Not so Super Champions

On the 15th September, there will be three WBA superflyweight champions. Cristian Mijares is WBA “super champion”, a title bestowed on him by the WBA because he unified his strap with another (the WBC) in May. He defends his titles at the end of this month.

By making him ”super champion” the WBA grant Mijares amore time to fight their mandatories. (The logic goes, is that because Mijares has more belts, he will have more mandatory obligations. In order to prevent Mijares being stripped by one organisation and the whole point of unification being lost, the WBA are more lenient at enforcing their own mandatories on the “super champion”. 

But instead of simply having the WBA mandatory challenger wait a little linger, and hone his skills against another opponent in the meantime, or alternatively make him an interim champion until the super champion becomes available, the WBA decided to create a WBA “regular champion” in situations where a “super champion” had been created.

Actually, the WBA likes you to think of the regular champion as being just like the other WBA champions who preside in divisions where there has been no unifications (welterweight, for example). The super champion must meanwhile be thought of as some sort of God for picking up more than one strap. But of course there’s major flaws. The fans, or at least those who are aware of this sorry super/regular/with or without fries affair at the WBA, know that the regular champion is the (and sorry to be crass here) but he’s the sloppy seconds compared to the guy who’s gone on to unify.

It’s like England winning the World Cup, only the shine is taken off somewhat by the fact that Brazil (representing here the super champion) have pulled out of the competition. And in any case Italy (IBF) France (WBC) and Holland (WBO) have already pulled out a long time ago, so really, in this analogous World Cup we have FIFA hosting, England have won a 2nd rate World Cup. Anyone who doesn’t know that Brazil et al are playing in a much more lucrative and exotic competition (also hosted by FIFA) are being duped.

With the “super champion” thing in play, the WBA pick up sanctioning fees from two sets of title fights. We have already established that the status of a WBA “regular” champion is much watered down. In addition, with two champions taking opponents from the WBA’s #15, the rate of boxers getting title shots before vanishing (if they lose) increases.  If there are not enough prospects coming through (particularly plausible in a quieter division like superfly) then the talent pool will decrease, along with the quality of the title fight, and thus the integrity of the sport.

(I hope you’re all taking notes, because there’s going to be a short quiz at the end).

But anyway, back to the three champions.

Because WBA champion Mijares unified in May, as we know by now this meant he became a super champion in the eyes of the WBA (getting 18 months to take on a mandatory challenger to boot) which leaves the “regular” title “vacant”. (You will note please that when writing about boxing sanctioning bodies, the use of inverted commas to denote deep irony is unnavoidable.)

The regular title will be contested by the WBA’s #1 Nobuo Nashiro, and their #3 Kohei Kono, in Japan on September 15th.

We’re up to speed and ok so far. (Well, apart from the fact one of these guys is going to become a world champion when they’re not even the best according to the WBA, let alone in the whole division).

But now we must factor in the Conception Factor.

Rafael Conception took possession of the WBA interim superflyweight title in July by beating AJ Banal. At the time, Conception was ranked #7 by the WBA, Banal #4. Both are rated

 

Conception defends his interim title again – on the same night Nashiro and Kono fight for the vacant regular title.  

Why on earth is Conception not given a shot at the regular title (with Nashiro his opponent) and the interim title done away with? By definition the interim title should be exactly that. What better time is there for Conception to be given his shot than the 15th of September? If the interim champion is ready to fight, and the #1 is ready to fight, then what’s the problem? If there are promotional difficulties for the figtht, then the WBA should assert which side is stalling on negotiations, and remove their right to a title shot.

The WBA have not yet responded to my request to clarify the situation as to why three “champions” are necessary in these circumstances. 

They will no doubt be rather more efficient in cashing three cheques that will be arriving WBA HQ in the space of three weeks, for three sanctioning fees, for three “champions” in three divisions.

Integrity? I think that went under with Atlantis.