Official: WBA will sanction Ramirez-Benavidez regardless of WBC special belt

An individual connected to the planned May 2 unified cruiserweight title bout pitting champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez versus unbeaten David Benavidez told BoxingScene Tuesday that the WBA will indeed sanction the bout despite some friction over the WBC creating a special belt for the winner.

The WBO for now is maintaining its position that if the winner fights for the WBC’s new “Tollan Tlatequi” commemorative belt, the fight will not be sanctioned by the Puerto Rico-based body that currently has Mexico’s Ramirez as its champion.

“The World Boxing Organization has clearly established the conditions under which sanction approval could be granted, including the championship belts to be contested, displayed and awarded,” WBO President Gustavo Olivieri told BoxingScene Tuesday. “We expect full adherence and compliance by the relevant parties, including the promoters of record, which have been duly notified.”

Former WBC super-middleweight champion Ramirez, 48-1 (34KOs), first claimed the WBO 200lbs belt by defeating Chris Billam-Smith in November 2024, successfully defending both belts in June over Cuba’s Yuniel Dorticos.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman invited both his light-heavyweight champion Benavidez, of Phoenix, and Ramirez to Mexico earlier this month for a ceremony announcing the new belt.

The WBC has presented a special belt to the winners of all Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence weekend fight cards since 2017. This one, however, is not for a WBC belt, and the intrusion bothered the rival bodies.

“Mauricio does have Benavidez as his [175lbs] champion … it’s not like it’s a complete highway robbery,” one individual connected to the fight told BoxingScene Tuesday.

The WBO notified the connected promoters of its intention to strip by letter, and one official told BoxingScene Monday they would work to soothe the hard feelings and keep both titles in play for the Las Vegas bout.

Sanctioning bodies have been embroiled in a few controversies in recent weeks, including the WBC’s decision to strip lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson of his belt after he won the WBO 140lbs belt January 31 and declined to pay the WBC a sanctioning fee.

Earlier this month, the IBF reported it would not sanction its cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia’s March 8 victory over ranked challenger Brandon Glanton as Opetaia became the first Zuffa Boxing champion with his unanimous-decision triumph in Las Vegas.