WBA disrespects Manny

When we were kids, my classmates and I used to joke that recess was our favorite subject in school. Now, the joke is this ludicrous recognition of a “champion in recess” by the WBA (World Boxing Association), one of four governing bodies (the others are the World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization) that charge sanction fees to bless “world” title fights.

Believe it or not, the WBA recognizes 52 world champions in 17 weight divisions, broken down into 16 super, 13 regular, 11 gold, 10 interim and two in-recess titleholders. The super category is for a champion who is also recognized by one or more of the three other governing bodies or a titlist with at least five successful defenses or a fighter who beats a super champion or someone elevated in an out-of-the-ring ruling because of a vacancy. The regular category is for a fighter who wins a world title not in the super class. The gold category is for an “important prospect” who wins a title eliminator or is in line for a shot at a regular or super belt. The interim category is for a fighter who wins a world title temporarily because the “official” champion is unable to fight for some reason like an injury in which case the crown is in limbo.

Obviously, the more world champions, the more world title fights, the more a governing body collects sanction fees. Pro sports is a business, after all, right? The problem is the commercial aspect often becomes the priority at the expense of the integrity of the sport itself. Depending on the category, the WBA exacts a fee of up to $200,000 for a world championship fight. The rule of thumb is three percent is charged against a fighter’s purse as a sanction fee. The promoter is also assessed an amount of anywhere between $5,000 to $25,000 beyond an annual registration fee which in the WBC, is reportedly $7,000.

While a governing body has the right to charge a sanction fee, it must respect the rights of champions, too. In a recent decision, the WBA stripped Sen. Manny Pacquiao of his “super” welterweight crown. As a consolation, Pacquiao was named “champion in recess” because of his inability to stake his strap within the prescribed period. In Pacquiao’s place, “regular” champion Yordenis Ugas of Cuba was promoted to the super category. Ugas won the vacant “regular” title on a split decision over Abel Ramos in Los Angeles last September and has never made a defense. How can Ugas be considered a “super” champion in Pacquiao’s class? Pacquiao would’ve defended his title once or twice last year if not for the pandemic or isn’t the WBA aware of how the virus has impacted the lives of athletes all over the world? Did the WBA even bother to reach out to Pacquiao, ask about his plans and advise him of the stripping? For the record, three WBA super champions did not see action last year like Pacquiao but remain on their throne – cruiserweight Arsen Goulamirian, lightheavyweight Dmitry Bivol and lightflyweight Hiroto Kyoguchi (their last fights in 2019 were a few months after Pacquiao’s defeat of Keith Thurman in July).

Last month, the WBA promoted “regular” middleweight champion Ryota Murata to super status despite not fighting since December 2019. Murata said he was surprised by the upgrade as the WBA explained it may order a promotion “under special circumstances.” In the same way, surely the WBA may also order a reprieve of stripping a champion “under special circumstances.” With Ugas’ elevation, the WBA is able to sanction a fight for the vacant “regular” throne, a crass consideration. But what will happen when Pacquiao returns to action? Will he reclaim the super title? Will he become Ugas’ challenger?

GAB chairman Baham Mitra sent a letter to the WBA last Tuesday requesting for an explanation of Pacquiao’s revocation. “GAB is mandated by law to champion the rights of every Filipino professional boxer at all times,” said Mitra. “We are appealing to the WBA to reconsider its decision.” Mitra said he is seeking to restore Pacquiao as a “full” champion. Of course, Pacquiao may decide to totally disengage from the WBA and explore other options. If he does, it would be the WBA’s loss and a hefty price to pay for disrespecting a future Hall of Famer who has brought new life to the sport in this era.