Terence Crawford has criticized WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman after losing his WBC super-middleweight title. Crawford achieved undisputed 168lb champion status by defeating Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, making him the first male fighter in the modern era to hold undisputed titles in three weight classes. However, Sulaiman recently announced that Crawford was stripped of his title due to unpaid sanctioning fees.
In response to the decision, Crawford expressed his frustration, stating that he was not willing to pay the demanded fees and questioned the superiority of the WBC over other sanctioning bodies. Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul are set to compete in a heavyweight clash in Miami on December 19, which will be streamed live on Netflix as part of Sky’s Essential TV bundle.
Sulaiman described Crawford’s refusal to pay the fees as a disrespectful act, highlighting the WBC’s role in organizing lucrative fights like Crawford-Canelo. Despite the controversy, the WBC has moved forward by scheduling a vacant title fight between Hamzah Sheeraz and Christian Mbilli. Mbilli, who claimed the interim title earlier, will face Sheeraz, a British fighter coming off a notable victory over Edgar Berlanga.
The ongoing developments underscore the complexities of the boxing world, where financial obligations and organizational dynamics often clash with the aspirations of fighters for recognition and success.