Terrence Crawford has lost his status as the undisputed super middleweight champion after the WBC stripped him of the title. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman stated that Crawford failed to pay penalties related to two fights, including his landmark victory over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in September. Sulaiman criticized Crawford for neglecting a $300,000 penalty connected to the Alvarez fight, which was only paid after missing a previous penalty for his August 2024 win against Israil Madrimov. The WBC highlighted that instead of the usual 3% fee, Crawford was supposed to pay a reduced 0.6%, with the funds intended for the Boxer Fund. Crawford, who was once the undisputed welterweight champion, jumped two weight classes after fighting Madrimov at junior middleweight to face Alvarez. Despite doubts about Crawford handling Alvarez’s size, Crawford’s superior boxing led to a unanimous decision victory, ending Alvarez’s run as the undisputed 168-pound champ. Sulaiman expressed disappointment over the lack of gratitude or apology from Crawford, emphasizing how painful it is to strip a champion of his title given Crawford’s 13-year reign across five weight divisions. Following this, the WBC announced that interim champion Christian Mbili will compete against Hamza Silas for the full world title.
Fan Take: This decision shakes up the super middleweight division and underscores the importance of professionalism and respect within the sport. For fight fans, it sets the stage for fresh rivalries and title bouts, potentially reshaping the competitive landscape in boxing’s higher weight classes.
