Any confusion over the WBA\u2019s bantamweight title situation has been clarified by the sanctioning body, and Antonio Vargas is recognized as the organization\u2019s bantamweight champion heading into next Saturday\u2019s fight with Jesse \u201cBam\u201d Rodriguez.<\/p>\n
The WBA had previously, until a few days ago, listed Seiya Tsutsumi as bantamweight champion, and not Vargas. But their latest update to their rankings does now list Vargas as WBA world champion, with Tsutsumi removed.<\/p>\n
Tsutsumi has been moved to \u201cchampion in recess\u201d status \u201cdue to a medical condition,\u201d according to the WBA<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over the last year and change, Vargas and Tsutsumi have been in a dance that is strange even by WBA standards. This has not been the standard \u201csuper world\u201d and \u201cworld\u201d issue people who care about this stuff usually expect to see from the group.<\/p>\n Instead, Tsutsumi became \u201cchampion in recess\u201d due to injury, and Vargas was elevated to defend against Higa in July 2025. Their fight also went to a draw.<\/p>\n Vargas has not fought since. In the meantime, Tsutsumi returned, was reinstalled as champ, and successfully defended against Nonito Donaire in December 2025. Tsutsumi\u2019s name appeared on the WBA rankings page, Vargas\u2019 did not.<\/p>\n Now, we\u2019re back to Vargas as the champ recognized by the WBA, and Tsutsumi sidelined. If Rodriguez beats Vargas on Saturday, he will officially have won the WBA bantamweight title, and then if, as anticipated, he moves up to 122 lbs to face Naoya Inoue<\/a> late this year or in early 2027, the WBA may not even have to fill a vacancy, as Tsutsumi could come back off the shelf and be reinstalled again.<\/p>\n None of this is even meant to pass any aggressive or new judgment on the situation. Boxing\u2019s world titles are hard enough to really take as seriously as you\u2019d want to, unless you\u2019re just extremely passive about it all, and the WBA have the tendency to be the most ridiculous of the four big bodies.<\/p>\n