Cotto Stripped Of WBC Belt

I guess both Cotto and Canelo have passed on Golovkin after this one. Odd decision to strip him during fight week, though, isn't it (especially when you consider what they'd have made in sanctioning fees)?

Nothing surprises me anymore...

The alphabets have killed the sport.

Here is their statement in full:

The World Boxing Council worked tirelessly through a process that began over two years ago to secure the celebration of the highly anticipated fight between Miguel Cotto and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. The WBC is proud of that accomplishment that is giving boxing fans around the world a very important fight to see.
After several weeks of communications, countless attempts and good faith time extensions trying to preserve the fight as a WBC World Championship, Miguel Cotto and his promotion did not agree to comply with the WBC Rules & Regulations, while Saúl Alvarez has agreed to do so. Accordingly, the WBC must rule on the matter prior to the fight.

The WBC hereby announces that effective immediately has withdrawn recognition of Miguel Cotto as WBC World Middleweight Champion. If Saul “Canelo” Alvarez wins the fight against Cotto, he will be recognized as the WBC middleweight world champion.

The WBC’s decision is premised on the fact that Miguel Cotto and his camp are not willing to abide by the governing WBC Rules & Regulations, and the specific conditions the WBC established to sanction the fight. Simply put: they are not willing to respect the very same rules and conditions which applied to Cotto becoming WBC champion. The WBC wishes Miguel Cotto the best of luck as we truly regret the course of action which led to them taking such decision.

The WBC is a non-profit governing organization founded 53 years ago. The WBC has implemented all of the current rules in the sport, paving the way to much safer boxing. The WBC creates, implements and enforces, its Rules & Regulations to bring safety, order, unity, justice and equality to a sport that was marred with abuse and unfairness. Since the first day of existence of our organization, the WBC has taken countless actions for the protection of the boxer and it is a fact that most if not all boxers dream of conquering the green belt.

The WBC stands by its honorability and will not participate in the abuse of power and greediness, which has taken our boxing world to regrettable actions from different parties. The WBC wishes the promotion great success and we are satisfied that this great fight for boxing will be enjoyed by millions of fans around the world.

hazharrison wrote:Here is their statement in full:

The World Boxing Council worked tirelessly through a process that began over two years ago to secure the celebration of the highly anticipated fight between Miguel Cotto and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.  The WBC is proud of that accomplishment that is giving boxing fans around the world a very important fight to see.
After several weeks of communications, countless attempts and good faith time extensions trying to preserve the fight as a WBC World Championship, Miguel Cotto and his promotion did not agree to comply with the WBC Rules & Regulations, while Saúl Alvarez has agreed to do so.  Accordingly, the WBC must rule on the matter prior to the fight.

The WBC hereby announces that effective immediately has withdrawn recognition of Miguel Cotto as WBC World Middleweight Champion. If Saul “Canelo” Alvarez wins the fight against Cotto, he will be recognized as the WBC middleweight world champion.

The WBC’s decision is premised on the fact that Miguel Cotto and his camp are not willing to abide by the governing WBC Rules & Regulations, and the specific conditions the WBC established to sanction the fight.  Simply put: they are not willing to respect the very same rules and conditions which applied to Cotto becoming WBC champion. The WBC wishes Miguel Cotto the best of luck as we truly regret the course of action which led to them taking such decision.

The WBC is a non-profit governing organization founded 53 years ago.  The WBC has implemented all of the current rules in the sport, paving the way to much safer boxing.  The WBC creates, implements and enforces, its Rules & Regulations to bring safety, order, unity, justice and equality to a sport that was marred with abuse and unfairness.  Since the first day of existence of our organization, the WBC has taken countless actions for the protection of the boxer and it is a fact that most if not all boxers dream of conquering the green belt.

The WBC stands by its honorability and will not participate in the abuse of power and greediness, which has taken our boxing world to regrettable actions from different parties.  The WBC wishes the promotion great success and we are satisfied that this great fight for boxing will be enjoyed by millions of fans around the world.

Remarkable that theyve stripped the title off of three of their last four champions.
Forrest
Martinez (the first time)
now Cotto.

Not sure fans will care......Most like me have given up on the sanctioning bodies..

Good. He's a joke champion. It's a f****** disgrace that he was allowed to mandate that challengers fight for a 160lbs belt at a weight of his choosing in the first place.

