Stephen Fulton somehow failed upward.
Rather than being punished for missing weight ahead of his scheduled challenge for O’Shaquie Foster’s WBC 130lbs title, the two will instead compete for the sanctioning body’s interim belt at lightweight.
It gets better.
The same secondary title was already assigned to a long ago agreed-upon clash between actual WBC-rated lightweight contenders Ricardo Nunez and Jadier Herrera. Their bout was approved as a secondary 135lbs lightweight title fight in a ruling made during the WBC’s annual convention earlier this week in Bangkok, Thailand.
Shakur Stevenson currently holds the full version of the WBC lightweight title. However, the unbeaten three-division titlist and pound-for-pound entrant will next challenge lineal and WBO 140lbs king Teofimo Lopez on January 31 at a yet-to-be-revealed venue in New York City.
“Lightweight Champion Shakur Stevenson is allowed to move up to challenge WBO super lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez,” the WBC noted during the mandatory defense portion of its convention. “An eliminator between number two ranked Ricardo Nunez and number three Jadel Herrera will take place for the interim title.”
Fast forward to Friday.
Prior to the ceremonial weigh-in for PBC’s Prime Video pay-per-view event this weekend, it was revealed that Fulton twice failed to make the 130lbs mark. The two-division and current WBC featherweight titlist weighed 132lbs, while Foster, 23-2 (12 KOs), came in right at the 130lbs mark.
However, it was revealed just prior to Foster and Fulton stepping on the scale in public view that their bout will now take place with the WBC interim 135lbs title at stake – as if it were a plan all along.
Shamelessly, the WBC confirmed this detail without explanation as to how it wound up with two approved interim title fights.
“This Friday, Foster registered 130 pounds while Fulton weighed in at 132 pounds,” noted the sanctioning body. “The WBC authorized both to contend for the WBC interim lightweight title, a division whose champion is Shakur Stevenson.”
Their bout is one of four to air live on Prime Video PPV this Saturday from Frost Bank Center, home to the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.
The event first began with Foster-Fulton as a major title fight, along with a three-belt middleweight unification bout and two WBC interim title fights at 140lbs and 160lbs, respectively.
Saturday’s show is now littered with interim belts at stake in three of its four contests.
As it relates to Foster-Fulton and specifically Foster’s WBC 130lbs title, BoxingScene has learned the following:
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The winner of Saturday’s co-feature will then have 15 days to notify the WBC of its next steps;
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If Foster wins, he will have to decide whether to stay at 135, or return to 130 where he holds an actual title.
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If Fulton wins, he will have to confirm whether he will return to 126 - extremely doubtful, especially after blowing weight one division north on Friday – or will remain put at the new weight.
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Additionally, a new opportunity potentially awaits an ordered WBC eliminator between Mark Magsayo and Michael Magnesi;
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For now, it appears that Magsayo-Magnesi – tentatively slated for a yet-to-be-announced January 31st card – will carry the WBC 130lbs title
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A win by Foster and decision to remain at 135 would see the abovementioned bout come with the full title at stake
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Any other outcome would leave Magsayo-Magnesi as an interim title fight.
