The US boxer Terence Crawford has suffered a heavy blow that has sent him to the canvas at the hands of the World Boxing Council (WBC). Everything stemmed from an administrative lapse to which he failed to give the necessary attention.
The matter escalated to an unsustainable level, as the fighter’s team was contacted several times by WBC representatives, yet they never responded to any messages. With no other option, the organization decided to strip him of the super middleweight championship title he had earned in the bout where he defeated Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez.
The actions that led to the decision to strip Crawford of his title
Terence Crawford secured the super middleweight belt against ‘Canelo’ on September 13, 2025, by unanimous decision. Due to that victory, he was required to make a payment of 3%, which had been reduced to 0.6% of the $50 million earned as part of the sanction imposed on him from previous fights.
Terence now stands at a record of 42-0, with 32 of those victories coming by knockout. The satisfaction of defeating the Mexican boxer did not last long for the American fighter, as Álvarez had not encountered anyone capable of beating him as convincingly as Crawford did.
The door opens to crown a new champion
The WBC has now opened the possibility for a new champion to emerge in the division, and for those who will have the chance to compete for the vacant title, the moment feels like an early Christmas gift.
British boxer Hamzah Sheeraz, who holds a record of 22-1 with 18 knockouts, will face Canadian Christian Mbilli, who remains at 29-0-1, to determine who will become the new super middleweight monarch.
A payment issue ultimately cost Terence Crawford the champion’s belt, one he held for only a quarter of a year and will now see slip away. It may have been the result of an oversight by his team, which failed to meet the payment requirements that the WBC had been requesting for some time.
However, it is also possible, and this is mere speculation, that it was outright negligence on his part, or perhaps even a deliberate choice not to pay the WBC, fully aware that the belt would be taken from him. What will not be taken away is the satisfaction of having earned it in the ring last September.
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