Pacman-Ugas rematch, bomalabs; Yordenis vs. Stanionis ang next

ni Gerard Arce - @Sports | September 20, 2021

Tila ang inaaabangang rematch sa pagitan nina WBA Super-World welterweight champion “54 Milagros” Yordenis Ugas ng Cuba at nag-iisang 8th-division World titlist Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao ay maisasantabi muna matapos ipag-utos ng pamunuan ng WBA na idepensa ng Cuban boxer ang titulo kay No.1 ranked Eimantas Stanionis ng Lithuania sa loob ng 119 araw.

Kasunod na rin ito sa kagustuhan ng WBA na mabawasan ang bilang ng mga may hawak ng titulo nito sa welterweight, kung kaya’t makabubuting magkaroon na ng 4-fighter tournament na kinabibilangan nina Ugas, Stanionis, Regular World titlist Jamal James, at #5 Russian Radzhab Butaev.

“The championship committee call (s for a) Box-Off as necessary for WBA Welterweight division in order to have one champion,” pahayag ni Carlos Chavez, chairman ng WBA Championship Committee sa inihayag na resolusyon, ayon sa nakuhang kopya ng BoxingScene.com. “Based on the hierarchy of WBA rankings the eligible boxers are: Yordenis Ugas (“Super Champion”), Jamal James (“Regular Champion”), Radzhab Butaev (“official challenger”) and Eimantas Stanionis (“leading available contender”).”

“In accordance to the previous resolution, Jamal James shall box official contender in Radzhab Butaev by November 2021. Yordenis Ugas must defend the title against the next leading available contender Eimantas Stanionis within 120 days from the date of this resolution. The Super Champion must box the regular champion by the end of March 2022.”

Dahil sa naturang hakbang ay lumabo na ang tsansang maganap pa ang rematch nina Ugas at Pacman matapos ang unang paghaharap noong Agosto 21 na nagresulta sa 12-round unanimous decision pabor sa dating 2008 Beijing Olympics bronze medalists. Maging ang kagustuhan rin ni Ugas na makatapat ang magwawagi sa laban nina WBO 147-pound title holder Terrence “Bud” Crawford at Shawn “Showtime” Porter.