Terence Crawford expressed strong criticism towards WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman following the stripping of his WBC super-middleweight title. Crawford achieved the undisputed 168lb champion status with a historic win over Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, making him the first male fighter in modern times to hold undisputed titles in three weight classes. However, Sulaiman confirmed that Crawford lost his super-middleweight title due to unpaid sanctioning fees.
In response to the decision, Crawford vehemently rejected the claims of unpaid fees, questioning the WBC’s superiority over other sanctioning bodies. He emphasized the value of The Ring belt over the WBC belt and criticized the financial burden placed on fighters by sanctioning bodies like the WBC.
The controversy arose shortly after Sulaiman described Crawford’s refusal to pay the $300,000 in fees as a significant disappointment, highlighting the WBC’s role in facilitating high-stakes boxing events. Despite the fallout, the WBC swiftly arranged a vacant title fight between Hamzah Sheeraz and Christian Mbilli, with Mbilli previously holding the interim title and Sheeraz coming off a notable victory.
Moving forward, the championship title is now vacant, signaling a new chapter in the super-middleweight division.