The sad and corrupt WBA 140-pound title situation took another bizarre turn as promoter Oscar De La Hoya announced a postponement of this weekend's vacant title fight. De La Hoya tweeted, "due to Visa delays, the fight between Ohara Davies and Ismael Barroso scheduled for this Saturday, December 2nd will be postponed to a later date. More information will be made available in the coming weeks.” The WBA has been waffling as to whether Davies-Barroso would be for an interim title or a vacant title, and whether Rolly Romero was still WBA champion or champion in recess. Romero is currently listed as champion in recess, but let's see if that changes if Ryan Garcia wins this weekend and the WBA wants to $anction Romero vs. Garcia. For the record, Barroso was horribly robbed against Romero earlier this year and should have been entitled to a rematch vs. Romero (see timeline below).
PRIOR BOXINGTALK COVERAGE
NOV. 10, 2023: Ohara Davies (25-2 with 18 KOs) and Ismael Barroso (24-4-2 with 22 KOs) will square off for the WBA interim title at 140 pounds on December 2nd at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The bout will be part of a Golden Boy Promotions event, which will also mark the return of Ryan Garcia to face Oscar Duarte in the main event. Davies and Barroso were ordered to fight by the WBA’s championship committee once the injury of [undeserving] champion Rolando Romero was announced. Romero, who got a gift stoppage from the referee against Barroso to claim the WBA title, was made champion in recess. In Romero-Barroso, referee Tony Weeks stopped a world title fight in round nine
without a clean punch being landed.
NOV. 3, 2023: The WBA wrote that its junior welterweight title is not vacant, that there was a mistake on its website. According to the WBA the title still belongs to Rolando Romero, but he is injured so his desgination should be champion in recess. Ohara Davies and Ismael Barroso will box for the interim title. Barroso fought Romero and was jobbed out of a championship on a ridiculously quick stoppage despite his prior manhandling of Romero.
JULY 25, 2023; Golden Boy Promotions tweeted that it has signed junior welterweight Ohara Davies to a promotional contract. Davies is the WBA mandatory contender, and the WBA has ordered title holder Rolly Romero to defend against him next. In March, at England's Newcastle Arena, Davies
knocked out Lewis Ritson in the ninth round of a WBA elimination bout. A big body punch by Davies sent Ritson to the canvas for the ten count. Prior to the knockout, Davies was winning the fight and was ahead on all three judges’ scorecards by 78-74 (twice) and 77-75. Davies' record is 25-2 with two very forgivable world-level losses to Josh Taylor and Jack Caterall. Ritson is now 23-3.
JULY 12, 2023: The WBA has called for a purse bid to determine the promotional rights for a junior welterweight mandatory defense by controversial champion Rolando Romero and challenger Ohara Davies. The purse bid is scheduled for July 24th in Panama City at WBA offices and it will be directed by vice-president, Julio Thyme. Romero won the belt against Ismael Barroso last May 13th, via premature stoppage, with many believing Barroso should get an immediate rematch. Instead, Romero must face Davies as ordered by a resolution issued by the WBA prior to Romero-Barroso. The minimum bid will be $110,000 with a purse split of 75% for the champion and 25% to the challenger. Both parties were notified of the bid on Tuesday, July 11th.
WBO (WORLD) / JUNE 11, 2023: Former world lightweight king Teofimo Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) captured the world (and WBO) junior welterweight championship with a twelve-round unanimous decision win against former undisputed champion Josh Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) Saturday evening at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In the opening two rounds, Taylor connected with straight left hands and counterpunches to the body. But by rounds three and four, the 32-year-Scotsman began feeling the sting of Lopez’s power. As a result, his offense became more tentative and the pace of the fight decelerated, allowing Lopez to land his signature power shots. By rounds five and six, Lopez took a commanding lead as a confused Taylor struggled to find his punching range. Lopez punctuated his victory in the final rounds with explosive bursts of offense, shades of the vintage 'Teo' who had dominated his adversaries as a lightweight. With scores of 115-113 (twice) and 117-111, the 25-year old Brooklyn native is now a lineal world champion in two divisions.
