Floyd Mayweather stripped of championship title from Manny Pacquiao fight

 By 
Yohana Desta
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Floyd Mayweather has been stripped of the welterweight championship title he won in a May 2 match with Manny Pacquiao.

The boxer failed to pay a $200,000 sanctioning fee required of participants in a World Boxing championship contest, according to a statement from the WBO. Mayweather was given an extension, but the WBO says it did not receive a response from the boxer or his legal team.

The boxer earned an estimated $180 million for his victory over Pacquiao, which was nicknamed the "Fight of the Century."

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"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 statement reads.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"This is a final decision of the WBO World Championship Committee."

Mayweather, an undefeated boxer who holds two other alphabet welterweight titles, beat Pacquiao in a 12-round unanimous decision on May 2.

His camp has responded to the WBO's decision with a statement to ESPN.

"It's a complete disgrace," Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard 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."

Considering the apparent finality of the decision, Mayweather might start getting serious about those rematch requests. Only three days after his victory against Pacquiao, the fighter told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith he would be up for another bout.

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