Terence Crawford has lost one of the five titles he took from Canelo Alvarez in September for a pretty ridiculous reason.
In September, boxing gave fans a rare super-fight when future Hall of Famers Crawford and Alvarez faced off in a dream match at super middleweight. It was a matchup that had been speculated about for a few years, but most figured it would never happen.
Not only did it happen, but it was an entertaining scrap that showcased boxing at its best. In the end, “Bud” cemented his place as the best fighter of his generation when he scored a definitive unanimous decision victory inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Terence Crawford record: 42-0
In the victory, Crawford won not one, not two, not three, but four recognized championships. However, this week, one of those belts was taken away from him. On Wednesday, the WBC revealed that it had stripped the new champion of their title for failing to pay their sanctioning fees. What was the charge to wear the sanctioning body’s belt? A whopping $300,000.
According to WBC, they actually gave Crawford a fee discount. The policy is for a fighter to pay 3% of their winnings to a sanctioning body. However, they claim they required just 0.6% of the $50 million he made in his bout with Alvarez earlier this year. The discount also came after Crawford allegedly failed to pay his dues for his last two fights.
“The WBC sent multiple communications to Champion Crawford, his manager, and his legal counsel. Unfortunately, the WBC did not receive an acknowledgment of receipt or any response to any of those communications. The WBC had no choice but to act,” the WBC said in a statement.
The WBC requiring a six-figure fee to wear title is ridiculous
The situation is ridiculous for two reasons. Considering the millions upon millions Terence Crawford has earned during his career, it is silly that his management team did not pay his dues. Especially after they missed payments after his two previous fights. He has the money. The bill should have been paid.
Nevertheless, it also seems outrageous that the WBC and any sanctioning body requires that high a sum and charges fighters to wear their titles. They can make their money from promoters before the fight. Asking a competitor who put their body on the line in the ring to pay just to put their belt around their waist is one of the many things wrong with boxing.
In Crawford’s win over Alvarez, he won the WBA, IBF, and WBO super middleweight titles. He also earned The Ring title super middleweight strap.
