WBO President Paco Valcarcel has hit out at the current belt situation following criticism by Floyd Mayweather during the Gervonta Davis fight week.
Mayweather addressed the issue after Teofimo Lopez became undisputed champion at lightweight with two WBC belts in circulation.
‘Franchise Champion’ Vasyl Lomachenko owned one before Lopez beat him in Las Vegas.
Devin Haney has the other despite the American never winning it in the ring.
Despite Mayweather’s own fighter Gervonta Davis holding a ‘super’ championship at super-featherweight, ‘Money’ is not happy.
“I want to say this right now about the sport of boxing. I want everybody at home to hear me when I say this. A belt, I’m tired, and I’m at home, and this goes for any company,” said Mayweather.
“I don’t care if it’s Top Rank, if it’s Golden Boy, if it’s Mayweather Promotions or if it’s PBC. There are too many champions in the sport of boxing right now – too many champions.
“There’s no such thing as a super champion, not at all. And I’m not taking anything away from no fighter. There are too many belts.”
He continued: “And the reason why. Let me tell people what’s going on in the sport of boxing and why there are so many different titles and so many different belts.
“People don’t know you have to pay. For every belt that you win, there’s a sanctioning fee.
“So now, if a fighter wins an interim belt, he has to pay a sanctioning fee. If a fighter has just the regular belt, he has to pay a sanctioning fee. Then, if a fighter is a super champion, then he has to pay a sanctioning fee.
“This is not good for the sport of boxing. Now, when a fighter fights, every fighter is a champion now. Belts now are like a fighter winning an amateur trophy.
“Everybody is a champion. Everybody has a belt,” concluded the five-weight world title-holder.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER IS RIGHT
Agreeing with the sentiments of Floyd Mayweather, Valcarcel made his feelings clear.
“Floyd Mayweather is right! We have to stop NOW the proliferation of so-called world titles,” said the WBO President, even though the WBO recently brought the WBO Global belt into circulation.
“Sanctioning organizations, promoters, and boxing journalists must work together to stop this bulls***!”
At present, the WBC has the Franchise, Regular (Gold), Silver, and Interim straps. The WBA has the Super, Regular, Gold, and Interim. The WBO has its Regular and WBO Global. Only the IBF and IBO have one, which should be commended.
Nothing anyone says when speaking out on the matter ever gets listened to anyway. WBN has been championing the removal of titles from inception.
WBA President Gilberto Mendoza promised to remove the ‘Super’ belts back in 2013. Seven years later, it’s only gotten worse.
Something needs to be done. Promoters should refuse to pay the fees as fans don’t care if there’s a trinket on the line or not.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