WBA / MAY 14, 2023: Referee Tony Weeks stopped a world title fight in round nine
without a clean punch being landed, which allowed
Rolly Romero to score a technical knockout victory over Ismael Barroso to become the new WBA junior welterweight champion. It was a shameful stoppage. The 40 year-old Barroso was ahead on all three scorecards at the time, 78-73, 77-74 and 76-75. The WBA should order an immediate rematch. The broadcaster, Showtime Championship Boxing, should use its power of the purse by insisting it will not broadcast another Romero fight unless it is a rematch vs. Barroso. Unfortunately, Showtime's chief boxing executive Stephen Espinoza does not seem inclined to use his power to help a corrupt sport. Espinoza admitted it was a bad stoppage, but shrugged off the controversy on social media, tweeting, "You don't blame ESPN or Fox for bad NFL calls. You don't blame Turner or ESPN for bad NBA calls.You know the network can't influence the judges."
Even Romero admitted in his post-fight interview, "I'll be honest... he should have been able to keep going... we both wanted to keep going." Barroso scored a
third-round knockdown and held a slight lead in total punches landed through eight rounds. In round nine, Romero was credited by Weeks with a questionable knockdown that was actually
more of a push. Barroso got up and was admittedly on unsteady legs, but he was throwing punches and not getting hit when Weeks inexplicably ended the fight.
Respected trainer Kevin Cunningham chimed in on Twitter: "Rolly was losing the fight, he pushed Barroso down and Weeks calls it a knockdown. Barroso scored the more significant punches in the last exchange. Weeks jumps in and stops the fight. I’ve been involved in this sport for over 30 years and this was down right criminal."
MAY 10, 2023: The WBA has demoted Alberto Puello of the Dominican Republic from junior welterweight champion to the temporary designation of champion in recess. The reason is that Puello tested positive for a banned substance according to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA). The WBA also announced that this weekend's fight between Rolando Romero and Ismael Barroso will replace Puello as the WBA 140-pound champion. As for Puello, a final decision on his status will be made after May 17th, when he attends a Nevada Athletic Commission hearing and/or if a VADA report indicates a negative result on the B test of the original urine sample. The winner of the Romero-Barroso bout will be ordered by the WBA to face Ohara Davies of the United Kingdom no later than 120 days after May 13th. In the event that Romero-Barroso ends in a draw or no decision, the WBA will reconsider the 140-pound case and issue a new ruling pending the outcome of Puello’s hearing with the Nevada Commission and the possibility of testing the B sample.
IBF / FEB. 26, 2023: Puerto Rico has a new boxing champion. Power-punching Subriel Matias showed why he’s become one of boxing’s best knockout artists as he stopped previously unbeaten Jeremias Ponce after five rounds to win the vacant IBF 140-pound championship Saturday at The Armory in Minneapolis. Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) captured the title in an electric firefight that saw the two junior welterweights throw over 800 combined punches in five rounds according to CompuBox. For Matias, the victory culminated a long journey that had him away from his family for nearly a year as he trained in Mexico for his first title opportunity. Ponce (30-1, 20 KOs) came out extremely aggressive and looked to swarm Matias early as he threw 96 punches in round one, out landing Matias 28 to 11. Matias adjusted in round two, closing the distance and smothering Ponce to dull some of his attack while also finding spots for his own short power punches. After landing a powerful left hand that hurt Ponce late in round four, Matias returned determined and sharp in round five, landing 47% of his power punches over the three minutes. In the waning moments of the round, Matias landed the decisive blows, a series of head and body shots that badly hurt Matias and put him on the mat. Ponce was able to make it to his stool, but his corner had seen enough and suggested that the fight be stopped, with the official result coming as a TKO at the end of round five.
