WBO president slams WBC 'palooka belts'

12 September 2019 - 12:45
By Bongani Magasela
Deontay Wilder  lands a left hand against Tyson Fury, who will take on Otto Wallin this weekend. / Philip Pacheco/ Getty Images / Anadolu Agency
Deontay Wilder lands a left hand against Tyson Fury, who will take on Otto Wallin this weekend. / Philip Pacheco/ Getty Images / Anadolu Agency

The World Boxing Council (WBC) has come under fire from World Boxing Organisation (WBO) president Paco Valcarcel who warned that they need to stop with "palooka belts".

The WBC has announced that it was staking not one but two Mayan belts this weekend, adding that it will sanction the heavyweight contest between British WBO Inter-Continental champion Tyson Fury and Otto Wallin from Switzerland and the WBO junior middleweight fight between Mexican holder Jaime Munguiao against challenger Patrick Allortey from Ghana.

But Valcarcel has taken exception to the fight with Munguia, who is the WBO champion.

According to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, they initially felt it was necessary to give the belt to one event - but there was a draw in their voting process - so now two events will have the Mayan belt involved.

WBC has also come out with silver, diamond and emeritus belts, which are not defined, even though Sulaiman praises them.

"These belts are tremendous works of art which has Mexico's heart in it. And whoever wins them will take them home and cherish them for the rest of their lives. It is a piece of history for eternity. The governors' choice was a draw, but no instant replay was needed in this one. And we feel it's only fair to award two different belts to two different cards," Sulaiman told BoxingScene.

But his organisation recently took some heat after making Canelo Alvarez the first ever "Franchise Champion" at middleweight, while elevating interim-champion Jermall Charlo to a full WBC champion.

But Valcarcel says enough is enough, and makes it clear that he wants the WBC to stop piggybacking on events that have nothing to do with its organisation.

Valcarcel has long claimed that Sulaiman and the WBC are creating titles to latch on to key fights that don't involve it.

"What the hell are these people from another sanctioning body doing handing out copper and silver, Mayan, pearl, studded aluminium, Aztec belts in bouts sponsored by other organisations, to contenders who don't really care about these palooka belts.

"This needs to stop, enough already," Valcarcel vented.