ORLANDO — For Leon Marguls, Sunday’s WBA title rankings meeting was one-stop shopping.
The Warriors Boxing president attended what WBA general counsel Oliver Gomez described as a “calm” meeting and issued three mission statements:
– pitting his former lightweight champion, Cuban Yuniel Dorticos, against newly unified champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez Battle for battle.
– puts his 154-pounder Yoenis Tellez in prime position to overtake current WBA champion Terence Crawford and former champion Jermall Charlo Jemell Charlo, competing for the belt.
– confirmed his middleweight Yoenli Hernandez as the heir apparent to fellow Cuban champion Erislandy Lara.
Three ticks later, Maguires is delighted with what he has achieved.
With his fighter linked to Al Haymon’s Top Rank Champions, the most interesting takeaway from Maguire’s afternoon at the Royal Caribbean Resort was knocking Tellez, 24, to nine The score of -0 (7 KOs) is approaching the most densely packed belt in boxing.
These ranking meetings are often a valuable forum to witness how boxing sausage is made and observe the chess moves that some of the sport’s most astute players can make to maximize the value of their boxers.
Maguires toured the 154-pound division, which included four-division champion Crawford, former undisputed champion Charlo, unified (WBC/WBO) champion Sebastian Fundora, IBF champion Bahram Murtazhaliev and talented players Virgil Ortiz Jr., Serhiy Bokhachuk and the top three finishers. – Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.
Tellez’s window of opportunity exists with the WBA, which has a reputation for working well with the PBC.
With six wins since the start of 2023, Tellez has climbed to No. 2 in the WBA junior middleweight rankings, trailing only Germany’s Abbas Baraou, another unknown fighter with a weak resume. , he is 16-1 (9 KOs).
Ballau’s agent first told the rankings committee that since Crawford, 37, won the WBA belt via a narrow unanimous decision over former champion Israel Madrimov on Aug. 3, “the division has stalled,” he said, aside from a singular focus on moving up to weight for a pay-per-view fight with three-belt super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, against two four-division champions.
Former undisputed champion Charlo has been missing since cashing in on Canelo’s purse last year, a lopsided unanimous decision blowout.
“I don’t think Charlo will fight at 154 pounds again, and I don’t think Crawford will defend his belt,” Marguls said.
So after Ballau’s representatives lobbied for an interim 154-pound title shot, Marguls took to the WBA executive stage and said, “Of course we want to do something with the title.” WBA’s Gomez Said that when Crawford left, the two fighters were now at the front to replace him.
Despite winning the WBA belt this year, Nebraska’s Crawford has been absent from conventions, although he attended recent WBO and WBC conventions in Puerto Rico and Germany respectively.
“Some champions didn’t come,” Gomez said in defense of Crawford. “It’s December, the holidays, people make plans…”
Maguls kept his appointment to defend his warriors, with pleasing results.
In the case of veteran Dorticos (aka “Dr. KO”), the 38-year-old previously entered into a September bid with Mexico’s Ramirez before reaching a concession deal that allowed Ramirez to win the title. Ramirez unifies against WBO champion Chris Byram-Smith, whom Ramirez defeated via unanimous decision in Saudi Arabia last month.
“It’s a good deal,” Marguls said.
With his appearance at the WBA on Sunday, Marguls won the WBA’s approval to write a letter to Ramirez’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions to begin negotiations with Doticos. , and fight within 90 days.
“Either they initiate the fight or they get bought out by the wallet,” Maguires said of the process that allows any promoter, including his or PBC-related TGB Promotions, to initiate a fight.
In the end, Marguls won the title knockout request of 27-year-old middleweight Hernandez, 6-0 (6 KOs). Hernandez fought four games this year and rose in the rankings, just behind 41 The year-old Lara then successfully defended her title twice this year, retiring former two-division champion Danny Garcia.
While two other middleweight contenders, Ian Green and unranked Marcus Taylor, made personal pleas to the committee – “Whoever you choose me to fight, I’m not going to say no,” Taylor said during a said in an impassioned speech that drew applause – but Hernandez secured his spot.
Marguls doesn’t expect Lara to take on a younger compatriot at this stage of his career — “He’s obviously looking for bigger money,” Marguls said of Lara — But regardless of the outcome, Hernandez will put pressure on him for a chance to win the belt. Or cash in some spare funds.
“I’m fine with it all,” said Marguls, packing his bags for a Sunday night convention party he might enjoy.
The WBA’s Gomez said he’s surprised more coaches and promoters aren’t using ranking meetings as an opportunity to influence their own rankings.
A prominent fighter attorney joked Sunday that he saw representatives address committees and explain that they deserved better positions “because the fighter’s mom makes delicious oatmeal cookies.”
Another powerful promoter told a BoxingScene writer last week that the process is so random and haphazard that it would be better to head to nearby Disney World to rank favorite rides for readers who will eventually vacation there.
WBA president Gilberto Mendoza admitted to BoxingScene this weekend that the ranking process in boxing could be improved unilaterally.
“Sometimes it gets hot here. This time it was calm,” Gomez said.
