Sulaiman Confirms Mayweather Can Fight Garcia For Title

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed that Floyd Mayweather remains eligible to challenge Ryan Garcia for the welterweight championship under current sanctioning body rules.

Sulaiman addressed the potential clash ahead of the WBC's annual convention, acknowledging that Garcia had already fulfilled his mandatory obligation by defending against Conor Benn. According to Bad Left Hook, the WBC chief said that Mayweather cannot be dismissed despite questions about his age and inactivity in professional boxing.

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Medical Clearance Required For Mayweather Title Shot

"You can never count out Floyd Mayweather," Sulaiman said, per Bad Left Hook. "It's a matter of evaluating whether Floyd has full medicals and has a boxing license — the rules obviously allow him to fight for the title."

Sulaiman cited examples of veteran fighters both succeeding and struggling late in their careers, mentioning Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson as cautionary tales while pointing to Manny Pacquiao's near-championship performance as a counterexample. He noted that the WBC faced criticism for sanctioning Pacquiao's later fights but that the Filipino nearly captured another title.

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The WBC president also addressed other divisional issues, including the cruiserweight situation where David Benavidez is now positioned to fight for the vacant title after champion Murat Gassiev lost his belt for declining a mandatory assignment. Sulaiman said the sanctioning body remains focused on fighter safety initiatives, particularly addressing dangerous weight-cutting practices ahead of the convention.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — ‘The rules allow him to fight for the title’: Mauricio Sulaiman talks potential for Ryan Garcia vs Floyd Mayweather and more