Denzel Bentley fights Mosley Jr after WBO title strip — SkimNews
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- Denzel Bentley was stripped by the WBO of his middleweight world title after committing to fight Shane Mosley Jr instead of mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez, leaving Saturday's bout without a title.
- Denzel Bentley says the WBO ignored his case for changing the fight order and that he was happy to face Hernandez next year; he argues the sanction sought the appearance of justice rather than justice.
- Shane Mosley Jr arrives after a stoppage victory over Serhii Bohachuk and is ranked No. 6 in the WBO's rankings; Bentley says that resume and his fights with top-level opponents justify a title shot.
- Copper Box Arena hosts Bentley vs Mosley Jr this Saturday on the Zuffa Boxing 12 bill, with the bout shown live on Sky Sports.
- Denzel Bentley vows to use the hostility surrounding his title sanction and the perceived campaign against Zuffa as motivation against Mosley Jr, expecting a dogfight at some point in the contest.
- Denzel Bentley is a three-time British middleweight champion who lost his first world-title fight before a 16-month layoff left him without income and unable to find delivery work; he returned to beat Endry Saavedra for the WBO interim belt, later upgraded to full.
Why it matters: For Bentley, losing the belt means Saturday’s bout is no longer a title defence and removes the WBO championship he says he earned. Mosley Jr, ranked No. 6 after a stoppage over Serhii Bohachuk, gets the bout but no title at stake; the WBO faces a direct dispute over how it handled Bentley’s mandatory-challenger obligations.
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