Ajose Vows To Snatch Garcia's WBC Title Before Amir Khan

By Phil D. Jay

The WBC number one contender to Danny Garcia’s title, Ajose Olusegun (30-0, 14KOS), has assured World Boxing News that he will be fighting for the junior welterweight championship in his next fight and anticipates the World Boxing Council relieving the champion of the green belt.

The 32 year-old southpaw Frenchman defeated Ali Chebah in a WBC eliminator last September and has been eagerly awaiting news from the organization as to when he will get his title chance.

Olusegun recently told WBN that he won’t be stepping aside to allow Amir Khan a shot at Garcia’s title and now expects the WBC to act following the recent announcement that the two boxers with meet on July 14th at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Khan expects to reclaim the WBA and IBF titles, following Lamont Peterson's admission that he took a banned substance prior to their bout in December 2011. Golden Boy Promotions are confident a unification would trump a mandatory defense, per the WBC's rules - but Ajose claims the WBC's rules have changed and a unification no longer allows a champion to avoid his mandatory obligation. 

“Amir Khan can fight whoever he wants, Garcia included - but it will not be for the WBC title,” Olusegun told World Boxing News. “They can fight for the WBA, IBF or both, but not for the belt that I will fight for. The WBC has been honorable in keeping to their word that I am the mandatory challenger and that has not changed.

“Besides, the WBC has made it clear in their rule that they do not do unification anymore. If Garcia is certain to fight Khan then he will lose his WBC title. He may still have a chance of winning the vacant WBA and IBF belts though as Khan has not, and will not be reinstated as the champion.

“I am totally focused on fighting for the WBC title against the next available contender as soon as Garcia is stripped.”

The next available contender is Thailand’s two-time world title challenger Prawet Singwancha, who could only manage a split decision win over 26-loss Edgar Gabejan in March and the WBC are expected to made a ruling on the matter in the near future.

Phil D. Jay covers boxing for worldboxingnews.net