The World Boxing Association (WBA) has elevated Rolando Romero to the status of super champion in the welterweight division. The move has been met with backlash. The WBA also announced that the fight between Jack Catterall and Shakhram Giyasov will be for the organisation’s vacant title.
Catterall vs Giyasov to Contest Vacant Title
The title became vacant after Romero’s promotion. Catterall and Giyasov will now compete for the belt. The fight will take place during the event headlined by Oleksandr Usyk sparring against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt this Saturday.
The decision to elevate Romero has caused outrage. However, it is consistent with the WBA’s usual decisions.
Contradiction in WBO’s Approach to Lomachenko
In contrast to the WBA’s move, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) has seemingly contradicted itself. The WBO president, Gustavo Olivieri, released a statement regarding Vasiliy Lomachenko. The statement indicated the WBO’s willingness to accommodate Lomachenko if he wishes to return to boxing and face Emanuel Navarrete.
The WBO would welcome Lomachenko and recognise him as one of the best in history. They would seemingly allow the fight to happen. This contradicts previous decisions made by the WBO.
Organisations Face Criticism for Irrelevance
The decisions of boxing organisations have led to questions about their role. The role of the four major boxing organisations has become irrelevant. They are seen as administrators of trophies. These trophies are merely decorations for some fights.
The events have seemingly gone too far. While boxing and its business will continue, the belts are just decorations. The current state of affairs has become trivial and lacks relevance.
Despite the state of the organisations, there will always be great fights. This is as long as there are fighters and promoters who can finance them.