WBC To Remove All Boxers From Russia and Belarus From Its Rankings; Policy, Exceptions Explained

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBC To Remove All Boxers From Russia and Belarus From Its Rankings; Policy, Exceptions Explained

The WBC stands firm on its previous order to not sanction any fights taking place in Russia or Belarus.

That ruling has now extended down to the fighters who hail from and proudly represent either nation.

A big reveal came from the ratings portion of the annual WBC convention on Tuesday in Acapulco, Mexico. While discussing movements in each division, the sanctioning body announced that boxers from Russia and Belarus will be removed from its monthly ratings effective immediately.

“The WBC Board of Governors met and reviewed a specific situation, a specific case,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman addressed the convention participants Tuesday afternoon. “The WBC has reached a determination after analyzing the ongoing situation of the ongoing invasion of Russia into Ukraine.

“All fighters from Russia and Belarus are being removed from the WBC rankings. The WBC will not sanction fights in those two countries and no national citizen from those two countries can compete for a WBC championship title.

I wish to express our deep regret for the athletes, for the promoters, for the members of the boxing industry from Russia and Belarus who will suffer the consequences of the actions outside the ring.”

The decision comes more than eight months after the WBC joined the WBA, WBO and IBF in not sanctioning any fights in either nation, in light of the start of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The February 24 ruling was meant as a joint stance taken by all four major sanctioning bodies, though the WBA went rogue in establishing its own set of rules. Included among the WBA’s amended resolution was the removal of boxers and replaced with a “#nowar” disclaimer were said athletes previously held a ranking.

It also didn’t immediately extend to a pair of title fights that were already on the calendar; Russia’s Radzhab Butaev’s defense of his secondary WBA welterweight title against Eimantas Stanionis; and Dmitry Bivol’s WBA light heavyweight title defense against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. Butaev and Bivol both train out of Joel Diaz’s gym in Indio, California, in part a helpful loophole. Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) is a Kyrgyzstan-born boxer whose family moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia when he was still in grade school.

The WBC’s ruling targets any boxer who are natural Russian or Belarusian citizens, which would become a conversation if either of those fighters were to pursue a WBC-branded title fight.

Exceptions will be considered by the Mexico City-headquartered organization, including Russia-born boxers living elsewhere.

For example, it is unlikely to affect the career of lineal/WBC/IBF/WBO light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs)—a Chechen boxer who represented Russia in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics but who relocated to Montreal upon turning pro in 2013. The same would apply to unbeaten heavyweight contender Arslanbek Makhmudov (15-0, 14 KOs), a 33-year-old from Mozdok, Russia who also now lives in Montreal. Makhmudov’s team actually argued—unsuccessfully—for a more favorable heavyweight ranking prior to the ruling being read aloud.

“At the November 6, 2022 Board of Governors meeting, the board unanimously approved the resolution to remove all boxers from either of those countries from the world ratings,” stated the ruling. “Any specific cases of nationals of either of those countries permanently residing in other countries, are citizens of other countries or are refugees, who have publicly rejected Russia’s actions in the current situation will have the right to petition the WBC to reconsider The WBC’s ruling is effective immediately and will stay in effect until such time when Ukraine is able to resume their normal boxing activities or when the WBC revisits its ruling.”

While boxers such as Beterbiev and Makhmudov are spared, at least two boxers who were expecting more favorable news to come from the convention are instead dealt a harsher reality.

Evgeny Romanov (17-0, 12 KOs) and his team hoped to receive the news of a forthcoming ordered mandatory title shot against reigning WBC Bridgerweight titlist Oscar Rivas (28-1, 19 KOs). Instead, Romanov—a 37-year-old contender born and raised in Volgograd, Russia—was immediately removed from the number one-spot which will now go to Croatia’s Allen Babic.

Matchroom Boxing, who promotes Babic, have already sought clarification on a Rivas-Babic fight being ordered which is expected to come Wednesday during the mandatory title fight portion of the annual convention.

Top cruiserweight contender Aleksei Papin (14-1, 13 KOs) also saw his hopes dashed of being named the mandatory challenger to WBC cruiserweight titlist Ilunga ‘Junior’ Makabu (29-2, 25 KOs). The 35-year-old Papin hails from Reutov, Russia and has spent the entirety of his seven-year pro career in his home country. That—and his home address—will have to change in a big way if he wants to fight in any WBC-sanctioned fight for the foreseeable future.

