The 62nd annual WBC convention held in Hamburg, Germany, provided some interesting new developments as the mandatories pertaining to the WBC titles were revealed. The most notable features of this convention saw Badou Jack elevated from his champion-in-recess status back to claiming the WBC title, indicating Norair Mikalejan is no longer the WBC champion after a legal battle with promoter Don King left him unable to defend his title.

At heavyweight (200+ lbs), the recently-announced battle between German contender Agit Kabayel (25-0, 17 KO’s) and Chinese slugger Zhilei Zhang (27-2-1, 22 KO’s) has been confirmed to be waged over the vacant WBC interim title.

At the WBA-and WBC-acknowledged bridgerweight/super cruiserweight division, South African WBC champion Kevin Lerena (30-3, 14 KO’s) is poised to defend his belt against Ukrainian challenger Serhiy Radchenko (11-7, 5 KO’s) next year, while #1-rated Polish contender Adam Balski (20-2, 12 KO’s) will face countryman and former WBC cruiserweight (200 lbs) champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (65-4-1, 44 KO’s) for the vacant WBC interim title.

The cruiserweight division will see Swedish Badou Jack’s (28-3-3, 17 KO’s) position as champion-in-recess reversed to full champion as Norair Mikaeljan (27-2, 12 KO’s) has been confirmed to lose his WBC title and has himself been relegated to champion-in-recess status pending a legal dispute with promoter Don King. Notably, Jack has not fought since February of 2023. Badou Jack and Canadian contender Ryan Rozicki (20-1-1, 19 KO’s) have subsequently been ordered to face each other while Argentinian contender Yamil Peralta (17-1-1, 9 KO’s) will face Polish contender Michal Cieslak (27-2, 21 KO’s) for the vacant WBC interim title. The WBC interim title had previously been made available for the Rozicki-Peralta match held earlier this month but remains vacant after the two contenders tangled in a majority-decision draw.

In the light-heavyweight division (175 lbs), the upcoming February 22nd rematch between Artur Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KO’s) and Dmitry Bivol (23-1, 12 KO’s) will see the winner presumably be ordered to face the winner of the David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KO’s) versus David Morrell (11-0, 9 KO’s) contest. Benavidez is currently in possession of the WBC interim title which will be defended against Morrell come February 1st.

The super middleweight (168 lbs) division will see Mexican unified champion Canelo Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KO’s) continue to reign unopposed as he will not be forced to fight any mandatories. The WBC has also ordered French contender Christian M’bili (28-0, 23 KO’s) ajnd Mexican contender Jaime Munguia (44-2, 35 KO’s) for the vacant WBC interim title. The same privilege has been afforded to American women’s WBC 168 lbs champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn (9-2, 2 KO’s).

In the middleweight (160 lbs) division, the upcoming title bout between WBC champion Carlos Adames (24-1, 16 KO’s) and British challenger Hamzah Sheeraz (21-0, 17 KO’s) has been confirmed to be a WBC mandatory bout. The WBC has further obliged itself to order the winner to face Kazakh #1-WBC rated contender Meiirim Nursultanov (20-0, 11 KO’s).

The WBC has confirmed in the super welterweight (154 lbs) division that Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KO’s) remains the WBC mandatory challenger to WBC & WBO champion Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KO’s). Crawford is further in possession of the WBO interim and WBA world 154 lbs titles.

No notable developments have been reported in the welterweight (147 lbs) division and American WBC champion Mario Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KO’s) continues to be the champion following his split-decision draw against Abel Ramos (28-6-3, 22 KO’s) on November 15th.

At super lightweight (140 lbs), WBC champion Alberto Puello (23-0, 10 KO’s) is expected to face mandatory challenger Sandor Martin (42-3, 15 KO’s) on March 1st; a fight expected to occur on the undercard of the Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. event.

As was explained in the convention, undisputed women’s super lightweight champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 KO’s) and promoter Matchroom have until the end of January to arrange a trilogy bout with Amanda Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KO’s) or Taylor will be ordered to face WBC interim champion Chantelle Cameron (20-1, 8 KO’s).

In the women’s lightweight (135 lbs) division, British WBC interim champion Caroline Dubois (10-0, 5 KO’s) has found herself elevated to full WBC champion while the men’s 135 lbs division has seen Shakur Stevenson’s (22-0, 10 KO’s) upcoming February 22nd bout against Floyd Schofield (18-0, 12 KO’s) confirmed as a voluntary title defense. WBC interim champion William Zepeda (32-0, 27 KO’s) continues to retain his interim belt as he reportedly recovers from an injury but neither of the two champions have yet been obliged to face each other.

At super featherweight (130 lbs), Mark Magsayo (27-2, 18 KO’s) and Edwin Cano Hernandez (13-2-1, 4 KO’s) have been confirmed to be fighting for the mandatory position though the WBC has not indicated whether the winner would face WBC title holder O’Shaquie Foster (23-3, 12 KO’s) who is allowed a voluntary defense.

The women’s 130 lbs division has seen the WBC order an immediate rematch between undisputed champion Alycia Baumgardner (15-1, 7 KO’s) and Delfine Persoon (49-3, 19 KO’s) after their initial match earlier this year was ruled a no-contest.

In the featherweight (126 lbs) division, American contender Bruce Carrington (14-0, 8 KO’s) will be fighting in a final eliminator which can ensure Carrington seals the mandatory position for himself. WBC champion Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KO’s) has already been confirmed to be defending his title against former unified super bantamweight (122 lbs) champion Stephen Fulton (22-1, 8 KO’s) come February 22nd.

The WBC appears undecided about 126-pound female champion Skye Nicolson (12-0, 1 KO’s) and has not ordered anything substantial in this regard.

Nothing relevant has been mandated by the WBC for Japanese 122-pound undisputed champion Naoya Inoue (28-0, 25 KO’s).

At bantamweight (118 lbs), Japanese WBC champion Junto Nakatani (29-0, 22 KO’s) is allowed a voluntary defense

The super flyweight (115 lbs) division will see Andrew Moloney (27-4, 17 KO’s) and Roman Gonzalez (52-4, 42 KO’s) engage in a final eliminator to decide the next mandatory challenger for WBC holder Jesse Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KO’s).

The divisions below did not see the WBC order any relevant mandatory bouts or final eliminators.