Terence Crawford has been stripped of his World Boxing Council super-middleweight world title after a dispute over unpaid sanctioning fees, a decision that puts Britain's Hamzah Sheeraz in line to fight for the vacant belt.
The WBC announced on Wednesday that it had removed the American star as its champion, three months after he shocked Canelo Álvarez in Las Vegas to become undisputed at 168lb. The organisation said Crawford had not paid its required fees from that victory or from his previous bout in 2024, despite multiple attempts to contact him and his team.
With the title now vacant, the WBC has ordered its interim champion Christian Mbilli to face Sheeraz for the belt. The 26-year-old from Ilford made an explosive arrival to the division in July when he demolished local favourite Edgar Berlanga at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. A win over Mbilli would make Sheeraz Britain's newest world champion in one of boxing's glamour divisions.
Crawford's situation reflects a familiar tension in the sport. Sanctioning bodies such as the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO all charge fighters a percentage of their purse – typically around 3% – to compete for their belts. In Crawford's case, the WBC says it lowered the fee for his fight against Álvarez from 3% to 0.6% because of his reported $50m purse – an amount believed to be roughly $300,000 – and planned to send most of that money to a charity fund that supports retired fighters. Still, the 38-year-old Nebraskan reportedly did not respond to any communication regarding the payments.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán described the lack of reply as “a slap in the face”, though Crawford has not commented publicly. Crawford still holds the WBO, IBF and WBA belts, but has hinted he may drop back down to middleweight for future fights.
For Sheeraz, the opportunity is clear. Mbilli, a French-Cameroonian based in Montreal who is unbeaten in 30 bouts, is a high-pressure, high-volume fighter, while the 6ft 3in Sheeraz brings physical advantages of 6½in in height and 3in in reach. Their meeting, yet to be formally scheduled, promises to be one of the most significant British fights of the first half of next year.
