Leo Santa Cruz and Leigh Wood Given Until December 7 to Negotiate
The WBA’s belt consolidation plan is going into effect once again. WBA Super featherweight champion “El Terremoto” Leo Santa Cruz (38-2-1, 19KO) and WBA ‘regular’ Champion Leigh “Leigh-thal” Wood (26-2, 16KO) have been ordered to negotiate once again.
THE BACKSTORY
In July, the WBA ordered the two champions to fight as part of their belt consolidation. Team Santa Cruz was hoping to get a unification bout with WBC champion Rey Vargas. The WBA denied their request and ordered that they begin the negotiation process with Team Wood.
Both teams failed to reach an agreement, prompting the committee to call for a purse bid. According to the rules of the WBA, the split would be 75/25 in favor of the super champion. This did not sit well with Wood’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing.
The purse bid got canceled as the teams reached a special agreement that was satisfactory to both sides. They agreed to allow Santa Cruz to fight Vargas while Wood was going to defend the title against top contender Mauricio Lara, with the winners to face each other.
SANTA CRUZ VS WOOD NEGOTIATIONS TAKE TWO
Unfortunately, things did not work out as planned. The unification bout between Santa Cruz and Vargas never materialized. Furthermore, Wood suffered an injury that put the Lara fight on hold.
According to the WBA, after receiving the requested medical report on Wood’s injury, the six-week recovery period will expire on December 1, and the championship committee wants the teams to begin negotiating.
Purse bids will be ordered by December 7 if no agreement is reached. It will be interesting to see if they agree to fight this time.
3Kings Boxing will continue to follow this ongoing sage and provide any new updates.
By: Garrisson Bland
