Denzel Bentley responds to WBO title removal after appeal fails

Denzel Bentley has spoken about losing his WBO middleweight world title after the sanctioning body rejected his attempt to fight Shane Mosley Jr before mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez. In an interview published by the Guardian on Tuesday, the London boxer said the decision had disappointed him but also ended the uncertainty surrounding his title status.

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BoxingScene reported that the WBO withdrew Bentley's recognition as champion and declared the championship vacant effective October 30. A statement from the organisation said he had failed to meet his mandatory championship obligations and that its executive committee had unanimously ratified the decision. The ruling means Bentley's scheduled November 7 contest with Mosley will not be a defence of that belt.

The dispute followed an order for Bentley to face Hernandez. According to BoxingScene, Warriors Boxing secured the promotional rights with a winning purse bid of $200,000. Bentley was entitled to 75% of that amount, or $150,000. He instead signed with Zuffa Boxing, which announced the Mosley contest, and sought permission to take that voluntary defence before fulfilling the mandatory obligation.

Bentley had previously told Sky Sports that he was willing to fight Hernandez but believed arrangements were already in place for a voluntary defence before the end of the year. He said he did not want to vacate the title or have it taken away. His position was that he needed to keep his career moving while the dispute was resolved.

The Guardian reported that Bentley stopped Endry Saavedra in April to win the interim WBO title before being elevated to full champion in July after Janibek Alimkhanuly vacated. That April appearance ended a 16-month absence from competition following Bentley's December 2024 victory over Brad Pauls, a period during which Bentley said he had received no fight pay.

Now 31, Bentley told the Guardian he wanted to pursue another world championship following the ruling. His bout with Mosley at London's Copper Box Arena is the first of a new six-fight agreement with Zuffa. He said the loss of the belt had not changed his approach to the contest.