JAN. 24, 2023: According to a document released by the WBO on Monday, world junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor is claiming to have suffered a torn plantar fascia and is seeking to postpone his rematch vs. Jack Caterall beyond the scheduled date of March 4th in Glasgow, Scotland. The plantar fascia is a band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the base of the toes. It supports the arch of the foot and absorbs shock when walking. Taylor was ordered by the WBO to submit-- within five days-- a detailed medical explanation of his injury, findings, recovery prognosis and his orthopedic specialist’s opinion as to when will he be physically and medically cleared to compete and return to active competition. The WBO warned that failure to comply with this order could result in Taylor waiving his rights to remain champion under the WBO's rules.
WBC / NOV. 27, 2022: Regis Prograis easily defeated Jose Zepeda for the vacant WBC 140-pound championship in Carson, California on Saturday. Prograis (28-1) bled from his nose and right ear, but looks were deceiving as Prograis won most of the rounds, including the tenth, which was the most fiercly contested three minutes of the fight. Zepeda (35-3) spent most of his remaining energy in the tenth, and Prograis landed a huge overhand left in the eleventh that staggered Zepeda. Prograis immediately jumped on Zepeda, firing punches until the referee stepped in just as Zepeda fell to the canvas. Compubox gave Prograis a ninety-punch lead in punches landed, 156-66. With the win, Prograis can once again proudly call himself a champion. He previously held the WBA version of the junior welterweight championship, losing a competitive unification fight to Josh Taylor of Scotland in 2019. Taylor went on to unify all four major championships but vacated the WBC version, leaving Prograis and Zepeda to fight for it.
WBA / AUG. 21, 2022: In an all-action affair, Alberto Puello and Batyr Akhmedov produced one of the better and compelling fights of 2022. Puello made history for his country, becoming the first Dominican fighter to ever win a title at 140 pounds by claiming the vacant WBA belt by split decision. The judges Benoit Roussel and Mark Streisand both scored the bout 117-111 for Puello, while Lisa Giampa awarded Akhmedov’s aggression with a scorecard of 115-113. Puello (21-0, 10 KOs) was able to handle the constant pressure of Akhmedov, who came up short for the second title fight of his career after he lost a decision to Mario Barrios in 2019. Puello was able to fight well off the ropes and answer the advances of Akhmedov (9-2, 8 KOs) with stinging combinations. Puello was also the busier fighter, out-throwing his opponent by a margin of 825 to 764, but Akhmedov out-landed him 207-191 and had a 198-168 edge in power punches landed.
JULY 11, 2022: The bout for the vacant WBA junior welterweight championship between Dominican Alberto Puello and Uzbekistan's Batyr Akhmedov is confirmed for August 20th at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. The title was vacated by world champion Josh Taylor, who still holds the WBO and IBF titles at 140 pounds. Puello is undefeated and is coming off a unanimous decision win over Ve Shawn Owens last December. He had two fights in 2021, both won by decision and he is a tall southpaw stylist who knows how to use the ring well. Akhmedov is an aggressive and strong fighter who looks for exchanges in which he can take advantage of his strength. His only career loss was a dubious one, to Mario Barrios in 2019 and he comes in with two consecutive knockout wins in his most recent fights. A native of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, Puello (20-0, 10 KOs) now fights out of Las Vegas under the guidance of renowned coach Ismael Salas. The 27-year-old leapt up the rankings in July 2019, handing Jonathan Alonso his first career defeat with a unanimous decision victory that earned him an interim title. Puello was successful in his U.S. debut in December 2021, as he scored a unanimous decision victory over Veshawn Owens in Owen’s hometown.
