Denzel Bentley’s November 7 fight against Shane Mosley Jr. now threatens his hold on the WBO middleweight title after the sanctioning body rejected his appeal and ordered him to face Yoenli Hernández next.
The ruling leaves Bentley’s planned Zuffa Boxing debut in conflict with his mandatory obligation. If he intends to keep the WBO championship, the committee’s decision requires Hernández to come first.
The WBO announced Thursday that its Complaint and Grievance Committee had denied Bentley’s appeal and upheld the mandatory order.
“Both parties have been ordered to confirm their intention to proceed within 24 hours of service of the Award.”
That deadline concerns whether Bentley and Hernández intend to proceed. It does not mean they must complete negotiations or fight within 24 hours. Nor does the announcement say Bentley has already been stripped.
Still, Bentley has lost the appeal he hoped would allow him to retain his championship while taking the Mosley fight. He previously argued that he should be permitted a voluntary defense before meeting Hernández. The WBO has refused to approve that route. talksport.com
Bentley’s team booked Mosley while the title issue remained unresolved. That decision now puts pressure on the November 7 plans, with the WBO insisting its mandatory challenger cannot be made to wait through another opponent.
The financial side helps explain Bentley’s reluctance. The mandatory fight already went through purse bids, with the WBO’s official minutes recording a $200,000 bid. That is the total bid for staging the contest, rather than Bentley’s individual purse. wboboxing.com
A better-paying opportunity elsewhere may appeal to Bentley, but it does not remove Hernández’s right to challenge for the belt. Allowing a champion to book another fight and then postpone his mandatory would leave the challenger paying the price for a deal he had no part in making.
Bentley can decide which opportunity he wants to pursue. What he cannot currently count on is taking the Mosley fight with the WBO’s approval while Hernández waits. The appeal was his attempt to keep both options available. Thursday’s ruling closes that route unless the sanctioning body subsequently changes its position.
