expe wrote:
Kameda won titles in the 2 divisions below and the divisions above, even if they aren't recognised as world titles by most, they are by the WBA, so he's clearly at that sort of level, maybe he should have had a fight at the weight first, but it's rare the WBA call any mandatory and Kameda's a decent choice, so I can go along with that.
They can't say they don't recognise interim titles, then ask why the interim champion isn't getting a shot, I can't really see what Sanchez has done to get a world title shot either.
To me this seems like they don't like Kameda being given a world title fight after they banned him, especially against another Japanese fighter and are now throwing the toys out the pram in an attempt to stop it, no different to the board refusing to sanction Haye-Chisora, nothing to do with having a backbone at all.
They can say they won't accept them on the basis they are being handed out willy-nilly, if used correctly interim titles are an excellent tool. They can feel the fact Kono's been out of the ring for however long does allow the WBA to have an interim title fight and they have interim and main champion fight. Something they themselves force when they have an interim domestic champion.
The JBC haven't banned Koki, to say they have is wrong. They have have refused to license his old gym and haven't allowed him to transfer to low level gyms to get around it. They have told him, clear as day that if he wishes to fight in Japan he will need to transfer to a gym with a proven history of having managed a world champion. Instead of doing that he has tried to sign to UNITED (who's chairman is ill anyway) and an even more obscure gym and been told no.
Had the WBA/WBC/WBO/IBF have allowed Magarito to fight for a world title when he was banned from fighting in the US we'd rightfully be up in arms.
It's a backbone to stick up to the WBA rather than cower and allow as many joke title fights as possible. You may like interims for interims sake, heck you may have loved the fights on Thursday night, but lets be honest those interim titles are making a mockery of things. As is being ordered to purse bids and then pulling yourself out of the fight a day before the purse bids (as Koki did against Anselmo Moreno, when it was clear Moreno's team were going to bid big). I'm almost waiting for the British board invicte super interim titles to those shores for the likes of Crolla.
As for Sanchez he has scored relatively decent wins over Tapales, Piero Perez, and Demecillo in recent times and, perhaps most importantly, actually been fighting at the weight.
