Terence Crawford has strongly criticized WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman following the revocation of his WBC super-middleweight title.
‘Bud’ achieved the undisputed 168lb championship with a historic win over Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas last September, becoming the first male fighter in the modern era to hold undisputed titles in three weight classes.
However, Crawford’s reign as the undisputed super-middleweight champion has been abruptly ended after Sulaiman confirmed that the American boxer was stripped of his green and gold belt due to unpaid sanctioning fees.
Upon learning of the decision, Crawford expressed his frustration, stating that he did not intend to pay the outstanding fees and questioning the WBC’s perceived superiority over other sanctioning bodies.
In a separate boxing event announcement, Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul are set to compete in a heavyweight match in Miami on December 19. The fight will be available for live streaming on Netflix, accessible to fans through Sky’s £15 Essential TV bundle, deemed the brand’s most affordable Sky TV offering.
Sulaiman responded to Crawford’s refusal to pay the sanctioning fees by labeling it a disrespectful act, emphasizing the WBC’s role in facilitating lucrative boxing events like Crawford vs. Canelo. Despite the setback, Sulaiman reiterated the WBC’s commitment to the sport and announced the vacancy of Crawford’s former title.
The WBC swiftly arranged a title fight between Hamzah Sheeraz and Christian Mbilli to fill the void left by Crawford’s dethronement. Mbilli, who secured the interim title earlier in the year, will face Sheeraz, a British fighter known for his knockout victory over Edgar Berlanga.
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