The boxing body rejected Bentley’s appeal on 30 October after refusing to let him defend the belt against Shane Mosley Jr before facing its mandatory challenger.
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has stripped British boxer Denzel Bentley of its world middleweight title after refusing to let him make his first defense against Shane Mosley Jr, the Guardian said in an interview with Bentley. The WBO rejected his appeal to face Mosley before Hernández on 30 October.
Bentley became the WBO’s full world champion in July 2026 after Janibek Alimkhanuly vacated the title. The WBO subsequently ordered Bentley to defend it immediately against its designated mandatory challenger, Yoenli Hernández.
Bentley wanted a voluntary defense, in which a champion faces an opponent other than the body’s required challenger, before fighting Hernández. He said the WBO and his former promoter, Queensberry Promotions, had agreed that he could make such a defense before the end of 2026 and face Hernández in 2027. Bentley said a public post had set out that plan.
Bentley said Hernández could not fight until 2027 and that he did not want to remain inactive. He also said he was disappointed and did not feel he had been treated like a champion, but felt relieved that the dispute was over and wanted to pursue another world title.
Bentley remains scheduled to face Mosley at London’s Copper Box Arena on 7 November, without the WBO title at stake. The bout is the first under Bentley’s new 6-fight agreement with US promoter Zuffa Boxing.
Inside World Football reported on 2 November that FIFA had paid about $4 million toward Gianni Infantino’s personal US taxes; The New York Times account describes that sum as a projected total and says the benefit was not disclosed in FIFA’s annual report. FIFA says it followed applicable rules.
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Oklahoma City beat Cleveland 117–112 on 2 November. The Lakers beat Miami 138–117, and the NBA later rescinded Luka Dončić’s technical foul, reducing his season total from two to one. Portland beat Denver 118–110, Houston beat Boston 109–93, and New York beat Brooklyn 103–90. New Orleans beat Memphis 135–134 in overtime, Golden State beat Phoenix 116–113, Atlanta beat Indiana 108–104, Toronto beat the Clippers 125–118, Minnesota beat Milwaukee 112–100, Philadelphia beat Chicago 126–107, San Antonio beat Utah 119–97, Washington beat Orlando 103–94, Detroit beat Charlotte 124–91 and Sacramento beat Dallas 115–100.
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William Byron won at Martinsville ahead of Chase Elliott and Ty Gibbs. Kyle Larson recovered to ninth and leads Christopher Bell by 67 points, with the title still undecided before the 8 November 2026 finale at Homestead-Miami.
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