WBA + WBO = WTF?!
By Coyote Duran (April 28, 2007) Doghouse Boxing (Photo © HBO)
It’s been said by those who have a belief in fate or karma that things either happen for a reason or the universe at large has a way of righting itself. Frankly, I couldn’t agree more.

Tonight, April 28, from the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, WBA lightweight titlist Juan Diaz faces WBO lightweight titleholder Acelino Freitas in an alphabet unification bout scheduled for 12 rounds and broadcast live on HBO’s ‘World Championship Boxing’, 10 PM ET/PT, 9 PM Central. In a division where a definite world champion in Ring Magazine World Lightweight Champion Joel
Casamayor reigns, there still is major intrigue and excitement about a fight involving two titlists with alphabet hardware on the line. The reasoning is sound and the over-used boxing cliché ‘crossroads match’ couldn’t be more apropos when applied here.

And to think, this fight almost did not happen.

For a time, Freitas, 38-1 (32), considered retirement and for whatever the reason may have been, obviously it wasn’t a serious enough pursuit for ‘Popo’ relented almost as quickly as he had turned in his letter of resignation. Freitas, who regained the WBO’s version of the lightweight title almost one year ago to the day of his meeting with Diaz, 31-0 (15), in a so-so showing against crafty spoiler Zahir Raheem on HBO’s ‘Boxing After Dark’ program, looks to repeat a particular distinction that he enjoyed at one time at 130 pounds: (Wait for the groan) Become the WBA ‘super champion’ for the second time in his career.

Jesus, I think I’m starting to swell and itch as bad as the last time I was in a church.

Anyhoo, the last time Acelino Freitas claimed the goofy title of ‘super champion’ over five years ago, he had walked out of the ring at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada, leaving Joel Casamayor beltless and in denial, winning a thin, unanimous decision (114-112 across the board). Being that Freitas had been the WBO super featherweight titlist entering the ring, in defeating ‘El Cepillo’, he not only annexed his WBA strap but claimed an honorific that, to this day, has confused fans and lined the pockets of many a sanctioning body executive.

When a WBA titleholder in any division captures at least one of the other ‘Big Four’ (WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO) sanctioning bodies’ trinkets in the same division, he becomes what’s known as a ‘super champion’ (Ay, mi estomago!). This also applies if and when a titleholder from the WBC, IBF and/or WBO captures a WBA strap in the same division. A ‘super champion’ then claims the distinction of defending the ‘super title’ once every 18 (if he holds the WBA and one other belt) to 21 (if he holds the WBA and two or more other belts) months against…Get this…the REGULAR WBA titlist of the very same weight class who becomes the mandatory to the ‘super champion’ after winning the vacant title (which was the one ‘vacated’ by the fighter that originally unified with another titlist to become ‘super champion’!)

…What the f__k?...

Confused? Peep this: In September of 2001, WBC/IBF titleholder Bernard Hopkins beat WBA titlist Felix Trinidad to unify the middleweight division. In doing so, the WBA declared Hopkins their ‘super champion’, rendering their ‘regular’ belt vacant. Former titlist William Joppy would go on to regain the value-less strap against Howard Eastman in a vacancy-filler later that year. In December of 2003, Undisputed Champion Hopkins, never shying away from a mandatory defense, obliged his mandatory in Joppy, beating him into a swollen caricature for 12 solid rounds. Incidentally, the WBA’s rule of a maximum of 21 months was obviously glossed over for Hopkins. He defended his ‘super title’ against Joppy 26 months and 14 days after beating Trinidad.

Got it? Good.

So now, Acelino Freitas, 31, Bahia, Brazil, wants this same super-de-duper privilege all over again because if he defeats ‘The Baby Bull’ on Saturday night, a WBA mandatory defense won’t even be a thought until two years from now, giving him all the time in the world to defend against WBO mandatories. The funny thing is that Diaz himself, a seemingly good kid with gray matter to spare, seems to be equally (and puzzlingly) jazzed by this same possibility.

During the recent joint phone press conference touting the fight, Diaz, 23, Houston, Texas, alluded to looking forward to possibly becoming a ‘super champion’ when answering a question from Jorge Perez from the Spanish-language newspaper El Nuevo Dia regarding the obligation of having to defend his unified title against the winner of a Jose Miguel Cotto vs. Prawet Singwancha fight, Diaz’ intentions were clear.

“Well, right now, I'm concentrating on next week, next Saturday on Freitas.” said Diaz. “That's my biggest challenge right now.  And from what I understand is that the winner out of Saturday night, out of the fight on the 28th, is going to become a  WBA ‘super champion.’ So that means that we will not have to defend. Neither him nor I will not have to defend the WBA belt by becoming a ‘super champion.’ ”

Some fighters actually believe in this stuff. No matter how smart they are. It’s weird.

When I talked to Oscar De La Hoya last year for Doghouse Boxing, ‘The Golden Boy’s’ endorsement of The Ring Magazine’s championship policy was loud and clear.

“Another belt is another belt. So be it. I mean, I can make myself another belt if I want for a lot cheaper than what I’m paying.” De La Hoya declared. “I would rather fight for that Ring belt that obviously everybody wants in the boxing game. Everybody who’s a fighter wants that Ring belt and that’s, ultimately, the most important belt that we have today. Not only do you pay zero fees but it also recognized throughout the whole world.”

