The WBO stripped pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather of its welterweight world title on Monday for his failure to comply with the organization's rules.
Mayweather claimed the WBO welterweight title when he outpointed Manny Pacquiao on May 2 in a 147-pound unification fight that shattered all conceivable financial records for a boxing match, including total gross, pay-per-view subscriptions, closed circuit revenue, live gate, foreign television sales and sponsorships.
Mayweather, who holds two other alphabet welterweight world titles, let a 4:30 p.m. ET deadline on Friday come and go by which he had to pay a $200,000 sanctioning fee from the May 2 fight (for which he earned more than $220 million) and also vacate the two junior middleweight titles he also holds.
"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 WBO regulations of world championship contests," the WBO wrote in its resolution on Monday.
It is against sanctioning organization rules for boxers to hold world titles in multiple weight classes. The WBC and WBA have been breaking their own rules by allowing Mayweather to hold their titles, but the WBO upheld its rules.
Typically, the WBO will allow a fighter 10 days to make a decision on which weight class he wants to continue to hold a title in if he wins one in another weight division. The WBO gave Mayweather major leeway, giving him two months.
Once the Friday deadline expired, the WBO sent the issue to its championship committee, which voted on Monday afternoon to strip Mayweather of the belt for not complying with either request.
"The WBO has the utmost respect for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and all that he has accomplished during his storied career," the WBO wrote in its resolution, adding that "Mr. Mayweather has always agreed with and understood that world championships have both privileges and responsibilities and that status as WBO champion is subject to and conditioned on compliance with the WBO rules and regulations."
Mayweather could not be reached for comment. Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe did not return messages from ESPN.com seeking comment.
After Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) defeated Pacquiao to unify three of the four major welterweight world titles, he spoke at length at the post-fight news conference about how he planned to vacate all of his titles in order to give younger fighters a chance to realize their dreams of winning belts.
"I don't know if it will be Monday (May 4) or maybe a couple weeks," Mayweather said during the post-fight news conference. "I'll talk to my team and see what we need to do. Other fighters need a chance. Give other fighters a chance. I'm not greedy. I'm a world champion in two different weight classes. It's time to let other fighters fight for the belt."
After Mayweather's pronouncement the WBO sanctioned the June 27 fight between former titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. and junior welterweight titlist Jessie Vargas for its vacant welterweight title. When Mayweather heard about that he objected to the WBO in a letter from his lawyer, John Hornewer, on May 20. The WBO then laid out the particulars to Mayweather on what he needed to do to keep the title, namely pay the fee and vacate the junior middleweight belts.
It also reclassified the Bradley-Vargas bout as being for the interim title. With the WBO withdrawing recognition from Mayweather as its welterweight titleholder it soon will formally elevate Bradley, who won a unanimous decision against Vargas, to its full titleholder.
Mayweather has 14 days to file a written appeal with the WBO but the decision is unlikely to be changed even if he does appeal.
Mayweather has won 11 world titles in five weight classes from 130 to 154 pounds during his brilliant 19-year career. He plans to next fight on Sept. 12 -- the opponent has not been announced -- to complete his six-fight contract with Showtime/CBS. After that the 38-year-old Mayweather has said repeatedly that he plans to retire.
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