After an analysis of the middleweight division, the World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee has ordered a bout between WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara and top challenger Michael Zerafa. The parties have a 30-day negotiation period. In the event they do not reach an agreement in the established time or any of the parties refuses to sign the contract, the WBA may send the bout to purse bid. Lara became the WBA’s only champion at 160lbs when Gennady Golovkin recently gave up the super belt.
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Meanwhile, WBA featherweight champion Mauricio Lara (no relation to Erislandy Lara) has until April 18 to lock in an optional defense, otherwise the WBA Championship Committee will issue a mandatory negotiation notice for Lara to defend against official challenger Otabek Kholmatov.
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WBA female super welterweight champion Terri Harper will make the first defense of her crown against 41-year-old legend Cecilia Braekhus on the May 20 Cameron-Taylor card at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland.
Lara’s basically semi-retired at this point. He’ll be 40 by the time this fight happens, he fights very infrequently and hasn’t fought a good fighter in 4 years; but unless he fell off a cliff in the last year (literally), he shouldn’t have much problems with Zerafa. I have no clue at all what the WBA (and the IBF who have him second) has seen from Zerafa that tells them he should be fighting for a title, but the WBA also did think it wise to put Thomas Lamanna in with Lara for their vacant title and Lamanna is still top five for them.
Leigh Wood supposedly is exercising his rematch clause for Lara, but Lara- Kholmatov would be awesome and yeah, she’s long passed her best and will probably lose a wide decision, but I’m looking forward to seeing Braekhus fight Harper anyway.
Hey…and you got your Taylor Cameron wish! Kudos to Taylor and Cameron for putting together a fight so fast. Tyson Fury could learn a thing or two from them! I am looking forward to this card!
Right??! How nice is that?! Serrano pulled out and like a week later Cameron was in and good to go!
Analysis of the middleweight division?
How on earth does the ordinary Zerafa get a title shot?
even a 40yo Lara will school Zerafa, will always be remembered as the pussy who pulled out of fighting Tszyu due to hocus pocus excuses. Wonder if the made up contract is still out on his life
Every comment on here has been spot on so far…..how on earth is Zarafa ranked so high? It would be a blessing for boxing if Lara annilates him by giving a boxing lesson or ko. Silence the motormouth and put him in his place.
Too small too small