Beterbiev is the only current full WBC titlist of Russian descent. The sanctioning body openly discussed his future, including the possibility of facing Bivol in an undisputed light heavyweight championship in 2023, along with clarification on when he will have to next face mandatory challenger Callum Smith (29-1, 21 KOs).

[Ruthless-RKO]

You'd think this was done because a Russian has just earned millions in beating two Mexican boxers this year

[DrDuke]

Another idiotic move by this bunch of mofos. Nothing surprising.

[Ezzard]

What a joke.

[keithmoonhangover]

They didn't remove us when we invaded countries.

[Ruthless-RKO]

They didn't remove us when we invaded countries.

Who's 'we'?

TBH, a lot of countries should be banned if this is the case..

[keithmoonhangover]

They didn't remove us when we invaded countries.

Who's 'we'?

TBH, a lot of countries should be banned if this is the case..

Britain.

[joshj909]

If they were to ban Russian/Belarusian flags and national anthems at sanctioned events and refusing to sanction events based in Russia etc then that would make more sense to me. This would also have to apply at a wider scale in similar situations and would need to be applied by something that isn't subjective. In a sport where it's about individuals rather than national teams, such as boxing, it doesn't really make a lot of sense to ban individuals.

[Ruthless-RKO]

In a sport where it's about individuals rather than national teams, such as boxing, it doesn't really make a lot of sense to ban individuals.

I agreed..

Banning the Russian team fair enough.. But individuals is a little harsh.

They're already not sanctioning fight IN Russua/Belarus..

[Ruthless-RKO]

Although Bivol wouldn't be ranked by WBC due to holding the WBA belt.

WBC confirmed that the winner of Beterbiev-Yarde will have to fight mandatort Callum Smith.

However, if Beterbiev-Bivol can be made, this will take priority.

So, they still gonna let a Russian box for their world title.

The whole point of not ranking Russian's is so they can't challenge for a world title, right?

[Thomastearns]

The war in Ukraine is just another bankers war.

Without the World Economic Forum a front for globalist (w)bankers, it would have been over in few days.

As it is we all have to pay for their war, their neverending lust to get hold of Ukraine and then eventually Russia.

In the meantime the death count increases day by day and not a word of peace talks from the west.

Just what the US has been doing in Ukraine, deep into eastern Europe, right on the Russian border, with thousands of agents and numerous US bio labs has also never been made clear to the public at large.

So pernicious is the power of these globalist scum, they have governments, the press, TV, radio and Hollywood broadcasting their propaganda 24 hours a day.

Meanwhile most of the contributing countries edge towards total bankruptcy day by day as the bankers/super rich get richer by the minute.

This is not our war, and we wouldn't want Russia encroaching on our borders.

The West is expanding this conflict as far and wide as possible by banning athletes who have nothing to do with Ukraine and by seizing property and money owned by Russians abroad.

In fact that just about sums up what this is all about, what all wars are about - money.

[Perseus]

You'd think this was done because a Russian has just earned millions in beating two Mexican boxers this year

That was my first thought on the subject.

I hope this farce results in athletic commissions here in America withdrawing recognition of the WBC.

[1127612]

Collective blame... Athletes shouldn't be punished for politician's actions. There should be no politics in sport. It ruins it all. There’s a lot of brilliant athletes in Russia, if you exclude them from competitions, that will just diminish the competition…

[Lenny Cravats]

I don't really get the anger, to be honest. Hundreds and hundreds of companies have ceased trade and exports with Russia.
Other sports have banned Russian teams.
Even pharma and medical companies have pulled out.

[watsupdoc87]

fukin rusian bôxers starting the war. why werent ús android uk banned from everything àter àghanistan android iraq and só much more?

[squiggy]

I don't really get the anger, to be honest. Hundreds and hundreds of companies have ceased trade and exports with Russia.
Other sports have banned Russian teams.
Even pharma and medical companies have pulled out.

Well, it's a boxing forum. I'm sure you can find irritation at those other decisions on, like, medicine and pharma boards.

