UPDATE: According to the WBA Twitter account, "Leo Santa Cruz’s team contacted the WBA Championships Committee and indicated that he will accept the mandatory fight against Leigh Wood. More information coming soon."

 

The WBA Championships Committee denied a request sent by WBA featherweight super champion Leo Santa Cruz to face WBC champion Rey Vargas next. Instead, the WBA ordered that Santa Cruz (pictured) must face the WBA regular champion, Leigh Wood next if he wishes to remain recognized as a champion by the WBA. Santa Cruz was given only 24 hours to respond if he will defend his title. “El Famoso Terremoto” won his belt on January 28, 2017 and has defended it on three occasions, but not since February 2019 (he has fought in a higher weight class three times since then). Santa Cruz's super champion status was conditioned to a mandatory 24-month defense period. His most recent mandatory fight was in June 2018, so his fue date was in June 2020, and he must now face Wood.

 

On December 8, 2021, the WBA Championships Committee sent a communication to Santa Cruz stating: “We have noted that you defended your featherweight title on February 16, 2019, and would like to inquire about your boxing status, specifically whether you plan to continue fighting in the featherweight division.” No response was received from the champion on that occasion. On April 6, 2022, the committee formally ordered the Santa Cruz-Wood bout. Subsequently, when the request for permission was received, the WBA sent it to Matchroom Boxing for consideration but Wood’s team refused to step aside.