Paco Valcárcel, President of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) has ripped the rival World Boxing Association (WBA) for their practice of recognizing multiple champions within the same division.
“My friend Gilberto Mendoza Jr. runs the WBA as he sees fit,” said Valcarcel via social media. “What I don’t understand is the complacency of certain boxing writers and TV commentators when it comes to the 42 so-called world champions that the WBA currently has in 17 divisions which have been designated as Super, Regular, Interim and Gold. For example, they currently have four champions in the heavyweight division. I don’t understand it, and I’m not going to keep quiet about it either.”
I 100% agree right here. I just looked at their rankings and there are an avg of over 2 WBA champs per division. I don’t mind regional titles or youth titles, they help promote fights. But this is just way too much. Even the WBC should scale back a bit. Pretty much every World title should eliminate optional defenses and the only way to get out of a mandatory is to unify. Some of these fighters sit on top 5 rankings for years not getting their shot and to make sure they don’t get sued by the number 1 guy the World title org will just make up a title. IBF eliminated that years ago but the vacant 1, 2 stay open so long because someone knows they can get a shot at another title or get a shot without risking facing another top 5 contender. Total BS. And I think the WBO’s rakings are terrible and I think it’s the worst title so there is def no bias here.
Its interesting to see that ALL commentators here agree on an issue. The fact that the sanctioning bodies do exactly the opposite of what the fans want, shows how much they care about us: ZERO.
I think its great that fans worldwide continue to be outspoken about these kind of issues. Can you imagine a boxing world without manipulation, corruption, etc.? With 1 champ per division? Boxing would be huge again.
Well this business of having 40 champs per division is starting to bother other orgs at this point, imagine that ? Perhaps having 1 champ per division is an idea from the past, but we know that having all these champs per division and per orgs CHEAPEN the name champ. Imagine the WWE has one champion, and their supposed to be the phony org. Is it any wonder most boxing people look at boxing like it’s part of the Shanghai Side Show? 1 champ per division, now and forever if we want boxing to remain as a sport, make it a subject that all the orgs CANNOT side step any longer. It can start with a boycott of P.P.V and making it your business not to buy any of the phony DAZN type channels, and tell each and every org you will not support any of their champs unless they unite all the titles.
WBA have Super, Regular, Gold & Interim Champions.
WBC have Champions, Interim & now Franchise Champions
WBO have Champions & sometimes interim too.
IBF as far as I know have just one Champ.
Apart from the EBU European Champion
you now have EBU EU European Champion
WBO European Champion
IBF European Champion
So we have mulitple European Champions too, how long before you have the WBA & WBC European Belts
I’m sure that the EBU is a part of the WBC, having been one of the organisations that worked together to create the WBC back in 1963. So too is the African Boxing Union (ABU), which is why you don’t have a WBC Africa belt like the other organisations. The NABF is another WBC organisation.
Finally, a voice of reason from a major sanctioning body. Thanks for taking a stand on this issue, Mr. Valcarcel.
I guess there will be no WBO/WBA unifications anytime soon. Lomachenko should vacate the WBA belt so Tank Davis and Gamboa can fight for it, even though Gamboa is almost 38. And if Pacquiao fights Mayweather again, does the WBA super belt really matter? 41 and 43 year old fighters for the WBA super belt? AT 140 the WBA has interim champ ALBERTO PUELLO, + 3 more legit champions: YVES ULYSSE JR , MARIO BARRIOS, and REGIS PROGRAIS. Bored with the WBA. Would like to see Crawford go to the UK and fight the 140 WBO #1, Jack Catterall. I don’t see how his mandatory at 147 brings much interest stateside.
the word champion is totally meaningless in boxing these days but it makes the fighter feel good thinking they are a champion of something. SO SAD
It is truly sad because most boxers actually believe these “titles” mean anything. They are strictly marketing tools used on a gullible boxing public.
Valcarcel seems to be fed up with the aberrations of his colleagues. First he criticized Sulaiman (WBC) for the making of all those bogus belts, and now, in a laudable action, makes public his thoughts against the WBA for the ridiculous practice of this organization in having multiple champions per division. Also, Valcarcel makes a great statement against the complacency of some TV commentators and sport writers about this deplorable matter. Well, I hope someone with equal or greater power will follow him.
Too many governing bodies, too many ‘world champs’ at each weight.
There can be only 1 best fighter in a given weight category.
I mean he has a point. No one has been so brazen about taking advantage of sanctioning fees like Mendoza and the WBA. Interim, Regular, Super, Unified, and now Gold? Come on. It’s ridiculous.
WBC is just as bad. Emeritus, recess, diamond, huarache, interim, regular, franchise, maya, special belt, 5 de Mayo belt, and the list goes on…
I’ve said before that when the WBO came along they were seen as a joke organisation. But it’s the WBA/WBC who seem to be most guilty of cheapening the belts/sport.
Also the WBO has some decent beltholders within their ranks
well said sir!!!
Too many organizations, champions, and divisions. Need one organization, back to eight weight divisions, one champion in each. Back when boxing was a mainstream sport the fans knew who the champions were.
Pathetic. They are devaluing that belt. Disgusting
The situation for boxing became much worse when HBO left the boxing business. HBO never took a back step in their exposing all the phony belts and the never ending skullduggery of the ABC orgs. We can see how boxing has also continued to shoot itself continually. HBO by FAAAAAR had the best video and audio and the most worthwhile announcers. We now see broadcasts that are sub par, in the visual and audio department, and half the times you cannot hear what the hell most of the imbeciles are saying ( in some cases this is a benefit). DAZN is a third rate version of what HBO was, and a second rate version of Showtime, who at this point looks like they want to run away from the WWE based boxing circus. Watching the game now requires major patience and an ability not to laugh and cry at the same time because of how they’re making the game a circus event. BTW they’re is not one announcer today (besides Al Bernstein, and Teddy Atlas) that has any CLUE what the hell they’re speaking about. And the others even if they were former champs are useless and always speak the same nonsense in every fight.. The networks cannot even start the fights on a timely basis. One champ per division with fighters fighting on a regular basis would give this game the kick start it needs.