The World Boxing Association (WBA) has ordered a mandatory welterweight championship bout between champion Teofimo Lopez and regular titleholder Jack Catterall. The parties have a 30-day negotiation period.
Brooklyn native Lopez (23-2, 13 KOs) claimed the title by majority decision against Rolando Romero in August. Late last month, it was reported that he was targeting the winner of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn for a welterweight unification rather than facing Catterall.
Garcia (26-2, 21 KOs), who stopped Benn and retained his WBC welterweight title earlier in September, called out Lopez following his victory. The Victorville, California, native also recently agreed to face Mexico’s WBC super lightweight champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (29-3-2, 19 KOs).
Catterall (33-2, 14 KOs) holds the WBA “Regular” title at 147 lbs. The British southpaw earned the belt in May, defeating Shakhram Giyasov by unanimous decision.
According to the WBA announcement on Tuesday, “if the parties fail to reach an agreement within the established period [from September 22 to October 22 close of business ET], or if either party notifies the WBA of its decision to discontinue negotiations, the Championship Committee may, with the approval of the WBA President, order a purse bid in accordance with the organization’s rules and regulations.”
WBA orders Munguia vs Melikuziev and Jimenez vs Ramirez
The WBA also recently ordered two more championship defenses:
Mexico’s WBA super middleweight champion Jaime Munguia (46-2, 36 KOs) vs Bektemir Melikuziev (17-1, 11 KOs) of Uzbekistan.
- Munguia dethroned Armando Resendiz (16-3, 11 KOs) by unanimous decision to become the new WBA super middleweight champion on the Benavidez vs Zurdo undercard in May.
- Melikuziev stopped Sena Agbeko (29-5, 23 KOs) in the seventh round on the Garcia vs Barrios undercard in February.
Costa Rica’s WBA super flyweight champion David Jimenez (18-1, 12 KOs) vs John “Scrappy” Ramirez (17-1, 9 KOs).
- Jimenez, who initially won the interim title by unanimous decision against Ramirez, was elevated to full WBA champion at 115 lbs after Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez vacated the belt.
Jimenez comes off an 11th-round knockout victory over Kenbun Torres last July, while Ramirez was in action in May, scoring a unanimous decision over Lucas Emanuel Fernandez.