WBC Explains Why No Title For Canelo vs. Angulo

By Miguel Rivera

The World Boxing Council has confirmed that the fight between Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Alfredo Angulo will not have the 154-pound title at stake, as many have speculated. Canelo and Angulo will clash on March 8th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The WBC did receive a request to vote for Canelo-Angulo to be approved as a title fight. There are several issues that prevented the sanctioning body from approving the fight as a title match. For starters, Angulo is not ranked under the WBC and lost his last fight by TKO. Also, the current titleholder Floyd Mayweather Jr. has not informed the WBC as to whether or not he intends to vacate the title. Mayweather holds the WBC title at 147 and 154. The sanctioning body is waiting for his decision on which belt he intends to keep. 

Mauricio Sulaiman, the WBC's Executive Secretary, said the following in a statement to the press:

"The World Boxing Council has received a request to have a vote to sanction a title fight between Saul Alvarez and Alfredo Angulo. However, it is difficult to accept that request because Alfredo Angulo is not ranked under the WBC and he lost his last fight by TKO. In addition, the WBC has not received any official information about Floyd Mayweather Jr. [and whether he intends to drop the] title and there is no mandatory challenger in the division, so we have decided to be flexible with the situation [by letting Mayweather keep the belt]."