title on May 26.
• Rey Vargas is currently under medical treatment.

Bantamweight:

The WBC Clean Boxing Program still has to rule on the findings on a positive test for champion Luis Nery. #2 ranked Emmanuel Rodríguez will fight in a final eliminator against #3 ranked Petch Sor Chitpattana.

• Luis Nery vs. Yamanaka ordered.
• The WBC ordered the final eliminator between Emmanuel Rodriguez and Petch Sor Chitpattana, but Rodriguez decided to fight for the title of another organization.
• Nordine Oubaali defeated Mark Geraldo by KO7 on December 16 in Paris for the Silver.
• Luis Nery lost the title on the scale and KOT2 Shinsuke Yamanaka on March 1 in Japan.
• Nordine Oubaali vs. Petch Sor Chitpattana agreed for June 23
• WBC is in support of WBSS and is yet to determine the following steps.
• Mark John Yap vs. Takuma Inoue as a final eliminator – Sept. 11 in Tokyo

Super Flyweight:

Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai has requested a voluntary defense before his mandatory fight against Juan Francisco Estrada.

• Srisaket Sor Rungvisai defeated Juan Estrada by MD12 in a mandatory defense on February 24 in California.
• McWilliams Arroyo defeated Carlos Cuadras by MD12 and won the Silver title on February 24.
• Srisaket voluntary defense in Thailand October 6.

Flyweight:

Champion Daigo Higa is scheduled to fight Thomas Masson in a voluntary defense on October 22.

• Daigo Higa defeated Thomas Masson by KOT7 on October 22, 2017 in a voluntary defense.
• Andrew Selby defeated Maximino Flores by UD12 on October 7, 2017 and won the elimination.
• Daigo Higa defeated Moises Fuentes by KO1 on February 4 in Naha, Japan, in a voluntary defense.
• Cristofer Rosales defeated Daigo Higa, who lost the title on the scale, by KOT9 on April 15 in Yokohama.
• Cristofer Rosales vs. Paddy Barnes – August 18 in Belfast

Light Flyweight:

Champion Ken Shiro is scheduled to fight #1 contender Pedro Guevara, with the winner to fight Ganigan Lopez. It was approved that Hekkie Budler fights against number 3 or 4 for the vacant Silver title and then to make a final eliminator and fight for the title after the mandatory.

• Ken Shiro defeated Pedro Guevara by MD12 on October 22, 2017 in a mandatory defense.
• Gilberto Parra defeated Leyman Benavides by KOT4 on November 18, 2017 and won the vacant silver title.
• Ken Shiro defeated Gilberto Pedroza by TKO4 in a voluntary defense on December 30, 2017.
• Ken Shiro defeated Ganigan Lopez by KO2 in a mandatory defense on May 25, 2018.
• Jing Xiang vs. Merlito Sabillo – for the silver August 18 in China

Minimumweight:

Champion Wanheng Menayothin is scheduled to make a voluntary defense in November. The #1 ranked contender, Leroy Estrada is the mandatory contender.

• Wanheng Menayothin defeated Tatsuya Fukuhara by UD12 on November 25 in a voluntary defense.
• Wanheng Menayothin defeated Leroy Estrada by KO5 in a mandatory defense on May 2, 2018 in Thailand.