Following the controversy surrounding Noel Mikaelian’s fight against Jai Opetaia, the WBC has taken action. Michal Cieslak is the new champion—and will now face David Benavidez.
The cruiserweight division is being reshuffled. The WBC has stripped Noel Mikaelian of his world title and promoted the former interim champion, Michal Cieslak, to full world champion. For the 37-year-old Pole, this is the first official world title of his career.
The reorganization was triggered by developments surrounding Mikaelian’s bout with Jai Opetaia in Las Vegas. Mikaelian’s promoter, Don King, had attempted in the run-up to the fight to prevent it from taking place by seeking a court injunction. The bout went ahead nonetheless, though without official sanction from the WBC. Opetaia defeated Mikaelian.
By selecting Cieslak, the association has also set the schedule moving forward. The Polish fighter is set to defend his new title against David Benavidez. The bout had already been scheduled as a mandatory defense and will remain so even after the title change.
This could lead to another major cruiserweight unification bout. The WBC plans to have Jai Opetaia face the winner of the Cieslak vs. Benavidez match. For now, however, all eyes are on the newly crowned champion: Cieslak must immediately defend his new title against a prominent challenger who has moved up from light heavyweight to cruiserweight.
Text by Robin Josten