By Ronnie Nathanielsz

World Boxing Council president Don Jose Sulaiman believes that the WBC should not strip Floyd Mayweather Jr. of his welterweight title because of his being sentenced to 90 days in prison.

Sulaiman told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that while the “WBC officially has not decided anything yet” - he also noted that “beating a lady is highly critical, [but] it is not a major sin or crime.”

The WBC president feels that “we should join the service to society ruling [by the court] with visits to hospitals of children with cancer.”

Sulaiman said he believes the WBC “should not touch his (Mayweather’s) career or his title because we want him to fight (Manny) Pacquiao which is the fight that the world wants and perhaps the last boxing match of both.”

The undefeated Mayweather was sentenced last week to 90 days in prison at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas on a domestic violence charge involving his former girlfriend Josie Harris, the mother of his children, who Mayweather was also accused of threatening.

Justice of the Peace Melissa Saragosa ordered Mayweather to report to jail on January 6 after the 34-year-old boxer had earlier pleaded to one count of battery domestic violence and no contest on two counts of harassment.

Earlier, WBC executive secretary Mauricio Sulaiman, the son of Jose, admits that under the WBC regulations a champion or highly-ranked fighter - who serves a prison term for a crime - is supposed to be stripped of his title and/or removed from the rankings - but Mauricio said the WBC would stand by Mayweather.

Sulaiman was quoted by boxingscene.com as saying “The WBC has always been in the corner of the boxer and the organization was created to protect fighters. Floyd is in voluntary defense stage and although there is no request or his promoter for a fight in May (as earlier announced) we will discuss his legal situation and try to achieve the most fair outcome for the fighter and the fans.”