WBA Heavyweight Tournament

[ElJefe]

The WBA have announced a tournament to crown 1 Heavyweight Champion. The tournament involves Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Luis Ortiz, Alexander Ustinov, Ruslan Chagaev, Lucas Browne and Fres Oquendo.

Could be some decent fights here if it takes place, especially the Fury/Wlad winner vs Ortiz. Do people think this will actually happen, or will pull outs and politics get in the way?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApDLP2UZuSA
http://www.worldboxingnews.net/2016/01/ ... e-champion

[Horse]

One side of the tournament seems to be a bit stronger than the other side.

[ElJefe]

I thought that as well, would have made more sense to have everyone but Fury and Wlad compete to earn a shot at the winner of the rematch, considering that is the proper title. Strange that Fury has to fight twice to qualify for a final of a tournament for the belt that he already holds.

Dan Rafael has some more info on it all here: http://espn.go.com/blog/dan-rafael/post ... -of-titles

[tiny_acres]

Tyson Fury is the champ. He does not and should not fight in the tournament.
He should have the winner of the tournament as his mandatory.

[Tony1244]

Tyson Fury is the champ. He does not and should not fight in the tournament.
He should have the winner of the tournament as his mandatory.

That would make perfect sense, but this is boxing.


Of course the WBA is trying to keep it all in their ballpark. Where's Pulev? Didn't he beat Ustinov?

[tiny_acres]

Tyson Fury is the champ. He does not and should not fight in the tournament.
He should have the winner of the tournament as his mandatory.

That would make perfect sense, but this is boxing.

The WBA is just another organization that will strip Fury of his well earned belt.

[Boxing Writer]

One side of the tournament seems to be a bit stronger than the other side.

I would say much stronger

[Freedom2013]

As soon as I saw Fres Oquendo's name, it became clear this "tournament" is just some more of the WBA's usual stupidity.

[Tony1244]

Who do you all have for the weaker side of the tournament?

Browne vs Chagaev?

And the winner of that vs Oquendo?

Hope Chagaev doesn't beat Browne? My heart couldn't take anything as exciting as Chagaev vs Oquendo 2.

[Lackeos]

Tyson Fury is the champ. He does not and should not fight in the tournament.
He should have the winner of the tournament as his mandatory.

That would make perfect sense, but this is boxing.


Of course the WBA is trying to keep it all in their ballpark. Where's Pulev? Didn't he beat Ustinov?

You can't just beat a guy one time in 2012 and henceforth have an everlasting supply of title shots. Like if Breidis Prescott beats Amir Khan and then he's just mandatory challenger for life. Khan beats Alexander, great, that means Breidis Prescott is the #1 challenger again. Khan beats Algieri, awesome, that's another vicarious win for Prescott. Prescott never seems to run out of vicarious wins, despite not having notched a meaningful win since 2008.

Having said that, Ustinov is pretty much garbage, and hasn't really earned his shot either. Come to think of it, neither has Lucas Browne, really. Actually, while we're on the subject, Fres Oquendo's best win since 2003 was Demetrice King.

[hurricanemitch14]

So........chagaev/browne winner has to fight 45 yr old semi retired Fres Oquendo while Fury/Wlad gotta fight each other then fight the winner of Ortiz/Ustinov. What a joke. Chagaev,Browne or Fres r in the top 10

[Perseus]

So what is the WBA going to do when most of these guys say piss on your stupid tournament?

The WBA doesn't strip anybody they just create more belts.

[davie]

Surely with Shannon Briggs ranked 4th by the WBA, the common sense thing to do would be to match him with Oquendo in the quaters to balance this tournament

Then I would take it seriously

[campfire]

The WBA have announced a tournament to crown 1 Heavyweight Champion. The tournament involves Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Luis Ortiz, Alexander Ustinov, Ruslan Chagaev, Lucas Browne and Fres Oquendo.

