Terence Crawford has strongly criticized WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman following the revocation of his WBC super-middleweight title.
Crawford secured the undisputed 168lb championship with a historic win over Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, making him the first male boxer in the modern era to hold undisputed titles across three weight classes.
However, Crawford’s reign as the undisputed super-middleweight champion was abruptly ended as Sulaiman confirmed the stripping of his green and gold belt due to unpaid sanctioning fees.
In response to the decision, Crawford expressed his frustrations, stating that he had not paid Sulaiman the required fees and questioning the WBC’s superiority over other sanctioning bodies.
Meanwhile, the boxing world is gearing up for a heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul in Miami on December 19. The fight will be live-streamed on Netflix, available for free with Sky’s £15 Essential TV bundle.
Sulaiman condemned Crawford’s failure to pay the fees, describing it as a disrespectful act considering the role the WBC played in organizing lucrative fights like Crawford-Canelo, which generated significant earnings for the fighters.
Following Crawford’s dethronement, the WBC swiftly arranged a title fight between Hamzah Sheeraz and Christian Mbilli to fill the vacant championship spot. Mbilli, who previously won the interim title by defeating Maciej Sulecki, will face Sheeraz, a British boxer known for his knockout victory over Edgar Berlanga.
In the wake of these developments, the WBC emphasized the importance of respect and honor in boxing, highlighting that the championship title is now up for grabs, symbolizing the ever-evolving nature of the sport.