World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman has responded to Floyd Mayweather after the boxing legend downplayed the role of the WBC Franchise title.
Mayweather criticized the number of belts currently in the sport after Teofimo Lopez took the Franchise moniker from Vasyl Lomachenko.
Initially, Sulaiman had outlined that the status was simply that – a status. Fast forward a few weeks, and the WBC had transformed the title into a full-blow strap.
The WBC now has two champions at 135 pounds in Lopez and Devin Haney.
Lopez is the primary holder. Mayweather believes Haney, who he works with, is the real champion.
This situation is where the controversy lies and why Sulaiman decided to retort in a recent interview with Sirius XM’s AK and Barak Show.
Upon being played Mayweather’s comments during Gervonta Davis vs. Leo Santa Cruz fight week, Sulaiman said: “When you hear interviews many times they are so long so I would like to listen to what happened before and what happened after.
“From what he is talking about, he mentions the WBC. It’s surprising, but I understand it. We all would want to have one world champion per division. That’s the dream, but it’s not the reality.
“That’s been decades of a sport evolving without control. Boxing is the only sport in which the organization has nothing to do with the sport’s business.
“NBA, NFL, Major League Baseball, UFC – all those leagues they control the business, they sell the franchise. They manage the TV contracts and sponsorship. They do the rankings, and they do everything.
“In boxing, it’s different. In this business, it’s only the promoters. The TV networks deal with the promoters, the sponsors, and the sites.
“What do the organizations do?
“I can certainly only talk about the WBC, but there are four recognized organizations. The WBC WBO IBF WBA, but there are so many others. The IBO, the IBA (many more). There is about 20 or 30.
“Tomorrow, AK (co-host of the show) could come out and say this is a championship belt and sell it as long as there are a promoter and a TV network that would want to put it on and say this is the AK belt then it will go.
“WBC is not a profit organization. The WBC has 170 countries affiliated. We have so many different things that we do outside of the ring.
“We change the rules, and we implement processes. Also, we have been in existence since 1963 we have worked with Mohammad Ali, (Mike) Tyson, Floyd (Mayweather) and (Julio Cesar) Chavez. So many great heroes from the past and today have had the green and gold belt.
“I have offered to do a tournament of all champions and then to have only one fighter recognized as one champion. That is a dream. It could happen, but it would take unbelievable complications to occur. It could happen, but I don’t see it.
“Each organization has an agenda. They have their own rules and regulations. One good thing is it gives activity to many more fighters, and then it’s down to the fans to give the name of one world champion that they believe is the best in the division.”
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FLOYD MAYWEATHER OPINION
He continued: “We are a punching bag in this industry. I understand, and I appreciate my role. It is not a popularity contest when we are criticized.
“All I know is we try to do the right things, and we influence many thousands of people for good around the world. I cannot control what other organizations do.
“For Floyd to say that he might be right, we all want to see one champion we all want to see the romantic era of the past, but the reality is today.
“But I am not going to say anything about Floyd Mayweather and his promotion. He is entitled to say whatever he wants to say,” concluded Sulaiman.
WBN, as with Floyd Mayweather, is on board with scrapping the WBC Franchise title as stated in a recent article. Our thought is that the WBC should make Haney an interim ruler, and Lopez pushed solely to the WBC champion.
In regards to Canelo, the Mexican superstar is moving up to 168 anyway. Therefore, Jermall Charlo should keep the status he won inside the ring.
As for the other bodies, the WBA and WBO both brought in new titles recently. The WBA Gold joined the already-polarizing ‘Super’ title.
The WBO added the WBO Global, all completely unwarranted. Here’s hoping sense is eventually seen on all sides – before things get out of hand.
