Denzel Bentley’s 102-day title reign will go without a single defense.
WBO president Gustavo Olivieri confirmed on Friday that Bentley has been stripped of his middleweight title.
British Bentley captured the interim title in April with a seventh-round TKO of Endry Saavedra. He was relieved in July after ex-champion Janibek Alimkhanuly decided to continue his career at super middleweight.
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After Bentley’s upgrade, an order came to him to defend his belt against No. 1 contender Yoenli Hernandez. The fight went to bidding, and Warriors Boxing, the sole licensee, won the rights for a minimum of $200,000. Bentley only $150,000.
A few days later, Bentley confirmed that he had switched from France’s Warren Reginsberry promotion – with whom he had been working on a fighting basis – to Danai Albi’s Zuffa Boxing, and that the partnership would take place in London on November 7 against Shane Mosley Jr. instead of fighting Hernandez.
Bentley’s title loss became imminent but was delayed after the Brit pursued the WBO appeal process in a last-ditch attempt to retain his championship. The WBO Complaint and Grievance Committee denied Bentley’s appeal on October 22 and officially stripped him of the belt on Friday.
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The WBO is now expected to order Hernandez to fight for the vacant title. Although No. 2 contender Vito Mielnicki Jr. and no. 3 contender Tim Tszyu ahead of Michael Zerafa, the crown understands that it is likely to be Zerafa versus Hernandez for the vacant strap.