Badou Jack Vacates WBA Light Heavyweight Title

Badou Jack's reign as WBA "regular" light heavyweight title ends at 28 days.

In the same week that Andre Ward, the WBA's "super" champion at 175 pounds, announced his retirement, Jack told the WBA that he would be vacating his title. That now leaves Dmitry Bivol, the WBA's interim champion, as the sole WBA champion at light heavyweight. 

The organization released a statement on its website announcing the move.

The World Boxing Association (WBA) Light Heavyweight Championship title was vacated after Badou Jack sent a letter to the organization this Saturday, September 23, in which he expressed his desire to give up the belt.

Jack thanked for the opportunity given by the WBA to fight for the title against Englishman Nathan Cleverly on August 28, when he defeated his rival by TKO in the fifth round.

Thus, the purse bids scheduled for Monday, September 25, between Badou Jack and Russian Dmitry Bivol were suspended.

Jack won the title when he beat Cleverly on the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor undercard in his 175-pound debut. The WBA had been adamant of getting rid of multiple champions in its divisions and with three world champions as of last week, the WBA wanted its regular and interim champion to unify titles. 

Cleverly was ordered by the governing body for months to fight Bivol, but Cleverly, Bivol, Jack and the WBA managed to work out a step aside deal that would allow Jack and Cleverly to fight each other, but the winner of that fight had to come to terms on a fight within a few weeks. A purse bid was supposed to take place on September 25, but now with no second champion, a purse bid would be pointless.

Now Bivol will fight Trent Broadhurst on November 4 in Monaco.