WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman continues to defend his governing body’s decision to introduce a franchise title for several fighters.
The move has attracted criticism for adding to the variety of belts - such as super, international, global, regular, silver, interim and more - that confuse claims over boxers who want to earn the right to call themselves undisputed, and to potentially devalue other belts within and outwith the WBC.
Canelo Alvarez and Vasiliy Lomachenko were initally given the supposedly honorific titles, but when Teofimo Lopez beat Lomachenko last year he inherited the title, only to see his claim of being undisputed put in doubt by Devin Haney’s regular WBC championship.
BoxingScene.com quotes Sulaiman as saying: “The WBC introduced the Franchise boxer concept and rule a couple of years ago. The Franchise boxer is a special designation and privileged status which the WBC may bestow to a current WBC world champion, who is also an elite boxer, and who has achieved and maintains the highest of stature in the sport.
“Initially, the WBC established that the Franchise Boxer privileges were conferred and not won or lost as a result of the outcome of a bout. As any rule of importance, the WBC has modified its Franchise boxer rule so that it reflects the realities of our ever-evolving sport.
"A significant adjustment to the rule came about when Teofimo Lopez, requested to become Franchise Boxer if he defeated Vasiliy Lomachenko. Teofimo prevailed and the WBC conferred to him the well-deserved Franchise Boxer designation in WBC lightweight division.”
Trainer Buddy McGirt told DAZN’s Ak & Barak Show that he had grown confused with the sheer number of titles in each division.