What’s confusing to me is that even with the glowing praise for The Ring’s belts, Oscar still opted to challenge Ricardo Mayorga last fall for the WBC super welterweight strap, an iron pyrite bauble that ‘El Matador’ nicked in a vacancy-filler over Italian Michele Piccirillo in August, 2005. On May 5th, De La Hoya will defend that same belt for the first time against rabid WBC belt collector and Ring Magazine World Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., thus coughing up more dough (that he can obviously afford to throw away, don’t get me wrong). Sorry ‘bout that, Howlers. I was just reflecting on how the smartest of the smartest pugilists find such intrigue in the trappings of the notorious alphabets.

Back to Diaz and Freitas.

Another thing I found amazingly funny during the phone presser was that the only mention of the genuine champ in Joel Casamayor was relegated to a mere comparative dismissal when David Avila of the Riverside Press-Enterprise asked why Freitas challenged Diaz when there were ‘other champions’ (Casamayor, WBC titlist David Diaz and IBF titlist Julio Diaz…Damn, that’s a lotta damn Diazes runnin’ around at 135, huh?) to hunt down.

“Well, basically, he believed that Juan is one of the best in the division.” trainer Oscar Suarez would relay on behalf of Freitas. “He said he's better than Casamayor so that's why he (Freitas) decided not to look that way. Acelino said that ‘right after me (Freitas), he's the best in the world.’ “

Even though the Cuban expatriate beat The Man (Diego Corrales) Who Beat The Man (Jose Luis Castillo). But who cares? There’s plenty of alpha-booty for everyone, right?

Okeedokee. With all the bitching, moaning and wondering out loud done now, what are we to expect from two out of the three prominent ‘other guys’ in the 135-pound division on Saturday night? If Acelino Freitas’ last fight nearly one year ago against Zahir Raheem and his sporadic once-a-year schedule since submitting to Diego Corrales in August of 2004 (both fights happened at Foxwoods, oddly enough) is any indication, then facing Juan Diaz seems less and less like the right thing to do. Since dominating the cast-iron Mongolian Lakva Sim for the WBA belt in July of 2004, Diaz has defended his belt five times and engaged Arthur Cruz in a 10-round non-title affair (Diaz won in seven by TKO) in less than three years. Since the Corrales defeat, in the three subsequent fights, Freitas scored only one KO and that was against a then-21-12-1 opponent in Fabian Salazar. The Raheem fight ended in a split decision win for Freitas and before Salazar, ‘Popo’ went the distance over 10 heats with then-16-3-2 Fernando Saucedo. Dodgy and wavering since ‘Chico’, the Brazilian seems more vulnerable then ever now.

Diaz’ hit list since Sim reads as follows: Julien Lorcy (UD 12), Billy Irwin (TKO 9), Arthur Cruz (TKO 5), Jose Miguel Cotto (UD 12), Randy Suico (TKO 9) and Fernando Angulo (UD 12). Albeit by varying degrees, solid and consistent competition for such a young titleholder.

Combine all that with Diaz’ extracurricular (in pertinence to boxing) work in college, and you’ve got a young, tough and hungry titlist who’s nowhere near his competitive and physical prime. Consider his work ethic and budding power and it might be safe to look at Juan as the favorite in this unification battle.

Does Diaz have what it takes to topple Freitas decisively or even knock him out? The possibility is there. Diego Corrales showed the world how, even after being controlled by Freitas up to the 10th heat, that with enough comeback activity and power, a glaring weakness can emerge like a fresh bruise. Diaz can very well exploit the very same weakness. With Ronnie Shields working the corner, Diaz’ chances just got better. Roll that up with a fantastic body attack and Freitas is in a world of trouble.

Did I mention yet that with the promotional power of Don King, unifying these ridiculous belts becomes a greater, more profitable task, especially if Joel Casamayor can be convinced to defend the world championship against Diaz (though with two alphabet belts and a ‘super champion’ label glued on, don’t be surprised if Casamayor makes the ring walk first)? It’s a good possibility. And if having a Ring belt doesn’t make a fighter a world champion in your eyes, at least a good three-alphabet-unification might settle your hash. And enjoy it while you can. After the fight, one of the sanctioning bodies will get a bug up its ass and strip either Diaz (or Freitas. Let’s not totally dismiss him yet) or Casamayor for not answering the phone quickly enough on a Friday morning. Would it shock you?

My official thought? Juan Diaz beats Acelino Freitas over 12, unanimously. The younger Diaz will outslick and outpower Freitas. This isn’t to say that Freitas won’t get that one good shot in and end it all. He very well could. I just believe the popular Brazilian’s best days are behind him and he’ll only end up confused and look just plain tired against ‘The Baby Bull.’

However, being grateful and recognizant are two things I always try to remember to be when a solidly good fight comes around the corner. If it turns out better than its potential, even better. Whatever the outcome, Diaz-Freitas (or Freitas-Diaz, if you’re diggin’ ‘Popo’, baby) should provide some damn suitable thrills and could very well join the running for ‘Fight Of The Year.’

And if all the alpha-business involved has you asking “WTF?!” and you want real clarity in the lightweight division, then “Mi Casamayor es su Casamayor.”


Questions or comments,
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Coyote at: theboxingguy@yahoo.com
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