Bold claim: Terence Crawford loses his WBC super middleweight title over unpaid sanctioning fees. This move shakes up the 168-pound landscape and raises questions about how financial obligations affect a champion’s legacy.
In a surprising development from Bangkok, the WBC formally stripped Crawford of its 168-pound belt on Wednesday, citing non-payment of sanctioning fees tied to his last two bouts. The governing body labeled the action a “slap in the face” to the sanctioning process. The news release noted that Crawford, who is unbeaten, earned a $50 million purse after defeating Canelo Alvarez in September in Las Vegas, yet left $300,000 in sanctioning fees unpaid. Those fees amount to 0.6% of his bout earnings. The organization also pointed to a prior dispute over fees following his August 2024 victory over Israil Madrimov at junior middleweight.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman commented that Crawford should not have forgotten the steps that led to his $50 million payday, emphasizing how critical compliance with the sanctioning body’s financial requirements is for a champion.
In the wake of Crawford’s belt removal, the WBC board moved to designate a title fight for the now-vacant belt. The interim champion, Christian Mbilli, is set to face England’s Hamzah Sheeraz in a planned title bout to crown the new champion. The board also indicated that Lester Martinez, who drew with Mbilli on the Crawford-Alvarez card, remains a potential challenger for the Mbilli-Sheeraz winner.
More details and follow-up coverage are expected as developments unfold.
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