Mayweather vs. McGregor: WBC Diamond belt a 'maybe'
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has told ESPN that his world governing body will consider sanctioning Floyd Mayweather Jr against Conor McGregor for one of its belts.
Mayweather, boxing's biggest superstar before retiring in September 2015, faces UFC lightweight champion McGregor in a fight that splits opinions but will make a nine-figure fortune at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Aug 26.
The pair meet in a super-welterweight (154 pounds) boxing match which will also be Irishman McGregor's first professional contest and presents Mayweather with the chance to improve his record to 50-0.
Despite Mayweather's inactivity, Sulaiman says a belt other than their world super-welterweight title strap could be on the line.
Asked if the WBC Diamond belt -- an honorary championship awarded to the winner of a historic fight between two elite boxers -- could be on the line for Mayweather-McGregor, Sulaiman told ESPN: "Maybe, I don't know. I'm not against it. Of course this is a WBC board decision but we have to celebrate that boxing is having world attention regardless."
Mayweather, now 40 and lives in Vegas, is still the WBC's champion emeritus at super-welterweight while American Jermell Charlo is the WBC super-welterweight champion.
"Mayweather retired as champion so he was awarded the champion emeritus and we never thought he would return to boxing," Sulaiman told ESPN.
Source: http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/19653877/sulaiman-says-wbc-diamond-belt-maybe
Mayweather, boxing's biggest superstar before retiring in September 2015, faces UFC lightweight champion McGregor in a fight that splits opinions but will make a nine-figure fortune at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Aug 26.
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| Mayweather vs. McGregor is expected to top the $623.5 million revenue made when Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao in 2014. ESPN Illustration |
Despite Mayweather's inactivity, Sulaiman says a belt other than their world super-welterweight title strap could be on the line.
Asked if the WBC Diamond belt -- an honorary championship awarded to the winner of a historic fight between two elite boxers -- could be on the line for Mayweather-McGregor, Sulaiman told ESPN: "Maybe, I don't know. I'm not against it. Of course this is a WBC board decision but we have to celebrate that boxing is having world attention regardless."
Mayweather, now 40 and lives in Vegas, is still the WBC's champion emeritus at super-welterweight while American Jermell Charlo is the WBC super-welterweight champion.
"Mayweather retired as champion so he was awarded the champion emeritus and we never thought he would return to boxing," Sulaiman told ESPN.
Source: http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/19653877/sulaiman-says-wbc-diamond-belt-maybe
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