When the World Boxing Council named Floyd Mayweather “Champion Emeritus” in 2015, it wasn’t simply a farewell gesture.
It was a governance move that created a structural lever the WBC can still pull if the titles at 147 or 154 are disrupted.
With Mayweather scheduled to face Manny Pacquiao in a full professional rematch on September 19 and the weight still to be confirmed (talking points have centered on 147 or 154), that old WBC mechanism now intersects with a modern super-fight—if the championship picture shifts before September.
How The WBC Set The Table In 2015
At the WBC’s November 2015 53rd annual convention in Kunming, China, President Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed Mayweather would be given Champion Emeritus status following his retirement after defeating Andre Berto.
WBN reported at the time that the WBC was moving to replace Mayweather’s grip on its welterweight and super welterweight titles by staging tournaments “consisting of four or eight fighters” to crown successors at both weights, with contenders in the top ten expected to be contacted as participants were determined.
“In honor of his incredible career that spanned almost 19 years and in which he won WBC world titles in five weight divisions, Floyd Mayweather was awarded the WBC Lifetime Achievement Award here (in Kunming, China) yesterday and named Champion Emeritus in the super welterweight and welterweight divisions,” the WBC said in the statement published via WBN in 2015.
“With Mayweather’s recent retirement, both titles are now vacant. The WBC has ordered tournaments in both divisions to determine the world champions, and will contact the representatives of the top-rated fighters in both divisions to determine their participants.”
That same period also produced a key detail reported elsewhere from the convention: “The status of Champion Emeritus grants Mayweather the ability to get an immediate title shot at the current WBC titleholder at 147 or 154.”
What “Champion Emeritus” Actually Does
Champion Emeritus is discretionary. It is granted by the WBC leadership and does not freeze a division or halt normal title movement. In Mayweather’s case, the WBC proceeded to order tournaments and position new titleholders, while preserving an option for the outgoing champion.
This is the part that matters for 2026. Champion Emeritus does not automatically attach a belt to a fight. It creates a conditional pathway that can be activated only if the WBC chooses to recognize it in a live championship environment.
Why A September 19 Rematch Creates A Real-World Pressure Point
Mayweather and Pacquiao carry more weight together than almost any pairing boxing can produce. That does not guarantee a WBC belt; it means the WBC has already shown, in writing and in practice, how it can restructure 147 and 154 when a mega-name exits—and how it can preserve an immediate title option at the same time.
WBN’s 2015 report also noted the WBC had discussed the possibility of Pacquiao’s later retirement bout being for the vacant welterweight title, before Pacquiao’s plans shifted.
That history places both men inside the same WBC championship conversation across a full decade.
The Clean Condition For A WBC Belt To Enter The Picture
If the rematch weight lands at 147 or 154, the WBC becomes relevant by default. From there, only one scenario makes this a title event: a change to the championship landscape before September.
That change could be a vacancy, a champion moving on, an enforced reshuffle, or any development that forces the WBC to reset the division.
In that event, the WBC’s 2015 playbook shows it already has two tools at these weights: ordering structured bouts to crown a champion, and carrying an Emeritus designation that can be acknowledged as a title-access mechanism.
This is precedent, not prediction. The mechanism exists because it has existed before. If the WBC titles at 147 or 154 shift between now and September, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao II would immediately clarify how much “Champion Emeritus” still carries inside the modern WBC framework.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
