Former WBC and IBF Welterweight Champion, Shawn Porter, believes one current unified champion should be stripped due to inactivity, after failing to fight at the weight-class where he reigns supreme in almost eighteen months.
Porter slammed the sanctioning bodies for allowing Jermell Charlo to continue as the super-welterweight champion despite the American’s decision to move up to the super-middleweight division and face undisputed champion, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Whilst the WBO took action by stripping ‘Iron Man’ as soon as he entered the ring against the Mexican and upgrading Tim Tszyu to the full champion, the WBC, WBA or IBF are yet to take action.
In an interview with Fight Hub, Porter said that he was unaware Charlo was still an official world champion and shared his bemusement as to how the 33-year-old is still considered as a unified world title holder.
“I thought that he was stripped. That’s how I feel about it, I feel like if you move up, especially two weight-classes out of your weight-limit, you haven’t fought in over a year at that weight, why does he have belts?
I didn’t know he had belts. I don’t talk about belts, because as you can see it is bulls**t.”
Jermell’s brother, Jermall, remains as the current WBC Middleweight Champion despite failing to defend the title in twenty-seven months, meaning the WBC are unlikely to intervene.
Meanwhile, the IBF has officially ordered Charlo to defend his titles against Russia’s Bakhram Murtazaliev (21-0), with both parties having until November 9 to agree to a deal.
The American may make the decision to move to either the middleweight or super-middleweight division on a permanent basis, or alternatively drop two of his world titles and face either Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr or Tim Tszyu in a mega-fight at 154lbs.