Comments Thread For: A decade in, WBA President Gilberto Mendoza Jnr takes stock
Lance Pugmire sits down and interviews Gilberto Mendoza as he prepares to begin his 10th year as president of the World Boxing Association
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Mendoza didn't answer the questions directly, whilst giving the impression by admission of honesty and a willingness to 'advance' the sport of boxing.
Claiming that the proliferation of belts allows less recognized fighters to participate in the pie, rather than admitting one champion per weight class.
Additionally contradicts himself by stating there is no competition between governing bodies and shifting responsibility onto promoters, fighters, and even the changing media landscape, the outdated mode of the rankings criteria is also sophistry; He portrays himself as a man with a vision, fighting against the entrenched, outdated, competing external factors.
I would have liked to read a question regarding weigh-ins and the reasoning behind the increasing gap between weighing in and fighting. Rehydration and weight bullying are becoming a serious issue with fighters weighing in, on average two weight classes above their official weight. We saw this in the Espinosa v Ramirez bout, and it is now becoming the rule, not the exception.
Lastly, those of us who wish to see one champion per weight class or at least more support for pathways to undisputed are being let down once again - not even the mega dollars of Turki can stop the IBF from imposing its ridiculous mandatory defenses, creating another selfish profit-driven motive disguised as rule and regulation strictness-in other words, virtue signaling.
If money is the only force for change, then we will be subject to its capricious whims-Turki is here for now, but what happens when something interferes with that?
As usual, boxing defeats its lofty goals by way of deluded self interested party's.
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