[Thomastearns]

I don't really get the anger, to be honest. Hundreds and hundreds of companies have ceased trade and exports with Russia.
Other sports have banned Russian teams.
Even pharma and medical companies have pulled out.

So many wrongs don't make a right.

Those pharma companies have made hundreds of billions of dollars exploiting what was supposedly a humanitarian disaster in the making.

A disaster who's exact origins are still not clear 3 years later.

Those pharma companies are also part of the globalist agenda hoping to get its claws into Ukraine and possibly Russia afterwards.

Divide and conquer, divide and conquer is their way.

As was said earlier attrocities in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria all went unpunished.

But they have tons and tons and tons of oil.

Alas, poor Yemen does not.

[funso banjo baby]

They didn't remove us when we invaded countries.

Who's 'we'?

TBH, a lot of countries should be banned if this is the case..

Actually a small minority of countries invade other countries.
The whole world isn't all at it
The original point still stands ie why weren't the proverbial 'we' ever banned.

[Tony1244]

Tough issue because I hate blaming individuals for what their country does. But turning the screws on Russia, any screws is quite important.

[Gnome]

fukin rusian bôxers starting the war. why werent ús android uk banned from everything àter àghanistan android iraq and só much more?

Is this poster a bot?

[Lenny Cravats]

I don't really get the anger, to be honest. Hundreds and hundreds of companies have ceased trade and exports with Russia.
Other sports have banned Russian teams.
Even pharma and medical companies have pulled out.

So many wrongs don't make a right.

Those pharma companies have made hundreds of billions of dollars exploiting what was supposedly a humanitarian disaster in the making.

A disaster who's exact origins are still not clear 3 years later.

Those pharma companies are also part of the globalist agenda hoping to get its claws into Ukraine and possibly Russia afterwards.

Divide and conquer, divide and conquer is their way.

As was said earlier attrocities in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria all went unpunished.

But they have tons and tons and tons of oil.

Alas, poor Yemen does not.

Globalist agenda? Come on now.

Are ikea part of it, too?

[joshj909]

I don't really get the anger, to be honest. Hundreds and hundreds of companies have ceased trade and exports with Russia.
Other sports have banned Russian teams.
Even pharma and medical companies have pulled out.

So many wrongs don't make a right.

Those pharma companies have made hundreds of billions of dollars exploiting what was supposedly a humanitarian disaster in the making.

A disaster who's exact origins are still not clear 3 years later.

Those pharma companies are also part of the globalist agenda hoping to get its claws into Ukraine and possibly Russia afterwards.

Divide and conquer, divide and conquer is their way.

As was said earlier attrocities in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria all went unpunished.

But they have tons and tons and tons of oil.

Alas, poor Yemen does not.

Globalist agenda? Come on now.

Are ikea part of it, too?

IKEA are definitely part of it. They send their liberal Scandinavian plans to homes worldwide but you have to use these to construct the truth yourself.

[watsupdoc87]

fukin rusian bôxers starting the war. why werent ús android uk banned from everything àter àghanistan android iraq and só much more?

Is this poster a bot?

suck my dick unabashed royalist bôtlicker. im writing on a viet phone

[Gnome]

fukin rusian bôxers starting the war. why werent ús android uk banned from everything àter àghanistan android iraq and só much more?

Is this poster a bot?

suck my dick unabashed royalist bôtlicker. im writing on a viet phone

I see you haven't lost your sense of humour, ya knob.

[Lenny Cravats]

So many wrongs don't make a right.

Those pharma companies have made hundreds of billions of dollars exploiting what was supposedly a humanitarian disaster in the making.

A disaster who's exact origins are still not clear 3 years later.

Those pharma companies are also part of the globalist agenda hoping to get its claws into Ukraine and possibly Russia afterwards.

Divide and conquer, divide and conquer is their way.

As was said earlier attrocities in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria all went unpunished.

But they have tons and tons and tons of oil.

Alas, poor Yemen does not.

Globalist agenda? Come on now.

Are ikea part of it, too?

IKEA are definitely part of it. They send their liberal Scandinavian plans to homes worldwide but you have to use these to construct the truth yourself.