Special Welterweight Championship Belt With Either Emeralds Or Platinum Will Be Made For The Mayweather-Pacquiao Fight Says WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman
World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman has said that a special championship belt will be made for the showdown between two of the world’s greatest welterweight fighters. According to Sulaiman, it is just appropriate that a custom belt is made for the winner of the super fight that took six years in the making.
“For this special recognition, I would like to have emeralds or platinum, but everything will be defined during the next weeks,” Sulaiman said in a statement. “This is because of the magnitude of the event, which will be broadcast via TV networks globally.
Sulaiman stressed that the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is one of the most notable bouts in the history of boxing. Not only is the bout going be a historic in the sporting world of boxing but also it will put both fighters’ legacy at stake.
In recent years, Mayweather and Pacquiao had proven that they are the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Many believe that Mayweather has more at stake in the upcoming super fight since he has an unbeaten record to protect while Pacquiao doesn’t have much to lose after having already suffered five losses in his career including the knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012. The Filipino, however, will have the opportunity to become the first fighter to beat Mayweather.
For the super fight, both fighters will wager their belts on the line. Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welterweight championship belt will be up for grabs and Mayweather’s World Boxing Association (Super) and World Boxing Council welterweight belts will also be put in danger.
Boxing’s championship belts are just meaningless straps, but their value will weigh more than 10 times for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. In 1887, heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan was awarded a belt made of pure gold encrusted with roughly 400 diamonds. Boston residents reportedly made contributions and came up with $10,000 to grant the prestigious belt to Sullivan. The belt had the American, Irish, and British flags on the centrepiece. The belt also had Sullivan’s image. In 1983, the Smithsonian Institute acquired the belt for its sports history collection.
No other details about the special welterweight championship belt for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight were revealed. Mayweather will come to the fight with 47-fight winning streak, while Pacquiao is coming off two consecutive victories against Timothy Bradley and Chris Algieri. Both fighters will step on the ring on May 2 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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