Floyd Mayweather used an interview before Gervonta Davis’ YouTube workout on Wednesday to rail against something that many believe is a scourge in boxing: a glut of world titles.
Mayweather brought up the subject to express his belief that Devin Haney and Davis are the true lightweight champions of the WBC and WBA, respectively, even though most people accept Teofimo Lopez Jr. as the titleholder in those sanctioning bodies after his victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko on Saturday.
His more-general point: Something has to be done to limit the number of belts. The more belts there are, the less they mean.
Remember: If we accept the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO as legitimate organizations, there are at least 68 world champions barring any vacancies. And the sanction bodies have tacked on such titles as “super”, “franchise” and “regular”, which has added to the glut.
“There are too many champions in the sport of boxing right now,” Mayweather said. “… There’s no such things a ‘super’ champion, not at all. I’m not taking anything away from anybody. There are just too many belts.
“Let me tell the people about the sport of boxing. Why are there so many belts? With every belt you have to pay a sanctioning fee. “Interim” has to pay a sanctioning fee. If you fight for a “regular” title, you pay a fee. If you fight for a “super” championship, you have to pay a sanctioning fee.
“That’s not good for the sport of boxing. … Everyone is a champion now. It’s like winning an amateur trophy. Everyone has a belt.”
Mayweather then mentioned Haney and Davis, who faces Leo Santa Cruz in a pay-per-view fight on Oct. 31. Haney was listed below Lomachenko, who was designated the WBC “franchise” champion going into the fight Saturday. Davis, the WBA’s “regular” titleholder, also was below Lomachenko.
“I want to say the fight the other day was a hell of a fight,” he said. “Congratulations to the winner. He did his job, he did what he had to do. If Haney is the WBC champion at lightweight and Gervonta “Tank” Davis is the WBC champion, then it’s safe to say that Teofimo Lopez is the IBF and WBO champion. I can’t knock what he’s done.”
He went on: “I don’t want to knock any fighter. I’m just tired seeing after fights that everyone has a belt. They’re like trophies. The WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO, you gotta clean this s— up. It’s bad for boxing. There ain’t no such thing as a ‘super’ champion. They’re just taking extra money taking sanctioning fees.
“… This doesn’t look good. Everyone is a champion.”
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