On Tuesday it was announced that the WBO had decided to strip Floyd Mayweather of their version of the welterweight title won on May 2 from Manny Pacquiao. The official reason given for this decision was that, per WBO bylaw, fighters may only hold one world title per weight class and are given a period of time to decide which belt they want to keep. Mayweather, as new WBO welterweight belt holder, ran across that bylaw because he is also still, technically, A WBA and WBC world titlist in the junior middleweight division. Anyway, that?s the official explanation.
The real reason is more likely the fact that the pound-for-pound top dog and boxing?s reigning cash cow had yet to pay the WBO their $200,000 sanctioning fee from the May 2 mega-fight.
The WBC and WBA, which also have welterweight belts around Mayweather?s waist, have similar rules about making their multi-divisional champs abandon one of their divisional titles. However, they have looked the other way and are allowing Mayweather to keep all of his belts.
Usually, I?d say that it?s a good thing to be a stickler for observing rules, but not when it comes to the sanctioning bodies, which do little for the betterment of the sport and wield their power based on whoever has a more cozy relationship with them at the time. The sanctioning bodies in boxing have been tools for injustice and greed much more frequently than they have been agents for good. In other words, every strike against boxing?s current sanctioning bodies is a strike for the betterment of the sport.
Mayweather now has the chance to give the sport of boxing a farewell gift by making the WBO look small and appropriately petty in the eyes of the world.
?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 Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe told ESPN.com. “We have the best attorney in the game, John Hornewer, and we are fully aware of what our rights are. Floyd will decide what he wants to do.”
If Mayweather goes on the attack against the sanctioning bodies and the WBO, specifically, he?ll be the villain doing the good work that Manny Pacquiao should?ve done long ago in his role of boxing?s premier world icon and super hero.
With his popularity and crossover appeal, Pacquiao could?ve struck many blows for the advancement of the sport and the removal of its more corrupt and/or disruptive elements. But more often than not, Pacquiao was happy to play the game with the same culprits responsible for ruining its image. And, often, he was just fine working alongside them if it worked to his benefit. From forced catchweights to bizarre leaps in rankings, Pacquiao has frequently been the good guy inexplicably working with the bad guys.
Now, Mayweather, as the ultimate boxing villain, has a chance to beat up and publicly belittle one of the four major sanctioning bodies, defying its mandates and, perhaps, shining a light on how its very existence hurts the sports it proposes to govern.
But, of course, first, Floyd will be Floyd.
?It?s a complete disgrace,? 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.
