Manuel Charr decisions Alexander Ustinov for vacant WBA title

The ongoing saga of the “regular” WBA title has somehow gotten even dumber, as the WBA sanctioned today’s bout between Manuel Charr and Alexander Ustinov as a vacant title fight at the last minute. Charr dropped Ustinov on his way to a decision victory and must now begin negotiations with Fres Oquendo.

Let’s recap the path of this belt. Buckle up, because shit’s about to get stupid.

-Ruslan Chagaev edges Oquendo for the title in 2014 and knocks out Francisco Pianeta in his first defense.

-Lucas Browne storms back from a hard knockdown to stop Chagaev in Grozny.

-Browne fails a drug test for clenbuterol, which is generally used as a diuretic, and the belt goes back to Chagaev.

-Chagaev falls off the face of the earth and loses the belt due to outstanding sanctioning fees.

-The WBA gives Oquendo, who is the court-mandated top contender, a shot at the vacant title against Shannon Briggs. Oquendo had not fought since the loss to Chagaev and Briggs had not fought a warm body since receiving the beating of a lifetime from Vitali Klitschko in 2010.

-Briggs tests positive for elevated testosterone, leaving Oquendo in the lurch.

-Discussions begin to pit Oquendo against Kubrat Pulev, who suffered a last-second injury before a planned shot at “Super” champ Anthony Joshua.

-The WBA calls Charr-Ustinov a title fight. Charr was 2-0 against nobodies since his knockout loss to Mairis Briedis and subsequent gunshot wounds. Ustinov’s only fight since 2015 was against a shot Raphael Zumbano Love and he was better known for the assorted shenanigans that occurred when they tried to put together Ustinov vs. Luis Ortiz.

So, yeah. Boxing is dumb, but the WBA in particular is flat-out disgraceful.