The president of the World Boxing Association (WBA), Gilberto Mendoza, plans to reduce the number of belts that his organization awards in each individual weight category.
“A plan is coming, we are not looking to do it for popularity, but we are going to definitely reduce the number of titles. That flexibility that we had with the titles, we are going to eliminate it little by little,” Gilberto Mendoza told ESPN Deportes.
“It is something that the public has asked for, even if I am not one hundred percent in agreement with that change. I feel that with more titles we give the fighters more opportunities, but I understand that the public is very important for boxing sports.
“I know that on other occasions I have said (that I would reduced the number of titles) and I have not been able to fulfill that, but now I am going to do it, I’m saying this with my feet on the ground – after having analyzed the numbers, after having analyzed the situation that has been generated and the number of controversies there have been, and with respect to the level of legal conflicts it will also simplify things for the WBA.
“I am not telling you that I am going to stay with a single champion in each division, but yes, most of the divisions I am going to stay (with one champion). It is a difficult plan, I hope that in October we will start it, I do not know how long it can take. I do not know in which divisions the interim belts will be removed and in which divisions the regular and the super champions will remain. We are going to strengthen the Gold belts that we have.”
