Andre Ward to be made WBC Champion Emmeritus so the WBC can charge more fees

[Earl-Hickey]

.......

From Boxrec

Andre Ward will have his status changed to ‘Champion Emeritus’ by the governing body.

The match between Los Angeles-based Cameroonian Sakio Bika and unbeaten Montenegrin Nikola Sjekloca, currently slated for the WBC interim title at super-middle, will be, in turn, upgraded to the ‘ordinary’/full-fat title.

That bout is set for Atlantic City on February 16th.

Ward withdrew from a scheduled January 26th defence again Kelly Pavlik after the Oakland fighter suffered a shoulder injury. This means, of course, that the WBC can’t earn a sanctioning fee from Ward whilst he’s recuperating. Whether this is linked to his likely ‘promotion’ is not known.

We also understand that the winner of Bika-Sjekloca will be mandated to fight Canada-based Romanian Lucian Bute within 90 days.

Bute had an option to fight Carl Froch in a return (i.e. Froch was contractually obliged to give Bute a rematch after the Nottingham man smashed him in five rounds last May) but Bute, understandably given the comprehensive nature of his defeat, doesn’t seem to fancy going down that route.

[daggum]

bika-bute again **** me to god damn tears. bika can probably win this time but no one cares or if they do care they shouldn't. my 3 cents!

[ShoulderRoll]

So much bull**** from the alphabet organizations. The sport needs to have just one governing body with only 1 world champion in each weight class.

But with all the money to be made from sanctioning fees I doubt this will ever happen.

[Rip Chudd]

We all should be past the point of being surprised by anything the WBC does.

[Hougigo]

We all should be past the point of being surprised by anything the WBC does.

I'm actually surprised they're not shipping the title to China

[Pretty Boy1]

If it looks like **** and smells like **** then it's definately **** and god damn this situation is the ****s!!!!

[tredh]

I see nothing wrong with what the WBC and alphabet organizations are doing. Now I do see something wrong with what the fighters are doing!! I mean what true man allows himself to be extorted? Fighters don't need belt organizations to say its ok if you guys fight just pay us x amount of $$$ for us ok'ing the fight. Fighters need to look at it as what exactly will the organization be doing to earn this money.

If fighters allow this to happen to them then I blame them not the alphabet organization.

Can any of yall imagine getting ready to fight somebody in your neighborhood and some old guy comes up to yall and say "Yall need to pay me to ok yall fight"!!! GTFOH is what I would say. That is how I look at the alphabet organizations and why I would never pay them.

[BattlingNelson]

The WBC already tagged Mikkel Kessler with the emeritus title for vacating the title due to injury.

The title inflation is ridiculous these years. Money talks. Integrity suffers.

[Weebler I]

bika-bute again **** me to god damn tears. bika can probably win this time but no one cares or if they do care they shouldn't. my 3 cents!

Calzaghe's resume just keeps getting better! Title wins for Kessler, Bika and Hopkins in 2013 will really bowl you over dagg

[The Hammer]

Nikola Sjekloca is no pushover. This will be a good, competitive fight between two fringe contenders.