JULY 1, 2022: World 140-pound champin Josh Taylor has vacated the WBC title, making it the second of the four major belts to slip off his waist outside of the ring. The WBC announced that Jose Zepeda and Jose Carlos Ramirez will be sanctioned to fight for the vacant WBC title [that fight never happened]. Taylor, Zepeda and Ramirez are all promoted by Top Rank. Taylor still holds the WBO and IBF titles, but he recently vacated or was stripped by the WBA. Alberto Puello of the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan's Batyr Akhmedov will fight each other for the WBA's vacant 140-pound title.
JUNE 30, 2022: The WBC reported today that a purse bid is back on schedule for world junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor's WBC mandatory defense vs Jose Zepeda. Last scheduled for June 10th, the WBC now has it calendared for July 1st.
MAY 16, 2022: After stripping world 140-pound champion Josh Taylor of the WBA title last week, the sanctioning organization has scheduled a hearing with the representatives of the top six contenders (as ranked by the WBA) with the intention of seeking the best solution to fill the vacancy. The WBA, through its president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, called the online hearing for this Tuesday, May 17th. The affected boxers are Alberto Puello (WBA #1 ranked), Ismael Barroso (WBA #2), Ohara Davies, Sandor Martín, (former WBA champion) Regis Prograis and Batyr Akhmedov. The hearing will be attended by WBA chief of staff Gary Shaw and a panel composed of Anthony Cardinale and Seymour Zivick. Each team will have fifteen minutes to present its case with no time extension. The panel will have five minutes after each presentation to ask questions and after a time of deliberation on each case, will present its opinion to President Mendoza, who will make the final decision.
MAY 14, 2022: The WBA, as it has been threatening to do, stripped world champion Josh Taylor of Scotland, of the WBA junior welterweight championship for failing to fight the underqualified Alberto Puello. Taylor, coming off a a controversial win over Jack Caterall, still holds the other three major 140-pound championships, but is expected to move up to 147 pounds in his next fight. Puello will likley be ordered to face WBA #2 Ismael Barroso for the vacant title. Yecch! The WBA stated its justification as follows: "On March 8th, the WBA ordered the mandatory fight between Taylor and WBA #1 rated Alberto Puello of the Dominican Republic. As dictated by rule C.13, the boxers had 30 days to reach an agreement but it was not completed. On April 5th, Puello’s team requested that the fight be called to a purse bid but the WBA waited until April 7th before calling the purse bid. Subsequently, on April 11th, the purse bid was ordered and scheduled for April 22nd. The purse bid was held and only TGB, Puello’s promoter, submitted a bid and thereby won the rights to organize the fight.
According to WBA rule D-11, the promoter who wins the purse bid shall have all fight contracts duly signed and delivered to the WBA by no later than twenty days from the date the winning bid is awarded. On May 3, 2022, the committee received the contract from Puello, and the deadline expired on Thursday, May 12th.
WBA Rule D 15 states that if the champion fails to sign a bout contract within the required twenty-day period after the award of the bid or refuses to participate in the bout for the winning promoter, he shall be deemed to have violated these Rules and may have his title vacated. Due to the lack of response from Taylor’s team, the committee proceeded to vacate the WBA 140-pound title, understanding that the rules must be known by all fighters who fight for a championship or are champions of the sanctioning body."
Taylor posted the following on Twitter: "FYI, I vacated it the belt I [wasn't] stripped."
APRIL 29, 2022: The WBC issued the following statement about the junior welterweight division, implying that the four sanctioning bodies have agreed to sequence the mandatory defense obligations of four-belt world champion Josh Taylor. It remains to be seen if that is a true statement, but here is the WBC's messaging: "As per prior communications and with the agreement which all 4 presidents (WBC-WBO-IBF-WBA) confirmed in the meeting held in Puerto Rico, the WBC mandatory defense is next, followed by the IBF. The WBC is hereby advising of the beginning of the free negotiations period for the Josh Taylor´s mandatory title defense versus Jose Zepeda. If no agreement is reached the WBC will conduct a purse bid on Tuesday, May 24th." [Taylor's last fight, a controversial win over Jack Caterall, was a WBO mandatory].
