BANGKOK – On Wednesday, the World Boxing Council (WBC) officially stripped Terence Crawford of his WBC super middleweight (168-pound) title, ending his brief undisputed reign in the division just 81 days after winning it.
The decision was announced during the WBC’s annual convention in Bangkok, Thailand, and stems from Crawford’s failure to pay sanctioning fees for his last two fights, despite multiple notifications from the organization.
The move did not follow a defeat, injury, or failed drug test. Instead, it came out of a bitter dispute over unpaid sanctioning fees, cutting short Crawford’s reign as undisputed champion at 168 lbs only three months after his landmark win over Canelo Álvarez.
This is far more than a small rules dispute. It shakes up one of boxing’s glamour divisions and shines a harsh light on the power and cost of sanctioning bodies in modern professional boxing. For readers in Southeast Asia, the story carries extra weight, since the final decision was taken and announced on their doorstep in Bangkok.
The $300,000 Dispute: Unpaid WBC Sanctioning Fees
At the centre of the row sits a simple complaint: Crawford did not pay what the WBC says he owed. The governing body confirmed that it stripped him of its belt because he failed to pay mandatory sanctioning fees tied to his last two key bouts: his 2024 victory over Israil Madrimov and, most importantly, his historic unification fight with Canelo Álvarez in September 2025.
Reports state that the unpaid amount from the Canelo fight alone was more than $300,000. Even that was a heavily reduced fee. The WBC usually charges 3 per cent of a fighter’s purse for a title bout. In Crawford’s case, they say they cut it to 0.6 per cent of his reported $50 million payday.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán, speaking at the convention, made it clear that the organisation felt it had been left with no choice. He stated that the WBC sent “multiple communications” to Crawford’s manager and legal team about the money owed, but, according to him, received “neither an acknowledgment of receipt nor any response to any of those communications”. The WBC said that after months of silence, it decided it had to act.
The organisation also stressed how the reduced fee would have been used. According to the WBC, 75 per cent of that discounted amount was marked for the José Sulaimán Boxers Fund, a charity set up to support retired and struggling fighters around the world. The WBC leaned heavily on this point, arguing that the fee would have helped former professionals in need.
That angle, however, did nothing to calm the stripped champion.
Crawford’s Explosive Response: “Just a Trophy”
While the WBC framed its choice as a simple matter of rules and respect, Crawford hit back with rare fury. Usually calm in public, he reacted this time with a raw, unfiltered attack that spread quickly across social media.
He refused outright to pay what was demanded and aimed at Sulaimán and the WBC as a whole. In a viral rant, Crawford said the organisation was acting like it sat above the sport and accused it of arrogance.
“I saw Mauricio had a lot to say about me not paying him $300,000, plus another $100,000-something for sanctioning fees,” Crawford said, before launching into an angry tirade. “The WBC thinks that you better than everybody, don’t you? You got the fing green belt, which don’t mean fing sh**.”
In one of the most striking lines, Crawford said the famous green belt was nothing more than a “trophy”. He argued that the Ring belt, which carries no sanctioning fee, is the real sign of a true world champion. He questioned why fighters, who risk their bodies and long-term health, should have to “pay them a sanction fee like they the government”, as if being taxed for doing their job.
Crawford also accused the WBC of favouring Canelo Álvarez, the man he beat to become undisputed champion. He suggested that the decision to strip him was driven in part by Sulaimán’s displeasure at Canelo’s heavy defeat in September. Reports claim Sulaimán wanted an apology from Crawford over past comments about Canelo, which Crawford refused to give. That refusal seems to have deepened an already toxic relationship between the fighter and the governing body.
A New Race for the WBC Crown
With Crawford removed as WBC champion at 168 lbs, his run as undisputed king is now over. He still holds the WBA, IBF, and WBO super-middleweight titles, but without the WBC belt, he can no longer call himself the undisputed champion.
The WBC, meeting in Bangkok, moved quickly to fill the gap. Its board ordered a fight for the now-vacant super-middleweight title between interim champion Christian Mbilli (29-0-1), the French-Cameroonian pressure fighter, and Britain’s unbeaten contender Hamzah Sheeraz (19-0).
Mbilli, who battled to a draw with Lester Martinez on the Crawford vs Canelo undercard, is known for his relentless, high-volume style. Sheeraz, tall for the weight, brings sharp power and timing, and now finds himself with a sudden shortcut to a major title. He would usually have needed to wait for a shot at an undisputed champion. Instead, he goes straight into a fight for one of boxing’s most famous belts.
Lester Martinez (19-0-1), the man who held Mbilli to that hard-fought draw, has been named as the division’s new number one contender. That ranking puts him in a strong position for a future title shot against the winner.
All of this movement started not with a dramatic knockout, but with a dispute over paperwork and money.
Boxing’s Long-Running “Tax”
The Crawford story has opened up an old argument once again. It is not just about one fighter; it highlights how sanctioning bodies make money and how much they ask from those who step into the ring.
For decades, many fighters, trainers, and fans have complained about the way the four main organisations, the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO, take a percentage of a fighter’s purse for world title fights. These fees can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars when megastars are involved.
In Crawford’s case, his $50 million purse meant that even a cut-rate 0.6 per cent fee turned into a bill of more than $300,000. If the usual 3 per cent had been applied, it would have been far higher.
The WBC says a large portion of this fee would have gone to charity through the José Sulaimán Boxers Fund, which offers financial help and medical support to retired fighters and their families.
Many within boxing see value in that fund. Still, the core question remains simple and raw. Should the people taking the punches be the ones paying such large sums to administrative bodies for the right to wear a belt?
Crawford’s stance reflects the views of many active fighters who see these payments as a heavy and unfair “tax” on their work. By speaking so openly and so fiercely, he has turned a private dispute into a public debate that stretches far beyond his own career.
What Comes Next for Terence Crawford?
Even without the WBC belt, Crawford is still seen by many as one of the best fighters on the planet, pound for pound. His record remains perfect, he still has three of the four major super-middleweight titles, and his dominance over Canelo Álvarez is fresh in the memory.
His future, though, looks less clear.
Crawford has already spoken about a move back down to the 160 lb middleweight division. He has hinted at chasing fresh challenges there, including possible unification fights. Losing the WBC belt at 168 lbs could push him to make that move sooner, since the political mess at super-middleweight may now feel like more trouble than it is worth.
A drop to middleweight could open the door to big-name fights with champions like Erislandy Lara or other belt holders, depending on how their own situations with sanctioning bodies develop. Crawford has always chased legacy and big events, and middleweight would give him a new set of targets without the WBC super-middleweight drama hanging over him.
For now, though, the boxing world is still processing what has happened. An undisputed champion has lost a piece of his crown not because someone beat him, but because he refused to pay a fee he sees as unfair.
This story, born at the WBC convention in Bangkok, is already one of the defining headlines of the 2025 boxing year. It underlines a hard truth. In boxing, some of the toughest fights take place not under bright lights in packed arenas, but in offices, at conventions, and in arguments over contracts and cheques.
With the WBC super-middleweight title now up for grabs, 2026 looks set to bring fresh drama, new champions, and more debate about who really holds the power in the sport.
