Jose Ramirez and Arnold Barboza Jr have been ordered to fulfill for the vacant WBO junior welterweight (140 lbs) title, however maintain your horses, as a result of the not too long ago “retired” Teofimo Lopez continues to be within the combine for now, and so is Devin Haney.
The WBO are giving Lopez “24 hours upon issuance” of at this time’s order “to verify in writing to the WBO Championship Committee whether or not he retains his WBO Jr. Welterweight Championship.”
If Lopez doesn’t do this, then the belt will formally be declared vacant. Nevertheless, even when Lopez does insist he’s retired and offers up the belt, Teofimo will nonetheless have the prospect to be thought of necessary challenger for the WBO belt if he returns to the ring in some unspecified time in the future, which most suppose that he’ll. Teofimo would have 12 months from the time of a possible Ramirez vs Barboza combat to train that proper.
In the mean time, Lopez is fairly lively on social media, largely rolling in Teofimoisms, however he hasn’t stated something concrete about this but. He nonetheless has hours, in fact.
There’s one other hitch with Devin Haney, so let’s simply lay this all out kind of so as:
Teofimo Lopez has 24 hours to declare he’s maintaining the WBO title at 140 lbs; if he does this, the Barboza-Ramirez order is terminated
If he doesn’t, then Devin Haney, by advantage of being WBO champ at 135, has the choice to inform the WBO he’ll transfer up, after which he can combat Barboza for the vacant title; Haney has the identical 24 hours that Teofimo does
If Lopez vacates and Haney doesn’t take a combat with Barboza, then the Ramirez vs Barboza order is in impact
Obtained it?
The WBO’s rankings as of June 15 nonetheless listed Lopez as champion, with Barboza (28-0, 10 KO) and Ramirez (28-1, 18 KO) because the Nos. 1 and a couple of contenders, respectively.
Ramirez, 30, can be the promotional A-side in advertising and marketing and all that, you’d assume, as he’s a multiple-time ESPN headliner and former WBC/WBO unified titleholder within the division. Barboza, 31, has simply stored beating folks and, regardless of not getting a lot promotional push as a star or most important occasion fighter, has labored his means into being a legit contender the quaint means.
It’s a great combat if it occurs, a superbly worthy vacant title bout, and ought to be simple to finalize, as each are with Prime Rank.
If both facet requests a handbag bid, which appears unlikely given the prior sentence, the minimal bid is $150,000. The 2 sides have 20 days to get a deal completed as of at this time’s order.
