The issue is simple on the surface. The WBC created its “Tollan Tlatequi” belt and held a ceremony in Mexico to present it as part of the event. The complication is that the fight itself is not for a WBC world title. In any case, by attaching its own prize to the fight, the WBC inserted itself into a fight it did not formally control, and which did not go over cleanly with the others.
The WBO took the strongest position. Its president, Gustavo Olivieri, made it clear that approval of the sanction depends on strict compliance with the conditions, including which belts are contested and displayed. The message was direct: if those terms are not met, recognition is not guaranteed. That stance leaves open the possibility that one of the titles attached to the fight could be up for grabs, depending on how the situation is handled.
Ramirez, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles, is still expected to enter the fight with both belts in play. The expectation of those involved in the event is that the parties involved will find a way to keep everything intact, even if it requires smoothing over the disagreements behind the scenes. The WBA’s decision to proceed regardless removes one hurdle, but it does not settle the wider issue.
That broader issue is building. Sanctioning bodies have become more willing to draw hard lines on fees, recognition and control. Shakur Stevenson was stripped by the WBC after refusing to pay a sanctioning fee linked to a second title. The IBF recently refused to sanction Jai Opetaia’s win over Brandon Glanton, even though Opetaia was moving forward under a different banner. Those situations point to the same underlying reality: cooperation between the organizations is thinner than it used to be, and fighters can be caught in the middle.
For Zurdo and Benavidez, the fight itself remains intact. The names, the date and the expectation of a big event in Las Vegas have not changed. What has changed is the level of uncertainty surrounding what will actually be at stake when the bell rings.
The WBA decided its position, but the WBO did not budge. The WBC has already made its play. This leaves this fight in an unusual location, where a high-profile fight is taking place, but the full meaning of the belts attached to it is still being negotiated.
