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WBA see sense to strip Jones, Lebedev handed regular title

Phil D. Jay 
WBN Editor
Panamanian reverts to old habits

Fight-shy Guillermo Jones is no longer the WBA cruiserweight champion after a meagre two defences in four years as title holder. Scheduled opponent Denis Lebedev now picks up the belt after the Panamanian attempted to stall their proposed December 17 contest.

Lebedev, 33, has held the interim title for almost a year since defeating James Toney and promoter Vlad Hrunov decided to lobby the WBA after Jones made his predictable move to shift the fight a second time.

"It's just happened," Hrunov told Ria Nostovoi. "I presented my arguments" to the congress in favor of awarding Lebedev the title, he said.

The bout was originally pencilled in to take place in October, before the December date was then agreed and reversed, and any attempts by Jones’ promoter Don King to salvage the contest have now seemingly failed.

40 year-old Jones had pulled out or postponed five title defences in his reign and has now paid the penalty, which really should have been handed out after it took him two years to make a first defence in 2010.

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