WBA Update: Bayless, Thurman, Guerrero, Eubank, Nava

ByWorld Boxing Association

Kenny Bayless will be the referee of the Saturday, March 7 bout, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, for the WBA welterweight championship bout between titlist Keith Thurman and challenger Robert Guerrero.

Nevada State Athletic Commission appointed Americans Adelaide Bird, Dave Moretti and Jerry Roth as judges. The WBA supervisor will be Gilberto Jesús Mendoza.

Guerrero (32-2-1, 18 KO), the fourth rated contender of the division and is a former champion of two different divisions, who will try to put an end to the undefeated record of Thurman (24-0, 21 KO).

On July 27, 2013, Thurman won the interim belt when he knocked out Diego Chaves, and made three successful defenses before being elevated to regular champion on January 17, 2015.

After becoming the new World Boxing Association Middleweight interim champion, Britain’s Chris Eubank Jr. spoke with the press in his country after defeating Dmitry Chudinov and said he was happy to achieve his dream, his goal “and I have the belt that I have fought for.

“I won, I have my belt. I lost the opportunity of winning it last time, and I made sure not to make the same mistakes this time. This is wonderful, this is my dream”.

He made it clear that he is still considered a boxer who has to learn many things, and needs to improve. “I must improve but I am happy with my presentation.This guy [Dmitry Chudinov] was terribly difficult.

He said he wants the rematch with Billy Joe Sanders “I’m ready for the rematch, I am coming for you”, in reference to their fight of last November that Eubank lost by decision.

With strength, speed and accuracy, the WBA/WBC super bantamweight champion Jackie Nava of Mexico annihilated Argentinean Mayra Gómez in six rounds last Saturday night in Baja California, Mexico.

Nava, (32-4-3, 14 KO’s), proved to be technically superior with stronger punches that punished her opponent all through the fight. Gomez (16-4, 4 KO) tried her best to neutralize the “The Aztec Princess”, but Gomez did not have enough to do it.

The first rounds were entertaining to the fans, although with a very clear advantage for Nava, the challenger tried to respond all the time at a distance that she considered prudent to neutralize the bombardment of punches from the champion.

However, the fifth and sixth rounds proved to be genuinely punishing for the Argentinean until the referee Rocky Burke intervened when he noticed that Gomez could not escape nor respond to the rain of punches thrown by Nava.
It was the sixth successful defense of the black belt and gold for the Mexican.