WBO Vacates Welterweight Championship Belt From Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Photo Credit: ArizonaLatinos.com

By Francisco Romero. –  It seems like controversy never stops surrounding Floyd Mayweather Jr.

On Monday the World Boxing Organization stripped the boxer of his WBO Welterweight belt due to the lack of a $200,000.00 sanctioning fee payment.

Mayweather Jr. beat Manny Pacquiao on May 2^nd after becoming the Unified WBO/WBA/WBC Welterweight Champion of the World.

According to a statement released by the organization, the WBO shall be paid a “Sanction Fee” (both Champion and Challenger) of a rate equal to three percent (3%) of their purses with a minimum of $1,000.00 and a maximum of $200,000.00 per boxer.

Mayweather Jr. failed to do so by the deadline the organization had set; the deadline was last Friday.

The WBO statement released on Monday it stated the following:

“Despite affording Mr. Mayweather Jr. the courtesy of an extension to advise us of his position within the WBO Welterweight Division and to vacate the two 154-pound world titles he holds, the WBO World Championship Committee received no response from him or his legal representatives on this matter.”

“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.”

According to ESPN.com Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe told them the following, “It’s a complete disgrace, 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,” Ellerbe added.