Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been stripped of the welterweight world title he won after beating Manny Pacquiao this year.
Why? Simply because he failed comply with rules that needed him to submit a sanctioning fee of $200,000 for a fight off which he earned $230 million.
The bout has been riddled in controversy ever since the American bagged the title in May, with Pacquiao even claiming he was nursing an injury, for which he was taken to court by fans.
The World Boxing Organization has confirmed the development, also adding that Mayweather also missed a deadline to surrender the junior middleweight title he also held. It is against rules for boxers to hold world titles in multiple weight classes.
Fellow American Timothy Bradley will now become the full belt holder.
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.
— World Boxing Organisation
The American boxer had until last Friday to advise the WBO of his position and pay the sanctioning fee.
However, he does have a two week window to launch an appeal.
(With inputs from Reuters)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)