All Michel Soro and his handlers can do is wait.

Soro’s attorney, David Berlin, petitioned the WBA in a letter dated December 21 to change the controversial outcome of his 154-pound elimination match from a ninth-round, technical-knockout victory for Israil Madrimov to a no-decision. The boxing commission in Madrimov’s home country of Uzbekistan, where their fight took place December 17, has acknowledged that only the WBA has the authority to change the official result because WBA officials and rules were utilized.

Gary Shaw, a former promoter who was named the WBA’s chief of staff last year, has informed representatives for France’s Soro (35-3-1, 24 KOs) and Madrimov (8-0, 6 KOs) that the Panama City-based sanctioning organization’s championship committee would “meet after the New Year” to determine whether changing the official result is warranted.  

Berlin noted in his formal protest that Madrimov clearly landed “six or seven unanswered punches” on Soro after the bell sounded to end the ninth round. Neither referee Salvador Salva nor Madrimov appeared to hear the bell sound to conclude the ninth round.

By then, Madrimov had hurt Soro with a right hand that landed with several seconds to go in the ninth round. Though already in trouble, Soro might’ve recovered between the ninth and 10th rounds of what was a very competitive fight at Hotel Renaissance in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan, had he not been hit numerous times after the bell.

Soro, 34, had not lost inside the distance in 38 professional bouts before Madrimov repeatedly fouled him following the conclusion of the ninth round.

Bulgarian judge Yordan Ezekiev (78-74) and English judge Grzegorz Molenda (77-75) had Madrimov ahead on their cards through eight rounds. Italian judge Luigi Boscarelli had their scheduled 12-round encounter even through eight rounds, 76-76.

Madrimov, who entered their fight ranked second by the WBA, became the WBA’s mandatory challenger for its “super” 154-pound champion, Jermell Charlo, by beating the number one-ranked Soro.

Houston’s Charlo (34-1-1, 18 KOs), who also owns the IBF and WBC championships, is expected to participate in an immediate rematch with WBO champion Brian Castano (17-0-2, 12 KOs) on an undetermined date in March. Barring another draw, the Charlo-Castano winner will become boxing’s first fully unified champion in the 154-pound division during the four-belt era.

Charlo and Castano boxed to a 12-round split draw July 17 at AT&T Center in San Antonio.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.