When Glory Meets Controversy: Terence Crawford Stripped of His Belt — Here’s What Went Down

🥊 What Happened?

On December 3, 2025, the World Boxing Council (WBC) officially stripped Terence Crawford of its super-middleweight title — the belt he had earned after defeating Canelo Alvarez in September. The reason? Crawford allegedly failed to pay mandatory sanctioning fees required by the WBC for his last two fights. WTVB 1590 AM

According to the WBC, Crawford owed about $300,000 for the Canelo bout — fees that were reportedly reduced from the usual 3% of his purse to 0.6% given the magnitude of the fight. RingMagazine

Because the WBC says it sent multiple communications to Crawford and his representatives with no response, the governing body felt it had no other option than to vacate the title.

Crawford’s Response: Calling Out the System

Crawford didn’t stay quiet. In a heated post on social media, he fired back at the WBC and its president Mauricio Sulaiman, calling the demand for $300,000 (plus additional fees) absurd. He argued that as the fighter risking life and limb in the ring, he should be paid — not asked to “pay up” just to carry a belt.

He went as far as to call the WBC belt “just a trophy” and insisted that his legacy remains intact, regardless of what the sanctioning body declares.

More broadly, Crawford used the moment to criticize what he called an outdated — and often corrupt — boxing governance system. He backed efforts for structural reform in the sport, arguing that elite athletes shouldn’t be held hostage by sanctioning bodies’ financial demands.

What This Means for Boxing — And for Crawford

• Vacated Belt, But Not Legacy: Although he lost the WBC title, Crawford still holds other major belts (WBA, IBF, WBO), maintaining much of his status. Reuters
• A Title Shot for Others: The WBC has slated Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Christian Mbilli to fight for the now-vacant super-middleweight title.
• Spotlight on Sanctioning Fees: This incident throws a harsh spotlight on the fee structure governing boxing’s elite. If top-tier fighters balk at paying — even when guaranteed huge purses — it raises serious questions about the sustainability and fairness of the sanctioning-body model.
• Pressure for Reform: With Crawford publicly calling out the WBC, the event may add fuel to ongoing discussions about reshaping boxing’s power structures — possibly favoring more unified, fighter-friendly governance.

What This Means for Fans (and the Sport)

For fans, this episode is a cautionary — and painful — reminder: championships can be lost outside the ring. It’s not just about wins, knockouts, or titles earned in battle; bureaucracy and business decisions still hold real power.

For the sport generally, Crawford’s defiance might become a turning point. If more elite boxers refuse to play by these traditional financial rules, sanctioning bodies may be forced to evolve — or lose relevance.

For Crawford himself, this might sting in the short term — but his legacy, talent, and undefeated record remain. Whether this spark leads to deeper reform, or simply becomes another headline… only time will tell.