Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (Photo : REUTERS)
Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe described on Monday the stripping by the WBO of the unbeaten American boxer's welterweight title as a disgrace. He said the pugilist would later decide what action to take with the Puerto Rico-based organization's move.
Ellerbe said that stripping the title from Mayweather has little impact on the world's highest-paid celebrity or on anything he does. The CEO points out that the boxer, who added about $235 million to his wealth from his May 2 bout against Filipino champion Manny Pacquiao, is just "enjoying a couple of hundred million he made from his last outing."
The Mayweather camp's reaction was how ESPN, which reported over the weekend the WBO's plan to remove the title from the unpopular boxer, predicted it would be. The WBO cited "Money May's" failure to pay the $200,000 - a drop in the bucket from the millions he just made - sanctioning fee and the boxer's holding titles in two weight classes which violates boxing rules as the reason behind their action.
The championship committee of the WBO voted on Monday to strip Mayweather of his welterweight title in the 149 pounds weight class. Mayweather still holds the WBC and WBA welterweight titles in the 154 pounds weight class.
He won the three titles when he defeated Pacquiao in the "Fight of the Century" which was also a unification fight for the three titles.
WBO defended its decision and said despite the action, it still has high respect for the American boxer with zero-loss record. However, it explains in its Monday resolution, "Mr. Mayweather has always agreed with and understood that world championships have both privileges and responsibilities and that status as WBO champion is subject to and conditioned on compliance with the WBO rules and regulations," quotes ESPN.
With the WBO move, the welterweight title would be returned to Timothy Bradley Jr. who held the crown before and defeated on June 27 junior welterweight titleholder Jessie Vargas. Ellerbe, however, believes the WBO decision is linked to Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank.
Ellerbe thinks it is WBO President Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel's way of thanking Arum who promoted the Bradley-Vargas match and is close to WBO. He said Mayweather - who has 14 days to appeal the WBO decision - still has yet to decide what his move would be. However, ESPN believes that WBO would not likely change its stand.
Many readers of The Telegraph who reacted to the WBO move note that Mayweather didn't win the fight anyway. Joe comments "Mayweather lost by all accounts," while Mark adds, "He just ran away from Maddy, that's no way to win a fight."
However, Cameron's observation reflects Mayweather's way of thinking, based on Ellerbe's statement. Cameron says, "The belt means nothing. As he said, all belts do is collect dust. These guys fight for the cash prize."
Surely, Mayweather continues to laugh his way to the bank, and the watch and diamond stores.
