WBC President Avoids Question On Lightweight ‘Franchise’ Championship

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman is under fire for handing out a lot of championship belts, particularly in the lightweight division.

Devin Haney, 23, is WBC’s incumbent lightweight king, but George Kambosos Jr is the lightweight “franchise” champion and also acts as the lineal/WBA “Super”/IBF/WBO champ. This has often confused boxing fans.

Before Haney beat Joseph Diaz via unanimous decision on December 4, Diaz held the interim championship belt as well. The WBC president was also in attendance at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas to see Haney take on Diaz.

Speaking to media after the fight, Sulaiman hailed both boxers for entertaining the crowd, but did not address the question regarding the mess at the championship level under his nose.

“I’m not going to entertain that question,” Sulaiman said.

“It was a tremendous fight. A fight between Kambosos and Haney would be tremendous. To ruin the story of a great fight in a great division with great activity with something hypothetical, I just don’t understand it.”

“I’m very proud of Devin Haney. I’m very proud of JoJo. It was a very entertaining fight. The story is that they are great fighters, great champions.”