WBA disgraces itself by sanctioning Gabriels-Gaytan for a world title

Edited Press Release

31/03/2021

WBA disgraces itself by sanctioning Gabriels-Gaytan for a world title

The WBA announced that Hanna Gabriels will face Martha Lara Gaytán for the vacant WBA light heavyweight world title. The bout will take place on April 17th at the Fiesta Casino in San Jose, Costa Rica. Even thugh there are not a lot of competitive women boxers in the upper weight classes, Gaytan is grossly unqualified for a world titile shot. She is just 11-9 for her career and just 2-6 over the last six years. Gaytan is coming off a first-round stoppage loss to Shadasia Green. The WBA has shown favoritism for Gabriels in the past, sanctioning her for a 154-pound title defense against Sara Dwyer, a boxer who was 3-4-2.
 
So why isn't Gabriels fighting Green fighting for the vacant title?  Green tweeted, "I fight at 168 not 175 ! [I was] never offered a title match though."
 
For the Costa Rican Gabriels (20-2-1), it will be her first fight since 2019. Her inactivity was caused due to an arm injury and later to the pandemic. Gabriels currently holds the WBA 154-pound belt, in addition to having been WBO welterweight champion in the past and having fought for the middleweight title against Claressa Shields.