WBA confuses adviser to Gennady Golovkin with same old song and dance

BoxingScene.com has some quotes from Ivaylo Gotzev, adviser to interim WBA middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin, regarding the current middleweight ladder for the sanctioning body.

Here's how Golovkin got to where he is, in Gotzev's words:

"The WBA elevated Felix Sturm to super champion and let him avoid fighting Golovkin as his mandatory. Then they mandated that Anthony Mundine fight Golovkin for the vacant belt. We won the purse bid, but Mundine bailed because he knew he would get knocked out. Then we ended up knocking out Nunez for the interim belt. So now we don't understand how [Hassan N'dam] N'Jkam can fight [Avtandil] Khurtsindze for yet another WBA belt?"

Obviously, Mr. Gotzev has not read Brickhaus' awesome breakdown of the WBA and their, erm, "policies," but there has been a similar situation at 126 pounds:

Just to provide an example of the WBA's convoluted stupidity when it comes to its titles, look at the current WBA featherweight title situation.  Way back in 2003, Chris John won the interim title by beating Oscar Leon.  The real title was held by Derrick Gainer.  However, when Gainer was beaten by Juan Manuel Marquez in a unification fight, Marquez was made the super champion, and the WBA elevated John to regular champion without so much as needing to fight.  For almost three years, Marquez defends his title and John defends his.  John's managers are screaming that they want their mandatory with Marquez, which is supposedly due in 18 months, but because Marquez is a little famous and John is not, the two don't actually fight until Marquez refuses a rematch with Manny Pacquiao because he felt lowballed. 

Finally, in March 2006, Marquez fights John, who defeats Marquez.  Even though Marquez was super champion, John just stays regular champion by beating Marquez, since Marquez was stripped by the IBF before he fought John.  In April 2009, even though John was still healthy and fighting, the WBA decides that one titlist just isn't enough, and sanctions a fight between Yuriorkis Gamboa and Jose Rojas for the interim title.  A few months later, the WBA elevates Chris John to super champion for little apparent reason, and elevates Gamboa from interim titlist to regular titlist without so much as needing to fight. 

So now there are two healthy, active WBA champions, so what does the WBA decide to do?  Sanction ANOTHER title.  The battle between Celestino Caballero and Daud Yordan was supposed to be for the WBA interim title, but Caballero forgot to pay his fees, so now some other poor cads, probably nobody ranked in the WBA's top 5, will get a shot at becoming interim titlist.  And all the while, there are two healthy, active "champions", and nobody seems to be in any hurry to get any of them to fight each other or the supposed WBA mandatory, Daniel Ponce de Leon.  With sanctioning fees of up to $150,000 per fighter, depending on the size of the purse, that's a lot of coin that can end up in the WBA's pocket.

Simple, see?

If that doesn't make it clear enough, I'll let Coach Pete Bell from the 1994 film Blue Chips break it down.

(Note: NSFW)

Mr. Gotzev also offers this quote:

"I have faith in the WBA and hope that this misunderstanding will be quickly resolved."

And so it continues on. They're threatening to file a protest if Sturm is not ordered to face Golovkin, almost as if they expect that will get anything done.