Mayweather stripped of title he won in Pacquiao fight

The World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association had been breaking their own rules by allowing Mayweather to hold their titles, but the WBO upheld its rules.

“Money” Mayweather beat Pacquiao on points in an incredible showdown in Las Vegas on May 2, winning the welterweight belt in the process. But due to a technicality, he is set to be stripped of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title.

Mayweather said he would give up his title after the pay-per-view bout with Pacquiao.

The American, who holds the two other welterweight world titles, earned more than £100m from his fight with Pacquiao.

According to Ryan O’Hara of ThaBoxingVoice.com, the undefeated fighter declined to pay the $200,000 sanctioning fee for the title by the July 3 deadline imposed by the WBO.

The rules also prohibit WBO champions to hold any belts in any other weight divisions. Pacquiao was ranked second in 2015, with nearly half Mayweather’s earnings at €146m.

But the 38-year-old, who topped a recent Forbes list of the world’s 100 highest-paid celebrities, could be set to lose the championship after missing the Friday deadline.

Floyd Mayweather was forced to vacate his WBO welterweight title on Monday, meaning Cathedral City’s Timothy Bradley is officially the new titleholder following his June 27 win by unanimous decision over Jessie Vargas. “I’m not greedy. I’m fortunate to be a champion in two weight classes right now. It is time they fight for the belts”, he said. But Ellerbe also emphasized that, despite the ruling, Mayweather is going to continue “enjoying a couple of hundred million he made from his last outing” while trying to decide what action to take against the WBO. “If he doesn’t, Bradley becomes full champ”.