Floyd Mayweather officially has been stripped of his welterweight title.
Reports surfaced that the World Boxing Organization planned to take action if Mayweather, who is in violation of WBO rules by holding multiple titles simultaneously, did not pay sanctioning fees and relinquish the title of his own accord by 4:30 p.m. last Friday.
The WBO made the announcement Monday in a statement, per ESPN.
“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 statement read.
“The WBO has the utmost respect for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and all that he has accomplished during his storied career. Mr. Mayweather has always agreed with and understood that world championships have both privileges and responsibilities and that status as WBO champion is subject to and conditioned on compliance with the WBO rules and regulations.”
Mayweather’s camp didn’t take kindly to the ruling, according to ESPN boxing analyst Dan Rafael.
“It’s a complete disgrace,” Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe said. “Floyd will decide what, or if any, actions he will take. But in the meantime he’s enjoying a couple of hundred million he made from his last outing and this has zero impact on anything he does.
“Floyd Mayweather has a great deal of respect for each and every organization, as he has always had in his 19-year career, but he will not be dictated to by any organization or person as it relates to his decision making.”
Mayweather can file an appeal at any time during the next 14 days, but Ellerbe told ESPN Mayweather hasn’t yet decided whether he will do so.
“We have the best attorney in the game, John Hornwer, and we are fully aware of what our rights are,” Ellerbe said. “Floyd will decide what he wants to do.”
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
