Hard-fought ratings – WBC Convention, Diary #3

December 11, WBC Convention, Diary #3: While the WBC is updating the rankings and causing discussion, the fighters of “Universum Boxing Night” are stepping on the scales.

The large ballroom is slowly filling up. It’s not quite clear exactly when today’s conference starts. 9.00 am? 9.30 am? The World Boxing Council is an association based in Mexico City and their approach to time is much more relaxed than in this country.

Before the meeting began, James Bleares (the man who almost knocked over Lennox Lewis at the gala dinner) told me that the WBC was founded on February 14, 1963 in Mexico City at the Prado Alter Hotel. The last surviving founding member is Victor Cota. Victor is still with the WBC. The Prado Alter was destroyed in a terrible earthquake in 1985.

The Rating Committee meets

At 9.30 am, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman opens day three of the congress. Among other things, the WBC ratings are on the agenda today. The discussions about the rankings are interesting. Managers explain why their fighters deserve higher positions. Rarely do they get their way, for a few the rating committee will review their decisions. Welterweight Blair “The Flair” Cobbs defends his own interests with a fiery speech.

Very briefly, here are the important changes for the men, not yet taking into account the input from managers, boxers and their stables. These will be published on the Internet once they have been approved by the Rating Commission. Therefore, the following changes are without guarantee, everything can still be changed by the association.

New WBC rankings

• Andrew Moloney (AUS) #2 and Kazuto Ioka (JPN) #3 swap places in the super flyweight division
• In the super featherweight division O’Shaquie Foster (USA) is #1, Eduardo Hernandez (MEX) #2, Mark Magsayo (PHIL) #3
• At lightweight, Raymond Muratalla (USA) is #1, Keyshawn Davis (USA) #2, Isaa Cruz Jr. (MEX) #3
• In the light-welterweight division Dalton Smith (GB) is #2, Jack Catterall (GB) #3
• Oleksandr Gvozdyk (UKR) #2 and Albert Ramirez (VEN) #3 swap places in the light heavyweight division
• In cruiserweight Ryan Rozicki (CND) is #1, Yamil Alberto Peralta (ARG) #2 and Michal Cieslak (PL) #3 In heavyweight Zhilei Zhang (CHN) is the new #3, behind Tyson Fury (GB) #1 and Agit Kabayel (GER) #2

Abass Baraou drops from #8 to #11 and is no longer in the top ten at half-middleweight.

Universum’s light-welterweight Luka Plantic climbs to #5. Ahmed Öner would have liked to see him at #4. He was pleased that his heavyweight Mourad Aliev moved up one place. He is now rated #14.

SES cruiser Roman Fress is now also listed as #14. His management requested a place in the top 10.

In the Bridgerweight Tom Schwarz is no longer #9, but overwinters as #13.

First opponent: the weight

And a quick trip to the scales: before the supervisor releases the fights for “Universum Boxing Night #14” on Thursday evening in the large ballroom of Hamburg’s Elysee Hotel, the eagerly awaited official weigh-in is due to take place. As usual, the aim of the protagonists is to stay as close as possible to the upper limit of their weight class. Because according to boxing logic, more weight means harder punches.

Heavyweight Mourad Aliev was pleased with the good news at the WBC Convention, as the federation raised his rating by one position and now lists him at #14. Tonight he crosses swords with Davide Britto in the ring. On the scales, Aliev is almost 15 kilos heavier than the Italian – a first partial victory for the Universum boxer.

Sometimes an advantage, sometimes a draw

Reigning WBC world champion Asley Gonzalez defends her super flyweight title against challenger Mary Romero from Spain. At the weigh-in, the defending champion weighs in at 52.0 kilos – 500 grams more than her opponent. Gonzalez therefore has the better prerequisites for a physically dominant fight.

In the run-up to the WBC International half-middleweight title fights, there is a draw at the weigh-in: Ermal Hadribeaj comes off the scales at 69.9 kilos, the same weight as his opponent Eddy Colmenares from Venezuela. The duel between the Turk Serkay Comert and the Italian Yassin Hermi is also a tie at 72 kilos.