Gvozdyk Gets Interim Title Fight But It Still Smells Fishy At The WBC

Gvozdyk vs Amar

Last week 3KingsBoxing.com reported that the WBC would order a purse bid for the interim title bout between Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Eleider Alvarez. We later reported that Alvarez pulled out of the purse bid.

According to Top Rank’s CEO Bob Arum, Gvozdyk will now face Mehdi Amar, 34-5-2, 16 KO, on March 17th for the WBC interim title. It will be part of the ESPN broadcast from Madison Square Garden.

“That is the fight for the interim title for the mandatory. We’re loading up these cards like you can’t believe. We’ve got (Jose) Ramirez and Amir Imam, Michael Conlan, to whom we’re dedicating the date because it’s St. Patrick’s Day and the Gvozdyk fight,” said Arum.

The fact that Gvozdyk was able to move on from this mess is great for him but it doesn’t change how the WBC has allowed Adonis Stevenson to make a mockery out of their light heavyweight division.

Alvarez was the mandatory to Stevenson for over two years and never was able to get a shot at the belt. Now who’s to blame for the way the situation was handled could be debated forever. The fact is that Alvarez and Stevenson are handled by the same people and obviously somebody somewhere didn’t want this fight to happen. Was it Stevenson? Alvarez? Yvon Michel (their promoter)? Al Haymon?

My guess is that when you break it all down it boils down to money plain and simple. There was more money to be made with Stevenson in Canada as the champion long term. With Michel being a Canadian based promoter and Stevenson having to fight in Canada due to prior legal issues it makes sense.

My problem though is with the WBC allowing this to go on this long. It’s unfair to everyone in the WBC rankings period.

Now that everyone has been called out for the ordeal they’re trying to save face with Stevenson against Badou Jack. While I’m perfectly ok with this fight and glad to see Jack receiving this opportunity, mark my words when I tell you that if Jack wins we’re gonna have fans fussing about him instead of Alvarez or Gvozdyk getting their shot first.

The whole point is that all of this could’ve been avoided if the sanctioning body would’ve simply operated by their own damn rules.

By: Chris Henderson