The WBA have again gone and done it, they've made even the most knowledgeable of boxing fans scratch their heads wondering what happened. British fighter Amir Khan has been made “The Super Lightweight Super champion”. The reasons for this are business, the WBA are wanting their title to be fought for between Marcos Maidana and Erik Morales. That fight has all the ingredients of a short lived but very exciting war as an ageing veteran faces off against a powerful punching but limited prime opponent. Though the fight it really not one I can agree with that's a completely different matter. What I want to look at is the WBA title policy. No not the one in the rule book (sorry but I can't be bothered to read 72 pages of “rules” that can be found on here http://www.wbaonline.com/) but the one that appears to be made up as they go along.
The WBA has no less than 29 fighters walking around claiming to be “world champion” (be it “super”, “regular”, “interim”). They have 3 Middleweight “world champions” and now have a vacant world title at Super Lightweight (thanks to Kahn's title being upgraded). The “super” title rule was generally thought to have been brought in to allow unified champions some leeway in facing mandatory WBA challengers, though now appears to be nothing more than another way for the organisations to collection sanctioning fees. Current “Super” champions include not only Khan but Juan Manuel Marquez (Lightweight), Chris John (Featherweight) Miguel Cotto (Super Welterweight), Felix Sturm (Middleweight)and Andre Ward (Super Middleweight) with some boxing fans (who have read the WBA's rules) also calling Yuriorkis Gamboa a Super champion.
From the WBA's website:
WBA SUPER CHAMPIONSHIPS
The WBA has no less than 29 fighters walking around claiming to be “world champion” (be it “super”, “regular”, “interim”). They have 3 Middleweight “world champions” and now have a vacant world title at Super Lightweight (thanks to Kahn's title being upgraded). The “super” title rule was generally thought to have been brought in to allow unified champions some leeway in facing mandatory WBA challengers, though now appears to be nothing more than another way for the organisations to collection sanctioning fees. Current “Super” champions include not only Khan but Juan Manuel Marquez (Lightweight), Chris John (Featherweight) Miguel Cotto (Super Welterweight), Felix Sturm (Middleweight)and Andre Ward (Super Middleweight) with some boxing fans (who have read the WBA's rules) also calling Yuriorkis Gamboa a Super champion.
From the WBA's website:
WBA SUPER CHAMPIONSHIPS
(by WBA - Feb 11, 2009 - 11:12:37 AM)
DEFINITION
The SUPER WORLD CHAMPION CATEGORY OR UNDISPUTED WORLD CHAMPION was created for those World Champions who hold the title of two or more organizations recognized by the WBA, like the World Boxing Council (WBC), the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
Gamboa currently holds the WBA's belt and the IBF's belt at Featherweight though on the website is classed as a “Unified” champion and not “Super” whilst John is the WBA's “Super” champion.
We all know boxing awarding bodies like to make things up as they go along but the WBA's proliferation of “World” titles is beyond a joke. It's due to the WBA's title policy, joke rankings and bizarre mandatory defences that have left me creating my own championship, the Scott Graveson is Awesome title. I have declared myself the Super Duper Awesome Champion for eternity at everything ever...can't be much more of a joke than the WBA's world title.
We all know boxing awarding bodies like to make things up as they go along but the WBA's proliferation of “World” titles is beyond a joke. It's due to the WBA's title policy, joke rankings and bizarre mandatory defences that have left me creating my own championship, the Scott Graveson is Awesome title. I have declared myself the Super Duper Awesome Champion for eternity at everything ever...can't be much more of a joke than the WBA's world title.
Sadly, it means zip to a casual fan and it's harder for casual fans to become hardcore fans when they have no idea who "the champion" is. I hate the WBA. It's completely corrupt and I consider it less important than the WBO, which I never thought I'd say. The IBF and WBO seem to, while still being insane sanctioning bodies, be better than the WBC and WBA to me. It makes me sick.
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