The WBA has elevated interim bantamweight champion Antonio Vargas to its full titleholder and downgraded the injured Seiya Tsutsumi to its champion in recess.

In a document reviewed by The Ring, on March 25, the WBA championship committee ordered Tsutsumi to engage in mandatory negotiations for his title defense against Vargas. On May 6, promoter Akihiko Honda of Teiken Promotions informed the WBA that Tsutsumi was neither medically nor physically capable of defending his title. The development allowed the WBA to elevate Vargas, and Tsutsumi must next provide the WBA with a certified medical report regarding his treatment, rehabilitation and prognosis for his recovery by August.

Vargas (19-1, 11 KOs), a 2016 United States Olympian, scored the WBA interim title by knocking out Winston Guerrero in December.

Tsutsumi (12-0-3, 8 KOs), a 29-year-old from Japan, overcame a cut and knockdown on Feb. 24 when he fought to a draw in a title defense and rematch against Daigo Higa. Tsutsumi snatched the title away from Takuma Inoue in October with a unanimous decision win.

Vargas, 28, won’t waste much time defending the title, and he'll go on the road to do so.

Amaury Piedra, president of Boxlab Promotions, told The Ring that he’s in negotiations with Teiken for Vargas, the first ever world champion of his Florida-based company, to defend the title by late July in Japan against either Tenshin Nasukawa (6-0, 2 KOs), Higa (21-3-2, 19 KOs) or Inoue (20-2, 5 KOs).

“Antonio is excited to defend the title that he earned,” Piedra told The Ring. “Sure, we would have preferred to beat Tsutsumi for the full title. But we’re now looking at the other top three guys in the division. Nasukawa, Higa and Inoue are all good opponents for us. Antonio is a fantastic young man and no one is more deserving than him for what he’s accomplished. We’re so happy for him and his redemption story.”

After his only loss, Vargas was cut from Top Rank after a first-round knockout in 2019. Piedra signed Vargas in 2022 and has promoted his last eight fights at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida.

As Tsutsumi gets his health straightened out, Piedra said a title unification fight would be likely for Vargas if he lands the summer victory.

Other titlists in the 118-pound division include WBC champion Junto Nakatani and IBF belt holder Ryosuke Nishida, who’ll be facing off June 8 with the vacant Ring title on the line as well. WBO champion Yoshiki Takei is the other titleholder in the weight class.