Ahead of their recently confirmed cruiserweight bout on May 2, David Benavidez and Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramírez closed their face-off on a friendly note. As they looked into each other’s eyes, the intensity was evident. It was genuine. Still, they finished with a firm handshake. In that way, the fight for Zurdo’s unified titles cleared one hurdle. But as it increasingly appears, one of the year’s most awaited bouts—dubbed ‘Mexico vs. Mexico’—on Cinco de Mayo weekend still has a few more rounds to go before it reaches the finish line.

Reports indicate the WBA and the WBO—the two sanctioning bodies involved in the fight—have threatened to pull out. Their complaint? The WBC’s involvement. Ahead of the bout at the T-Mobile Arena, the WBC, which is based in Mexico City, invited David Benavidez and Zurdo Ramirez to a ceremony and unveiled a special belt for the winner. The move, however, drew pushback from the WBA and the WBO, who made their displeasure known.

A report from BoxingScene‘s Lance Pugmire revealed that the two sanctioning bodies approached the promoters of the fight, including Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and Al Haymon’s PBC, to voice their concerns.

“If the WBC special belt is to be fought for, according to the letter, the WBO and WBA will not award their belts to the winner,” the report read.

To understand the WBC’s involvement in this bout, it helps to review the cruiserweight title picture. While Jai Opetaia holds the IBF title and Zurdo wears the WBA and the WBO belts, it is the Armenian-German Noel Mikaelyan who holds the WBC cruiserweight title. The WBC’s role in the Benavidez-Zurdo fight rests on two grounds.

First, David Benavidez holds their title at light heavyweight. Second, because both fighters share Mexican heritage, promoters are billing the bout as an all-Mexican showdown. With that backdrop, the WBC had Benavidez and Zurdo unveil the special belt it created, called ‘Tollan Tlatequi’.

WBC back in the eye of the storm

“The winner of the fight between David Benavidez and Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramírez will take home the commemorative Tollan Tlatequi Belt,” the WBC’s Instagram post read. “Benavidez, as the WBC Light Heavyweight Champion, has sought and been granted permission to challenge Zurdo’s WBA and WBO Cruiserweight titles. This is the first time two fighters of Mexican heritage will fight for the cruiserweight crown. To mark the occasion, the WBC has created a special commemorative belt dedicated to the state of Hidalgo and designed by Imperio de Metal.”

The latest controversy closely follows on the heels of the dispute that erupted over Jai Opetaia’s title defense at Zuffa Boxing 04. Reportedly, the IBF refused to approve the fight after Dana White’s newly formed boxing promotion introduced its inaugural Zuffa belt.

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It remains unclear whether the New Jersey-based sanctioning body will strip him of his title, as they had confirmed.

The Benavidez-Zurdo dispute also shines a spotlight on the WBC. The organization recently faced scrutiny for stripping Terence Crawford and Shakur Stevenson of their titles over unpaid sanctioning fees, and this latest episode adds to that attention.

Similarly, the sanctioning of heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk’s voluntary title defense against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven generated comparable attention, highlighting the growing focus on sanctioning bodies’ volatile decisions.