Could be some decent fights here if it takes place, especially the Fury/Wlad winner vs Ortiz. Do people think this will actually happen, or will pull outs and politics get in the way?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApDLP2UZuSA
http://www.worldboxingnews.net/2016/01/ ... e-champion

Who does Oquendo know at the WBA if he is a top 7 heavyweight I'm a Jet Fighter Pilot [and i'v never been on a plane]

[davie]

The WBA have announced a tournament to crown 1 Heavyweight Champion. The tournament involves Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Luis Ortiz, Alexander Ustinov, Ruslan Chagaev, Lucas Browne and Fres Oquendo.

Could be some decent fights here if it takes place, especially the Fury/Wlad winner vs Ortiz. Do people think this will actually happen, or will pull outs and politics get in the way?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApDLP2UZuSA
http://www.worldboxingnews.net/2016/01/ ... e-champion

Who does Oquendo know at the WBA if he is a top 7 heavyweight I'm a Jet Fighter Pilot [and i'v never been on a plane]

And gets straight to the semis in the easier side of the draw.
Like I said, get him in with the Cannon or the tournie losses all credibility

[jockpunk]

Most of these fights are already made so i don't know what you all are complaining about. The winner of browne chagaev has to fight oquendo due to legal bs not having anything to do with the wba. All the wba is saying is that the winners will have to fight each other. For once they are doing something that makes sense. We will see if it actually happens.

[Lennox]

You might all realise why the IBO belt is the best one of all. It does not have stupid people involved.

[wesshaw1985]

they've jumped Shannon Briggs in there own rankings for some reason...

[Batley18]

Ha ha, this is hilarious. There is no way that this tournament makes it through until the end.

[man]

the WBA overestimates its significance.

[asdfjkl]

I'd like the idea for a tournament, but then it should be done by about 100 guys over the time of three months or so (injured is out, even if it happens out of the fight), and everybody is allowed to refuse to join that tournament.
Just in case create a new belt for things like this, because it's absolutely ridiculous to take the belt away just randomly. I think this belt will become more valuable then the real IBF belt at this moment for example.

A tournament like this could come every two years or so.

[campfire]

You might all realise why the IBO belt is the best one of all. It does not have stupid people involved.

[Taki...]

How does this actually get the nod? This ties up Fury for what? 18 months, 2 years!
And look at the names. Wlad looked shot, Chagaev is shot, Ortiz is a cheating scumbag, and Ustinov, Browne and Oquendo are fringe at best, cannon fodder at worst.
Apart from Wlad NONE of those fights are big paydays for Fury.

[davie]

As ridiculous as it obviously is, the more I think about it the more I like it.
Fury fights Wlad - was going to happen any way and still probably the top 2 in the division fighting for the Title
The winner (lets say Fury for arguments sake) is the only actual champion so we can disregard the rest of the "belt holders" and the other fights are just fights, nothing more nothing less.

Ortiz vs Ustinov - Gives one of the more exciting prospects in the division a decent test. Should he pass that, he challenges Fury and does away with one stupid interim belt that meant nothing.

Ortiz vs Fury is well worth watching and Ortiz is a guy most belt holders are going to be looking to avoid.
Ortiz is a lot better than some guys who have been challenging for titles recently and the result would be far from a foregone conclusion

All the while a bunch of utterly meaningless fights are happening on the opposite side of the draw, who gives a hoot?

The winner of that lot (lets say Chagaev for argument sake) fights the winner of the left side of the draw (Fury for argument sake) again is far from the worst that'll have fought for a title and does away with the ordinary title nonsense.

This could be wrapped up in under 18 months, provide a few good fights and give us one outright champion and stop us moaning about the various WBA champions.

And lets be honest, If the Wilder fight comes up at any time, Fury will take it

[Nightmare Roy]

Tyson Fury is the champ. He does not and should not fight in the tournament.
He should have the winner of the tournament as his mandatory.

That would make perfect sense, but this is boxing.

The WBA is just another organization that will strip Fury of his well earned belt.

we all know he's the real boss though