Jermell Charlo Stripped of WBA Junior Middleweight Belt

Jermell Charlo has been stripped of his WBA junior middleweight title, marking the loss of his last undisputed title. The decision was made by the WBA championship committee, with president Gilberto Mendoza informing Dan Rafael of this development.

Charlo, aged 33, now holds a record of 35-2-1 (19 KOs) but finds himself without a belt for the first time since 2019. His last fight was a challenging one, as he moved up two weight classes to face Canelo Alvarez at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas last September.

Despite holding the undisputed mantle after unifying against Brian Castano in 2022 in a rematch of their 2021 draw, Charlo did not defend his titles. The WBA has now officially designated him a champion in recess.

Charlo's boxing activity has been sparse, with only one fight in 2020, one in 2021, and his lone bout in 2022 being against Canelo. Additionally, he has faced challenges outside the ring, contributing to the uncertainty surrounding his future plans, as he has not communicated with the governing body regarding a potential return to boxing or the weight class he would compete in.

The vacant WBA title will be contested on Friday, March 8, in Saudi Arabia, where Uzbek Israil Madrimov, the WBA's top-ranked fighter, will face Russia’s Magomed Kurbanov, ranked No. 2. Madrimov holds a record of 9-0-1 (6 KOs), while Kurbanov boasts an unblemished record of 25-0 with 13 stoppages.