The World Boxing Organisation (WBO) has stripped Floyd Mayweather Jr of the welterweight world title he won after beating Filipino Manny Pacquiao this year for failing to comply with rules.
Mayweather missed a deadline by which he had to pay a $US200,000 sanctioning fee from the fight and vacate the junior middleweight title he also held, the WBO said in a statement.
The WBO said it was against the rules for boxers to hold world titles in multiple weight classes and that Mayweather had to indicate which weight division he would retain.
Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Manny Pacquiao pose with the WBO welterweight belt before their fight in April. Photo: Photosport
The American boxer, who finished ahead on all three scorecards in what proved to be the top-grossing prize fight of all-time, had until Saturday to advise the WBO of his position.
"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 WBO said in a statement.
Mayweather, who earned over $US200 million from the fight, which generated record pay-per-view revenue in the United States of $US400 million, has two weeks to lodge an appeal.
