Claim: Jean Baptiste Mendy turned pro in 1983, and in 1998, he captured the WBA lightweight title with a decision win over Orzubek Nazarov.
Evidence: Mendy turned pro in 1983 and captured the vacant WBC lightweight title with a win over Lamar Murphy in 1996. In 1998, he captured the WBA lightweight title with a decision win over Orzubek Nazarov.