On Thursday, newly elected WBA President Gilberto Mendosa Jr. declared to ESPN Deportes that PBC had submitted a request for the welterweight fight between Danny Garcia(31-0-0, 18KO) and Robert Guerrero(33-3-1, 18KO) be for their “super” welterweight title.
“It is a matter of formality,” Mendoza said to ESPN Deportes. “In late January, he will [no longer be champion].”
On Friday it was decided by the WBA that the request made by PBC would be denied. Garcia-Guerrero will not be for the WBA “super” welterweight championship.
No specific details were given as to why the request was denied but it is strongly believed that the WBA would like to promote their current champions to the status of “super” in both the welterweight and jr. middleweight divisions before awarding another fighter the prize.
The WBA world champion at welterweight is undefeated Keith Thurman(26-0, 22 KO), another Al Haymon fighter who was recently awarded the Premier Boxing Champion’s fighter of the year.
Once Mayweather is stripped of his status, it is expected that Thurman will be elevated to WBA “super” champion with David Avanseyan (21-1-1, 11 KOs) replacing him as world champion.
This will be good news for critics of Danny Garcia who believe he is being fast tracked on an easy path in the welterweight division and feel he does not deserve a title shot at 147 pounds when he has fought only once previously, against Paulie Malignaggi, at the welterweight limit.
However, this may only delay Danny Garcia’s attempt to become WBA welterweight champion.
If Victorious against Guerrero on January 23, from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, a showdown between him and the winner of the proposed Thurman-Porter title fight seems to be inevitable. It would be an easy fight to make as all fighters are managed by Al Haymon and fight under the PBC brand. It would also be an easy sell to fans and would be sure to garner huge ratings for PBC.
As it stands today the main event for PBC’s debut on Fox will have to settle for being without titles, but with Danny Garcia and Robert Guerrero in the ring, the fight is sure to not be without action.
