Floyd Mayweather Jr. stripped of Welterweight title
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has never lost a fight, but he’s now lost a belt.
The World Boxing Organization has stripped Mayweather of the welterweight title he won by beating Manny Pacquiao on May 2. Mayweather asked for an Aug. 1 deadline to pay a $200,000 sanctioning fee. The WBO maintained a July 3 deadline, which the boxer missed.
“The WBO World Championship Committee is allowed no other alternative but to cease to recognize Mr. Floyd Mayweather, Jr. as the WBO Welterweight Champion of the World and vacate his title, for failing to comply with our WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests,” the WBO said in a statement.
Mayweather has 14 days to appeal the decision.
Timothy Bradley Jr. was named interim champion after his win over Jessie Vargas on June 27.
The 38-year-old Mayweather said after his fight with Pacquiao that he would give up all his titles — he also holds the WBA and WBC welterweight and light middleweight belts.
“Other fighters need a chance,” he said at the time.
Mayweather later had a change of heart.
ESPN.com noted that fighters are prohibited under sanctioning body rules from holding titles in multiple weight classes, but the WBA and WBC have not ordered Mayweather to give up any of his belts.
Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) will fight Sept. 12 in what he says will be his last bout. His opponent has yet to be determined.
Source: SportingNews