WBA Won’t Approve Diaz vs. Freitas
Posted by RopeBurnz on April 4, 2007
WBA Press Release
April 3, 2007
PANAMA – The World Boxing Association (WBA) wants to clarify the situation of its Lightweight champion Juan Diaz as in the last few weeks it has been widely publicized that he would be taking part in a fight that has not been approved by the WBA.
During the last WBA Annual Convention, held back September 2006 in Tokyo, Japan, representatives for Juan Diaz solicited a special permit for him to fight an optional fight against Fernando Angulo even though his mandatory period was overdue. The permission was granted on the grounds that the winner of Diaz vs. Angulo would face Prawet Singwancha, who had been appointed as official challenger, before February 4, 2007.
However, in the last few weeks a unification bout between Diaz and Freitas emerged as a possibility.
The WBA has always been in favor of encouraging unification fights and in this case has been open for an agreement between the parties involved for that bout to come off.
Consequently, the WBA showed its good willingness towards this matter but ultimately it goes far beyond its power. As no agreement had been reached, the WBA had no other option but to call a purse bid for the Diaz vs. Singwancha fight to proceed as mandated.
The mentioned purse bid was won by Golden Boy Promotions on Monday and that fight has to take place within the next 90 days.
The World Boxing Association (WBA) informs that on Monday April 2 Golden Boy Promotions won the purse bid for the WBA Lightweight mandatory fight between champion Juan Diaz and official challenger Prawet Singwancha.
The purse bid was supervised by WBA Executive Vice-President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza and Audit Director Michael Welsh and was won with a 160,000 US dollars offer, presented by Sampson Lewkowicz on behalf of Golden Boy Promotions.
The cities appointed as possible venues for the fight are Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Atlantic City, while the tentative date is June 30.
According to WBA Rules, the winning promoter of the purse bid must submit the signed contracts of the fight to the WBA and confirm the date and venue within the next 15 days.
TWO PURSE BID CANCELLED
Meanwhile, two other purse bids originally scheduled for Monday were cancelled due to the fact that the respective managers and promoters have come to an agreement and have sent the corresponding signed contracts for the fights.
In the case of the vacant WBA Light Flyweight title fight between No. 2 contender Juan Carlos Reveco and No. 3 contender Nehtra Sasiprapa, the bout will be organized by promoter Osvaldo Rivero, who appointed the province of Mendoza, Argentina as the venue next May 25.
As far as the bout between WBA Super Welterweight champ Travis Simms and official challenger Joachim Alcine, it will be promoted by Don King Productions, who appointed the state of Connecticut, US, as the venue, no later than next June 30.
