WBO strips Mayweather of title for fee default
THE WORLD Boxing Organization won’t bend its rules to suit Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The WBO championship committee on Monday stripped Mayweather of the welterweight crown he won from Manny Pacquiao on May 2 following the American’s failure to pay the $200,000 sanctioning fee required by the Puerto Rico-based body headed by Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel.
Mayweather, who earned about $220 million from his fight with Pacquiao, was also punished for not relinquishing the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association junior middleweight titles he also holds, as required by the WBO.
The decision to take away Mayweather’s 147-pound title was reached after the Friday deadline for payment lapsed and no word came from his camp despite the Monday extension given him.
As a result, Timothy Bradley, who beat Jesse Vargas by unanimous decision for the WBO interim welterweight belt on June 27, is expected to be elevated to full champion status.
During the postfight conference of his bout with Pacquiao, the 38-year-old Mayweather announced that he would relinquish all his titles (including his WBC and WBA welterweight belts) to give younger fighters the chance to become champions. He never did. Sought for comment, Pacquiao texted INQUIRER Mindanao correspondent Aquiles Z. Zonio:
“He (Mayweather) was given enough time to do his responsibilities as WBO champion and to decide whether to relinquish his WBO147 crown. I think the WBO committee has been fair before stripping him of the crown.”
Mayweather, the world’s highest-paid athlete since 2013, has two weeks to appeal the WBO decision.