Floyd Mayweather Jr. has never lost a fight. But due to a technicality, he is set to be stripped of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title. The WBO will award the belt to current interim titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr.
The WBO stripped Mayweather of the welterweight title he won — one of his three — after beating Manny Pacquiao in a much anticipated fight on May 2. Mayweather was asked to pay a $200,000 sanctioning fee (of the $220 million he made off the fight) by July 3 and and requested an extension until August 1. The WBO stripped him of his title when Mayweather failed to meet the July 3 deadline that they maintained.
“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.
Of all reasons to lose a title, this has to take the cake for avoidable catastrophes. I can’t imagine that Mayweather didn’t have enough money to pay the sanctioning fee. He probably has $200,000 on his person at all times.
