Denzel Bentley Stripped of WBO Title Over Mandatory Challenge Dispute

Middleweight boxer Denzel Bentley has been stripped of his WBO world title after the sanctioning body refused permission for him to defend his belt against Shane Mosley Jr. The WBO rejected Bentley’s appeal last Friday, which argued he was entitled to face the world-ranked Mosley Jr rather than his mandatory challenger in a first title defence. The decision prevents the fight scheduled for this Saturday night at London’s Copper Box Arena.

In an interview at his gym in Essex, Bentley discussed the trauma and street violence that have impacted his life. He revealed that several friends in Battersea were murdered, an experience that numbed him and placed the current boxing politics into perspective. Bentley described his past reluctance to share his story, noting that he has been chased and shot at. Despite the loss of his title and the surrounding political disputes, he remains determined to continue pursuing fights and titles.