WBO title to change hands if no bout by September
Dmitry Pirog’s chances of a huge unification bout with IBF middleweight champion Daniel Geale in what would be both fighters US debut in August, has been dealt a blow with the news that the WBO have issued the following statement.
Please take notice that pursuant to the WBO Rules, and due to the inactivity of WBO Middleweight Champion Dmitry Pirog who has fought only twice in a 19 month period, the WBO World Championships Committee has sanctioned an Interim WBO Middleweight Championship bout between Hassan N’Dam N'Jikam v Max Bursak on May 4, 2012. The winner of this bout must face the division champion.
Please be aware that on July 31, 2010 Dmitry Pirog became the WBO Middleweight Champion with a TKO 5 over Daniel Jacobs. As he won a vacant title, he had 180 days until his Mandatory due date of
January 31, 2011. However, due to his inactivity, Dmitry was given the opportunity to do a Voluntary bout on March 26, 2011 against Javier Francisco Maciel with a UD12 win. Some 14 (fourteen) months later, on September 25, 2011 Mr. Pirog was successful by RTD 10 in a Mandatory defense against Gennady Martirosyan.
In case the WBO Championship Committee decides to sanction a voluntary defense for the Champion, the winner of the said bout must face the winner of the May 4th bout within 120 days from the date of the last bout, subject to the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.
This resolution will be sent to the representatives of both parties and will be posted on our website at
WBO | World Boxing Organization – News, Rankings, Forums, Videos
The HBO double-header involving Pirog and Geale and a WBA title bout between Austin Trout and Sergiy Dzinziruk may now need a major re-think or Pirog may lose his WBO middleweight belt outside the ring.
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