Guillermo Rigondeaux Completely Stripped
Of all his major titles, that is. Sort of.
Last week, the Junior Featherweight held three world titles, but the Cuban is now left with just The RING variety. First the WBO pinched back their strap, and now the WBA have followed suit. And to be fair, neither really needs to justify their actions.
In short, Rigondeaux hasn’t fought a credible threat, let alone a mandatory challenger, in a long, long time. Whether it’s due to mixing with ‘bad company’ outside of the ring or not, the 35-year-old just hasn’t been doing the business – or more accurately, enough business – in the ring. As the WBO explained:
“Rigondeaux has not defended or scheduled to defend his title in a timely fashion culminating in only four bouts since September 15, 2012,” the WBO wrote in its ruling.
The WBA were a little more friendly in their letter:
“… in light of Rigondeaux’s impressive record and accomplishments, the delays associated with his various managerial/promoter disputes, and the loss of his unification status, (because he was stripped by the WBO) the WBA reclassified him as a ‘champion in recess’.”
The WBA went on to explain that Rigondeaux must now face secondary titlist Scott Quigg – the WBA ‘regular’ champion – before May 1st, to, er…have a shot at getting the WBA ‘Super’ title back. Or something like that…
World titles are so (fill in the blank).
Floyd Mayweather Becomes ‘Emeritus’ Champion
Yep, more news on weird stuff sanctioning bodies do. After vacating all of his Welterweight and Junior Middleweight titles, the WBC decided to make the 37-year-old their Emeritus champion. Which is a title given to people the body thinks is…really good.
Oh, and also, the ‘title’ gives Floyd Mayweather the green light to challenge for his old ‘actual fighting’ WBC straps should he make a comeback. So this is scintillating news, to say the least.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told ESPN Deportes:
“The titles are vacated, [Mayweather] is Emeritus champion, was given the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ recognition, and given one of the largest and most dignified farewells in history. He is the only one with five championships in five WBC divisions,” said Sulaiman.
“It’s official, we gave him time to make this official presentation here at the convention. We are proud to do it this way. He is a champion for eternity with the WBC and he knows that this is his family. We are celebrating one of the greatest. If he leaves and comes back, it is secondary, I would not want to speculate.”
So who will be fighting for Mayweather’s vacant straps now? Technically, the WBC’s top two fighters in their 147 and 154 pound rankings. So, Amir Khan and Danny Garcia, plus Jermell Charlo and John Jackson.
Yusaf Mack Comes Out as Bisexual
You may have heard about it, you may have even seen it – I’m not judging – but now Yusaf Mack has finally put the record straight about his recent homosexual pornographic movie.
Mack, who last fought in October 2014, had originally claimed he’d been drugged into participating in the feature, but was quickly threatened with legal action by the gay adult site.
Mack, 35, has now apologized for his comments and accusations:
“My life was completely destroyed once it had been outed that I participated in a gay film. I selfishly tried to cover the truth and remain in denial, rather than accept the fact that I was leading a double life secretly.
“After reflecting on the mess I had made I realized that I hurt a lot of my loved ones and the people I cared about the most were left disappointed and confused. It was unfair and time to come clean. I want to say sorry to my children and my ex fiancé, I am so sorry that I was a coward and hid a huge part of my life from you all.”
Chime in with your thoughts on Floyd Mayweather’s ‘out-of-action title’ and that of Guillermo Rigondeaux’s stripping – if it’s bothered you in the slightest, that is. And also on Yusaf Mack’s ‘outing’.
