Kyoguchi-Bermudez WBA Title Consolidation Clash Heads To November 12 Purse Bid

The time has come for Hiroto Kyoguchi and Esteban Bermudez to face the music.

A purse bid hearing has been scheduled to determine promotional rights for the World Boxing Association (WBA) junior flyweight title fight that was first ordered nearly five months ago. The sanctioning body announced a November 12 date set aside for the bout following the latest deadline expiring without a deal in place.

“The Championships Committee of the World Boxing Association (WBA) called for a purse bid for next November 12, 2021 for the bout between the [WBA “Super”] Light flyweight champion Hiroto Kyoguchi and the [WBA “World”] champion Esteban Bermudez,” Carlos Chavez, chairman of the WBA Championship Committee noted in a letter to all WBA-registered promoters. “The pioneer organization sent the communication to all promoters interested in participating in the bidding, which will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will be held through the Zoom platform due to the effects of the pandemic.”

The winning bid will be split 65/35 in favor of Kyoguchi as the higher classified titleholder.

Japan’s Kyoguchi (15-0, 10KOs) holds the WBA “Super” junior flyweight title, while Mexico’s Bermudez (14-3-2, 10KOs) currently serves as the WBA “World” junior flyweight titlist. The two were first instructed to work out terms on June 10 and again on August 18. A final extension was granted October 21, coming with a ten-day deadline to produce a deal before heading to a purse bid hearing.

The November 1 deadline arrived with talks not much further along than even was the case back in June. The sanctioning body waited an additional week before determining when to host the purse bid, which is paired up with a session to determine the rights to the WBA junior featherweight title eliminator between Ra’eese Aleem (18-0, 12KOs) and Azat Hovhannisyan (20-3, 16KOs).

Kyoguchi was represented in such talks by promoter Eddie Hearn, signing with his Matchroom Boxing company last December 2020 along with Eddy Reynoso’s No Boxing, No Life management. Bermudez was represented by Greg Cohen Promotions (GCP), the partnership formed shortly after Bermudez’s stunning upset knockout win over the-unbeaten Carlos Canizales to win the secondary WBA title this past May 29 in Mexico City.

Shortly after Bermudez’s feat came the call from the WBA to begin talks with Kyoguchi, a two-division titlist who has held the WBA belt since dethroning Hekkie Budler via tenth-round stoppage on New Year’s Eve 2018. Kyoguchi has made three defenses of the belt, most recently in a fifth-round injury stoppage of Axel Aragon Vega this past March 13 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

Hearn sought for Kyoguchi to enter a title unification bout with then-WBO titlist Elwin Soto, though both were pressed with mandatory obligations. Despite the June 10 order to first begin talks with Bermudez, the WBA was willing to grant a one-fight exception in the event that Soto was free and clear to do the same. It proved to not be the case, as the WBO called for Soto to defend against mandatory challenger Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez prior to his handlers requesting an exception.

Soto went on to lose a twelve-round decision and the WBO title to Gonzalez this past October 16 on DAZN from Chukchansi Park in Fresno. The show—which was headlined by Sandor Martin’s stunning upset win over former four-division titlist Mikey Garcia—was to also include Bermudez in a voluntary title defense versus unbeaten rising star Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. The WBA nixed those plans, refusing to sanction the fight given that Bermudez was still on the hook to first come to an agreement with Kyoguchi.

With all other options exhausted, the only remaining move is to wait out the purse bid hearing. The session will be registered to all WBA-registered promoters, provided the minimum terms are met.

Bids must come with a minimum ten percent deposit, along with up to three dates and locations for the bout to take place. The promoter who wins the session must then provide final contracts within 20 days, with the fight to take place no sooner than 45 days from the time of the purse but no later than 90 days. That time frame would place a potential Kyoguchi-Bermudez title consolidation clash anywhere from December 27 through next February 10.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox