RIGONDEAUX STRIPPED OF HIS WBO SUPERBANTAM TITLE
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 28 Oct 2015
ORLANDO, FL ? In a unanimous decision vote by the WBO executive committee Wednesday during the ongoing 28th WBO convention here, WBO superbantam world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux has been stripped of his title for failing to defend it in the required nine-month period. Rigondeaux (15-0-0, 10KO), a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba who now resides in Miami, last fought on Dec. 31, 2014 in Osaka against Hisashi Amagasa of Japan where he was knocked down two times in the 7th round before eventually stopping the Japanese in the 11th round.
Last Oct. 7, the WBO thru its championship committee chairman Luis Batista Salas, sent a ?show cause? letter to Rigondeaux, who was not injured, on why he should not be stripped of his title, stating among others:
?The WBO World Championship Committee recognizes your great abilities in the ring and all of your accomplishments both at the amateur and professional levels. This has earned you ample consideration as one of history?s best. Nevertheless, it is our duty and obligation to ensure that our Rules are complied with. In your case, we have not even ordered a Mandatory Defense of your WBO Championship in order to allow you the opportunity to compete against any of the top 15 classified contenders within your division in the WBO World Championship Rankings. Despite our flexibility, you remain inactive.?
On Oct. 16, Jared Lopez, in behalf of Rigondeaux and his promoter Caribe Promotions, sent a letter to the WBO asking for an exemption as Rigondeaux ?has sought to remain active in compliance with WBO Rules but there is a lack of appropriate opponents available and willing to fight,? according to the letter.
Salas, speaking to the executive committee members, said that ?titles should be won and lost inside the ring,? but that ?rules of the organization should also be followed and implemented.? Salas further said that his committee had given all the leniency and as many opportunities for Rigondeaux to defend his title within the top 15 ranked boxers of his division but at the moment Rigondeaux doesn't even have a scheduled fight and private negotiation issues are not the problem of the WBO.
Salas read his resolution to vacate the WBO super bantamweight title where afterwards it was unanimously voted by the 5-member Championship Committee in private and then unanimously voted by the WBO executive committee in open voting. Rigondeaux will have 14 days to ask for a reconsideration of the ruling thru the WBO grievance committee.
Rigondeaux remains the WBA super world superbantam champion, a title he held since Jan. 20, 2012. He won the WBO title by defeating Nonito Donaire Jr on April 13, 2013 in New York in a unification bout.
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