What Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao failed to do in the ring, the World Boxing Organization has done – stripping Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr of a world title.
Mayweather won the WBO welterweight title from Pacquiao on May 2 in one of the most over-hyped and under performing championship fights of all time, but on Friday the WBO said it was stripping him of the title due to “a lack of compliance.”
As we covered over a month ago, these issues included not paying a $200,000 sanctioning fee for the title and refusing to vacate his World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) junior middleweight titles – a requirement as boxers are not allowed to hold world championships in multiple weight classes.
After his win against Pacquiao, Mayweather had said he would vacate the titles saying “Other fighters need a chance. Give other fighters a chance. I’m not greedy. I’m a world champion in two different weight classes. It’s time to let other fighters fight for the belt”.
What made Mayweather change his mind on giving up the titles or not pay the sanctioning fee is unclear although it could not have been lack of money as he took home more than $220 million from the Pacquiao fight, but he is not happy with the WBO’s actions.
His lawyer John R. Hornewer said “For Mr. Mayweather to pick up the paper and read that another promotional company has announced that it is staging a bout for the same WBO title that Mr. Mayweather won in the ring, currently holds and has not relinquished, was extremely disappointing for him and his team”.
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