Josh Taylor has been stripped of his WBA lightweight title, the governing body announced on Saturday, with the Scottish boxer since announcing he decided to vacate the belt.
Taylor’s most recent defense was in February against Jack Catterall, when he was awarded a controversial point in Glasgow.
The WBA ordered a mandatory match between Taylor, 31, and first-place challenger Alberto Puello of the Dominican Republic.
However, the governing body said that “due to not receiving a response from Taylor’s team” it decided to strip the Scottish boxer of the title.
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Highlights expand on Josh Taylor’s controversial split decision win over Jack Catterall.
A statement from the organization read: “The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championship Committee, in accordance with the organization’s rules, has determined that the ultralightweight belt, held by Scottish Josh Taylor, will be vacant as of May 13.”
In response to the announcement, Taylor, 31, took to social media to assert that he made the decision on his own.
In a Twitter post, Taylor wrote: “FYI, I overlooked it the belt I wanted (sic) stripped.”
Taylor is unbeaten in 19 matches and remains the IBF, WBO and WBC champion.
