Ismael Barroso will almost certainly get the call to face Puello when Taylor vacates
If there was anyone credulous enough to still believe Josh Taylor would defend his undisputed super lightweight titles against WBA mandatory challenger Alberto Puello, maybe this will convince them. TGB Promotions won today’s purse bid for the bout with an unopposed $200,000 offering which would be split 55/45 between Taylor and Puello. TGB also named July 16th as their target date.
Can’t say I understand why Taylor is wasting everyone’s time like this instead of just dumping the title like we all know he will, but maybe I just don’t have a fighter’s mindset.
Since we all know where this is going, let’s talk about the WBA’s rankings instead. Their top five at 140 consists of Puello, Ismael Barroso, Ohara Davies, Sandor Martin, and Batyr Akhmedov; all signs point to the 39-year-old Barroso getting the call. The Venezuelan veteran, previously known for smashing Kevin Mitchell and subsequently collapsing against Anthony Crolla in 2016, actually got knocked out by Akhmedov four fights back but reignited his career with an upset of Yves Ulysse Jr. in 2019.
Puello vs. Barroso for a world title in the Year of Our Lord 2022. Good to know that no matter how much things change for the WBA, some things always stay the same.