Of course, that may not be the reason, but I'm glad he can now no longer hold the belt hostage from legitimate 160lbers who wish to challenge for it in, God forbid, the weight category they operate in.

Probably the WBC decided to strip him because his opponent was a marketable Mexican. Im guessing the "rules and regulations" didnt apply for a weight drained Danny Geale and probably wouldnt to any non Mexican opponent.

Cotto was never going to face Golovkin, or even ever going to defend the belt at the weight class limit though - so good riddance.

And Alvarez will? He fights at 155 - I'd wager they won't strip him (should he win).

So in summary:

WBC tells Cotto that if he wins he fights GGG as a Mandatory in his next fight and it will be at the weight limit of 160lbs......

Cotto and Roach cry about it and run off with tails between legs.

Sums Cotto up really these days....absolute joke champ.

Anytime the WBC strip a fighter, it seems to benefit a Mexican. When Ward was stripped it was unbeaten Mexican whos name escapes me that got a shot. Martinez for Chavez. Mares for Nishioka.

Golovkin is already a mandatory for the WBC and the WBC have said that the winner of Cotto/Alvarez must face him immediately, although they left a nice little disclaimer "unless the parties can agree to a deal seperately". I would take that mean that Alvarez will have licence to postpone, impose catchweights or whatever else and if Golovkin doesnt agree it to it then his mandatory status might evaporate on grounds of the two fighters being unable to agree terms. I cant see them stripping Alvarez or standing in his way for anything, but much like the Chavez/Martinez scenario a few years ago, its got to the point where its almost impossible to credibly ignore it any longer. Its also a massive a fight that will make everyone a lot of money so they may as well just get on with it.

So am I right in thinking that if Canelo wins, he's champion, but if he loses, the belt remains vacant and there's a good chance he could end up fighting for it in his next fight?

Not sure how this decision affects Canelo?? If he wins he gets the belt same as before

Doesn't matter. People are paying to see Cotto vs Canelo, not to see the middleweight title of the world defended.

Who cares about belts these days? For better or for worse, the names are bigger than the belt.

Wish they had been so quick to strip a fighter when they let Vitali keep the title for 15 months whilst waiting for his injury to clear up or for him to decide whether to retire or not. The WBC irritate the hell out of me. At least the WBA are just corrupt, they're horrible but at least they're open about it. The holier than thou attitude the WBC spout makes me want to puke

It appears the reason is Cotto wouldn't pay $300k sanctioning fees. Non profit my ****, the WBC do what they think helps them and there is no moral underlining to it.

In saying that, it was disgraceful to let Cotto defend a belt pretty much at the weight below so don't feel an once of sympathy for him.

As James Toney once said, WBC = We Be Crooks

I must be blind, but I can't see a single reference to GGG in their statement, nothing regarding mandatory defences, nothing at all.

I guess this means Cotto's dalliance with the middleweight division is over, which will be a relief to most.

Makes you wonder if he wins, what's next. Rematch with Canelo or back down to 154?

Belts get more and more meaningless as the days go by

I think there will be a rematch. I have a feeling it will be close enough to warrant one.

If Canelo does stop Cotto, there are rumors of a Pacquiao fight.

However i can't see that fight happening, Pacquiao will not fight past 147.

WBC ordered Cotto to pay $300k sanctioning fees and $800k to Golovkin as step aside money.

Who, seriously, would pay that to carry a green belt?

http://www.boxingscene.com/cotto-jabs-wbc-tells-de-la-hoya-pay-11-million--98262

Some pretty clear quotes from Cotto in the above article which spell out what he (and probably most other elite fighters) thinks of "world titles".

If it was just the 300k sanctioning fee that he refused to pay then I'd be calling him a ducker, but I think that the 800k is ridiculous. Why on earth would he pay that? In any event, I don't think it's ever crossed Cotto's mind to face GGG.

Even so - $300k? What's that - £200k?

That's a disgrace.

What a shocker, Cotto should have told them to shove the belt before he was stripped, WBC have never been a very honest organisation always something dodgy going on with them.

I'm not with Cotto on this. There's always a sanctioning fee. The higher the fighters purse, the higher the sanctioning fee. I know this, so so should Cotto and his team.

The step aside money? If he had filled his obligations to fight whoever the WBC wanted him to fight then he wouldn't be asked to pay step aside money.

No sympathy for Cotto either. His middleweight campaign has been a smear. Wouldnt defend the belt at the middlweight limit, imposed catchweights and dodged mandatories so let him whinge.