The WBA is featuring three cruiserweight title fights this weekend. In its desire to have one champion in each division, the WBA cruiserweight tournament has officially begun.

Friday night in Paris, France, Yunier Dorticos (21-0, 20 KOs) TKO’d Kayembre Kalenga (23-2, 15 KOs) to win the WBA World interim cruiserweight title.

Tomorrow in Russia, WBA Super World cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev faces IBF champion Victor Emilio Ramirez in a unification bout. The co-main in Moscow features a third cruiserweight championship bout between Beibut Shumenov and Junior Wright for the WBA World cruiserweight title.

The winner of Lebedev-Ramirez must face the Shumenov-Wright winner within 120 days. The winner of that bout gets to tangle with Dorticos for undisputed recognition as WBA cruiserweight champion.

Background

On February 5 Denis Lebedev asked the World Boxing Association for special permission to participate in a unification bout with his IBF counterpart Victor Ramirez. The WBA gave a green light to the fight, on condition that the winner of Lebedev-Ramirez faces the winner of Dorticos-Kalenga. The winner of that bout will in turn face the winner of Shumenov-Wright.

However, in March Team Shumenov appealed to the WBA to have his interim status elevated to that of regular champion. The World Boxing Association granted the request, with the understanding that his mandatory is the winner of Saturday’s fight between Lebedev and Ramirez.

The WBA reaffirms its decision to have one champion in each division.

This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.