Early last year, Don King submitted a $2,000,000 bid to claim ownership of Mahmoud Charr vs. Trevor Bryan for the WBA “world” heavyweight title. That wound up devolving into a complete shitshow, leaving Bryan to pummel Bermane Stiverne and Charr to file a lawsuit against King alleging a number of improprieties that kept him from actually making it to the fight. Part of that suit got tossed, but as far as I can tell the rest is ongoing.
Despite this and despite the fact that Charr and Bryan originally came to terms in May 2019 to no measurable result, the WBA again staged a purse bid and King again claimed victory, this time with a $1,000,101.80 offer. King listed “possible venues” as “Warren, Ohio; Las Vegas, Nevada and South Florida, Florida, all with a date of January 29, 2022.”
That’s the same proposed date for Ilunga Makabu vs. Thabiso Mchunu, and since King promotes the cruiserweight champ, odds are we’re looking at a double feature.
There are a lot of hugely undeserving titlists under the WBA’s banner, though admittedly fewer than at this point last year, and Bryan (21-0, 15 KO) may be the worst of the lot. The two fights before his vacant interim title shot against oversized cruiserweight BJ Flores saw him beat opponents with a combined 4-44 record, and Stiverne remains his only defense in over three years.
Charr (32-4, 18 KO) was 33 years old when he cruised past Alexander Ustinov for the “world” title. He was five months away from turning 37 when he finally re-entered the ring to smash Christopher Lovejoy. He remains “champion in recess,” having been demoted after the last Bryan debacle.
Taking all bets for how/when/if this actually happens.