One other undisputed championship conflict is probably in retailer.
The WBA has as soon as once more taken the initiative to order a combat between reigning champions, as a part of its One Boxing undertaking dedicated to making a single champion per weight division. The main focus has been positioned on the ladies’s junior light-weight division because the sanctioning physique formally known as for its long-reigning WBA 130-pound titlist Hyun Mi Choi to enter talks with lineal/WBC/IBF/WBO champ Alycia Baumgardner.
“The World Boxing Affiliation (WBA), by means of its Championships Committee, ordered the bout between tremendous featherweight champion Hyun Mi Choi and American Alycia Baumgardner, proprietor of the WBC, IBF and WBO belts,” the WBA introduced Tuesday. “The WBA has put all its efforts within the One Boxing undertaking, which seeks to provide the likelihood to the champions to unify their crowns and on this case, after an evaluation, it was decided that there is no such thing as a obstacle for the champion of the pioneer group to face the American for the undisputed 130 lbs. title.
“The Committee positioned Baumgardner because the obligatory challenger and now the groups of each fighters can have a interval of 30 days to barter the combat and attain an settlement. If the combat doesn’t happen throughout the interval granted or within the occasion that both social gathering refuses to signal the contract, the committee might order a Purse Bid with a 50% cut up for every of the champions. This choice renders any earlier ruling null and void.”
Baumgardner is co-promoted by Matchroom Boxing and Kings Promotion. Choi’s main promoter is Paco Damian of Paco Presents.
The order is available in lieu of both boxer being offered with a compulsory challenger. On this case, the identical fighter occurred to face in the way in which of each, as former WBC light-weight titlist Delfine Persoon is a double obligatory with the WBA and the WBC.
As an alternative, Baumgardner and Choi will look to one another for a bout that was beforehand in dialogue and now again in play.
Baumgardner (13-1, 7KOs) unified the WBC/IBF/WBO titles and established true championship lineage at junior light-weight following her cut up choice win over Mikaela Mayer on October 15 at The O2 in London. Baumgardner—who lives and trains within the larger Detroit space—made the second profitable protection of her WBC title with the win whereas claiming the IBF/WBO belts and handing the primary profession defeat to Mayer of their long-awaited grudge match.
The order by the WBA comes simply two days after Baumgardner celebrated the one-year anniversary of her WBC title reign. She gained the belt in a spectacular one-punch, fourth spherical knockout of unbeaten champ Terri Harper final November 13 on the highway in Sheffield, England. The feat was honored by BoxingScene.com because the 2021 Feminine Knockout of the 12 months, and with Baumgardner—who’s promoted by Marshall Kaufmann’s Kings Promotions—touchdown a profitable co-promotional take care of Matchroom Boxing.
Choi (20-0-1, 5KOs) presently serves because the longest reigning titlist within the sport, although the two-division and reigning WBA 130-pound titlist has drawn industry-wide scorn for her gentle stage of opposition and avoiding the robust fights.
There have been beforehand talks in place for a Baumgardner-Choi WBC/WBA unification bout, just for Choi’s facet to go in one other path. It led to Baumgardner as an alternative going to Mayer first and now revisiting plans for all of the belts.
Choi beforehand held the WBA featherweight title, profitable the vacant belt in her October 2008 professional debut. Seven title defenses adopted earlier than transferring as much as 130, the place Choi claimed the interim WBA title.
The reign was since upgraded to the complete WBA belt, which she has efficiently defended ten instances. In her most up-to-date outing, the 31-year-old Choi—whose household defected from North Korea in 2004 and ultimately made their approach to Seoul, South Korea—outpointed Edmonton’s Vanessa Bradford over ten rounds on October 18 in Seoul.
Choi was beforehand aligned with Matchroom Boxing however solely formally fought below the corporate’s banner one time—a December 2020 ten-round win over Calista Silgado in Hollywood, Florida. The stability of her profession has taken place in her adopted residence area in South Korea.
Baumgardner’s whole title reign has taken place in the UK, having not fought within the U.S since final August previous her first main title combat.
The proposed undisputed conflict comes on the heels of the WBA launching its One Boxing undertaking with its ordered Amanda Serrano-Erika Cruz featherweight championship showdown. Serrano (43-2-1, 30KOs)—a 34-year-young Puerto Rican southpaw based mostly out of Brooklyn, New York—has held titles in a report seven weight divisions and holds the lineal/WBC/IBF/WBO featherweight titles. The WBA belt belongs to Mexico Metropolis’s Cruz, who was instructed to enter talks with Serrano shortly after her repeat win over former champ Jelena Mrdjenovich in September.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox