SPORTS SHORTS 220: WBA ORDERS BOX-OFF FOR YORDENIS UGAS VS. EIMANTAS STANIONIS CLOSING DOOR TO UGAS-PACQUIAO REMATCH
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 18 Sep 2021
The World Boxing Association has announced the sanctioning body's plan to reduce the number of unnecessary titles, and it will be applied in the welterweight division. The WBA have ordered the Super champion Yordenis Ugas to face World champion Eimantas Stanionis by January 13, 2022.
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The WBA also ordered their secondary belt-holder world titlist Jamal James to face mandatory challenger Radzhab Butaev before November 2021. The winners would clash by March 2022, for the distinction of being the WBA’s only welterweight champion.
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Yordenis Ugas (27-4, 12 KOs) is fresh from a stunning unanimous decision win over Manny Pacquiao on August 21 to retain the WBA Super welterweight title, while Eimantas Stanionis (13-0, 9 KOs, 1 NC) fought in a disappointing no-decision against Luis Collazo after an accidental clash of heads in the fourth round that injured Collazo.
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If it comes off as planned, this will be an exceptional bombastic battle featuring a wily and steadfast champion in Ugas of Cuba against a strong and persuasive challenger in Stanionis, age 27 years, from Kaunas, Lithuania.
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Jamal James (27-1, 12 KOs), age 33 years from Minneapolis, Minnesota, will fight to improve his "Regular" championship belt to the "Super" title currently worn by Ugas, who defeated him for his only professional loss in August 12, 2016 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York.
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James, however will have to hurdle Radzhab Butaev (13-0, 10 KOs, 1 NC), age 27 years from Salsk, Russia who become mandatory challenger by virtue of a defeat to Alexander Besputin in 2019 that was turned into a no-decision when Besputin was tested positive for taking in banned substances.
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The scheduled matches are expected to be exciting and competitive combat with the winner gaining his first title shot by January next year if the unification goal of the WBA will be realized. It would be a righteous move for the WBA towards clearing their ranks of unnecessary titles.
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“The world’s oldest body continues working on its title reduction plan at the request of the fans and the press. The WBA believes it is going in the right direction and is making every effort to fulfill the plan," the statement of the WBA said.
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“In accordance to the previous resolution, Jamal James shall box official contender in Radzhab Butaev by November 2021. Yordenis Ugas must defend the title against the next leading available contender Eimantas Stanionis within 120 days from the date of this resolution. The Super Champion must box the regular champion by the end of March 2022.”
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James has already been tied up with a mandatory title defense versus Butaev since he was elevated from WBA “interim” to WBA “world” welterweight title holder.
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The interim title was left vacant after the controversial fight between Gabriel Maestre and Mykal Fox. The WBA withdrew the belt and declared the bout a no decision.
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The world’s oldest boxing body is working on its title reduction plan upon the request of the fans and the media. The WBA believes it is making good in its title reduction. They are in the right direction of getting rid of multiple titles.
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Stanionis, who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics has been targeting for a title shot since the year 2021 started, and winning by unanimous decision over Thomas Dulorme of Collectivity of Saint Martin, France on April 10 at the Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut.
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His latest ring encounter was not gratifying, because Stanionis was denied a sure win over former WBA welterweight champion Luis Collazo of Brooklyn, New York City, who was unable to continue due to injury after a clash of heads ended their match before the completion of four rounds on August 7.
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The bout was stopped at 2:21 of round four, just thirty-nine seconds short of an official decision by points in which Stanionis would have won the fight by technical decision. Instead, the result was declared a no-contest.
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In another welterweight bout of the evening, the Mykal Fox-Gabriel Maestre undercard resulted in a unanimous decision which was ridiculously opposite of what truly happened in the fight, as Maestre was given the win, including a bizarre 117-110 score by judge Gloria Martinez Rizzo. The WBA suspended the judge for six months.
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Regis Prograis expressed disgust over DAZN executives who wouldn’t pay for his fight against Mikey Garcia, but spent for Garcia’s tune-up bout against an unknown opponent.
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The former WBA “super” light welterweight champion aired his frustration over Boxing Scene after DAZN and Matchroom Boxing announced Garcia’s next fight against Spain’s Sandor Martin in a welterweight fight on October 16 at the Chukchansi Park, Fresno, California.
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Prograis (26-1, 22 KOs) was informed that Garcia wanted a less dangerous opponent to get rid of ring rust because Garcia has not fought since he out-pointed Jessie Vargas in February 29, at the Ford Center at The Star, Frisco, Texas, just before the pandemic began. Money most likely was a factor as well.
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Garcia (40-1, 30 KOs) reportedly was paid $7 million to fight Vargas (29-3-2, 11 KOs), but DAZN is more cost-conscious this pandemic time. It was reported that Garcia and Prograis would be paid less than $7 million combined if their fight pushed through.
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The oldest players to win major awards in the NBA were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who was Finals MVP at 37-years-old and Karl Malone who was a 35-year-old MVP awardee per Fadeaway World. In his final All-Star appearance Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was aged 41 years in the 1988-1989 season.
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At 35 years old, Karl Malone won league MVP averaging his solid scoring of 23.8 PPG and rebounding of 9.4 RPG, and leading the Utah Jazz to the best record in the NBA and tied with the San Antonio Spurs in the 1998-1999 season.
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Malone would play another 5 seasons in the NBA and retire at 40 years old. He stayed healthy and conditioned for that duration. Several experts believed Tim Duncan deserved the MVP over Malone in 1999, but "The Mailman" got the accolade for the record as the oldest league MVP winner.
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Aside from having the most points scored in NBA history, Jabbar became the oldest Finals MVP in history at 37 years old. Jabbar won Finals MVP by averaging 25.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 5.2 APG while leading the Lakers to championship victory over the Celtics in 1985.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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