Souleymane Cissokho faces continued WBC title shot delays

Undefeated French welterweight Souleymane Cissokho faces continued delays in securing a WBC world title shot despite a 1,369-day wait. Cissokho, who holds an 18-0 record, has been the WBC Silver champion since December 2022.

Although Cissokho rose to the number one ranking and won a final eliminator against Egidijus Kavaliauskas in May 2025, other contenders have moved ahead of him in the rankings. Manny Pacquiao and Conor Benn have occupied higher positions in recent months.

A recent WBC ruling allowed champion Mario Barrios to make a voluntary defense against Ryan Garcia, with the winner ordered to face Benn. While the WBC acknowledged Cissokho's status as Silver champion and winner of a final eliminator, his path to a world title remains uncertain as President Mauricio Sulaiman considers his petition.