GAB Seeks to Help Restore Pacquiao As Full Champion; Asks Clarification, Guidance From WBA
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 10 Feb 2021
Abraham Mitra.
The Games and Amusement Board (GAB) has invoked its mandate in protecting the interest of Filipino professional athletes in a determined bid to help restore Manny Pacquiao's full champion status with the World Boxing Association (WBA).
GAB through its Chairman Baham Mitra sent a two paged letter addressed to WBA President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza seeking further clarification on rules used in the case of Pacquiao and guidance on how the fighting Senator could regain his full champion status with the Panama based boxing organization.
Pacquiao was duly furnished copy of the same GAB letter sent to the WBA for his appropriate information and guidance.
It could be recalled that last month, the WBA issued a resolution stripping Pacquiao of its welterweight super championship he won in July 2019 against then American defending titlist Keith Thurman due to his failure to defend the same on account of his long ring inactivity.
The same resolution also relegated Pacquiao to the status of champion in recess. In his stead, the WBA designated its regular titlist Cuban Yordenis Ugas as super champion.
As the agency mandated by law to regulate and supervise professional boxing and other combat sports in the country, GAB requested the WBA to shed light on the matter involving the revocation of Senator Pacquiao’s WBA belt.
“GAB is mandated by law to champion the rights of every Filipino professional boxer at all times. That is why we are appealing to WBA to reconsider its decision,” Chairman Baham Mitra said.
Citing Rule C.22 and C.23 of the WBA Rules on reverting a ‘Champion in Recess’ to his former status, GAB would like to assist the 8-division champion to return from being Champion in Recess to the status of a Full Champion.
“We are studying the WBA Rules and we want to assist our good Senator who he may have to fight next. Also, we want to know from our partners in the WBA what particular documentation that we must have to comply with as WBA requirements, to regain the WBA belt, in case our Pinoy boxing champ opts to,” Chairman Mitra added.
Aside from the lack of prior advisement from the WBA on who Pacquiao should have fought for his supposed first defense of the super title and deadline he had to meet, there was also no prior notice of the forthcoming decision to strip him of the title.
Though there is a WBA policy that all boxers and their promoters and managers should be knowledgeable about its rules, it is also the obligation of the organization to constantly communicate, update and remind its members about the same, among other matters.
Likewise, there are questions on the application of the rules on Pacquiao as his extended ring inactivity and failure to make a defense have been largely due to the detrimental effects of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic to pro boxing globally.
Rule C.23 likewise needs clarification regarding the "interim champion" that the champion in recess has to fight and beat to return to full champion status. Does that refer to Ugas who is the appointed super champion in lieu of Pacquiao or the current WBA interim champion Jamal James?
The practice of WBA appropriating its world championship resulting to confusing number of world titlists in the same division has come under fire recently prompting calls for withdrawal of its recognition as a major boxing sanctioning body.
In 2019, the GAB also came in to support the move of the camp of Filipino minimumweight fighter ArAr Andales seeking to protest the controversial technical decision result of his lost WBA title fight versus Thai champion Knockout CP Freshmart. The Andales camp claimed the result should have been a TKO win as the eyelid cuts suffered by the Thai came as a result of legit blows, not accidental headbutts as alleged by the Thai corner to which the supposed neutral referee agreed to.
But the Andales camp no longer pursued the protest as the WBA appeal committee required them to pay a fee higher than the Andales purse for the fight.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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