WBA Schedules Leo Santa Cruz v Leigh Wood Purse Bid for August 12
3Kings Boxing has been closely monitoring the situation involving WBA featherweight Super champ Leo Santa Cruz and WBA Regular champ Leigh Wood. The WBA has now scheduled an August 12 purse bid for 10 AM EST at their headquarters in Panama City, Panama. $150,000 is the minimum bid with a 75/25 percentage split in favor of Santa Cruz.
STUMBLING BLOCK
It is the percentage split that is a bone of contention for Wood. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, strongly disagrees with the call, believing it should be 60/40. Hearn feels a 75/25 split is unacceptable and believes Wood deserves more money and a bigger payday. Because of this issue, he’s been in contact with Santa Cruz’s handlers at PBC for alternative options for his fighter and Santa Cruz.
Initially, Santa Cruz-Wood was ordered in April 2022. Santa Cruz petitioned for an exemption so he could face the newly crowned WBC champion, Rey Vargas. However, in July 2022, the WBA gave a thumbs down to his request and re-ordered a match with Wood. An option Hearn discussed with PBC is to allow Santa Cruz to face Vargas and Wood to seek his own unification match with IBF champ Josh Warrington.
SO MUCH TO RESOLVE
There’s a lot to unwrap here. The WBA will not have a change of heart, and Hearn will keep insisting that Wood deserves a greater percentage. Would the sanctioning body consider Hearn’s proposal to let the two fighters seek other bouts despite previously turning down Santa Cruz’s request? Or, is Hearn’s latest proposition what he wanted all along? Despite the scheduled purse bid, it remains an open question if this match will happen. Stay tuned to 3Kings Boxing for further updates on a very fluid situation.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
