What WBA Title is at Stake This Saturday in Biñan?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 17 Feb 2021
Promoter Gabriel 'Bebot' Elorde announced yesterday that everything is set for the first world boxing title fight to be held in the country amidst the still ongoing Covid-19 pandemic featuring fellow Pinoys Vic Saludar and Robert Paradero.
To be held in a boxing bubble inside one of the function rooms of a football stadium in Biñan, Laguna, some 50 kilometers south of Manila, the fight, according to Bebot Elorde, will be for the "vacant World Boxing Association world minimumweight title".
The fight will not be opened to the public as has been the protocol since the resumption of local boxing events in view of the Covid-19 restrictions and most likely be witnessed by very few people including covering media reporters.
However, Bebot Elorde still has to clarify what WBA world title will Saludar, himself an ex WBO titlist and current WBA #4, and Paradero, former WBO#1 and now WBA #5, be contesting for this coming weekend in Biñan.
It can be recalled that Thailand's Thamanoon Niyomtrong aka Knockout CP Freshmart who has been the one and only WBA world champion in the division, has been promoted last year to super champion by the organization in recognition of his long reign and partly in deference to his difficulty in making further title defense due to the pandemic.
The elevation to super champion status of Niyomtrong has opened vacancies for the WBA regular title which the Thai has left behind as well as for the interim title which purpose has remained unclear based on its use in other weight classes.
As if these titles were not enough, the WBA has even found it necessary to create earlier in 2020 a WBA gold world championship in the division which a Nicaraguan with an unflattering record, Leyman Benavidez, now holds.
Benavidez, 19 wins only, 3 by KO, 6 losses, 2 by KO with one draw, won that title in February 2020 by outpointing a certain Carlos Ortega of Panama, 15 wins only, 6 by KO, 6 losses, 1 by KO and 3 draws in Panama City.
Bebot Elorde has to make a clarification with the WBA as last month, the organization in a resolution ordered its former titlist and #1 contender Jose Argumedo of Mexico to meet against ex IBF titleholder and #2 Byron Rojas also of Nicaragua for the WBA regular world minimumweight title vacated by Niyomtrong.
The WBA even urged the camps of the two top rated contenders to proceed with and finalize their negotiations in the soonest possible time, failure of which it will hold a purse bidding itself.
Given these, there is really an urgency to clarify what WBA world minimumweight championship is at stake in the forthcoming clash involving Saludar and Paradero. Is it for the interim championship belt or some other honorary world title?
Be that as it may, both Saludar and Paradero are raring to go to action and show their wares this Saturday in Biñan with Saludar, being a former world champion and veteran of more top caliber fights both here and abroad, as the pundits favorite.
Paradero, however has languished for so long as top rated, even getting named as title mandatory challenger before the pandemic struck, and surely he will not let this opportunity to finally wear a world belt pass without putting a helluva fight.
Let us just hope that the WBA gives justice to efforts of Bebot Elorde and the Games and Amusements Board headed by its very hardworking Chairman Baham Mitra in painstakingly securing approval from the organization for and putting up this first world championship fight in the country notwithstanding the pandemic.
Let us also hope that Saludar and Paradero put up a battle that will not only be worth googling but will equal or surpass the slambang first all Pinoy world title fight held here under the old normal between Pedro Taduran and Samuel Salva in 2019. Which coincidentally was also for the world minimumweight crown, but under the aegis of the IBF.
Taduran will be making the second defense of his IBF world title against another Pinoy top ranking world contender Rene Mark Cuarto the following Saturday, February 27 in General Santos City.
'The General' barely kept his title in Mexico in February last year when he held tough Mexican challenger Daniel Valladares who had earlier upset Christian Araneta, to a technical draw.
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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