In a dramatic turn of events, American boxing star Shakur Stevenson has been stripped of his WBC lightweight world title, mere days after securing a monumental victory over Teofimo Lopez to claim the WBO super-lightweight belt. The sudden move by the World Boxing Council has ignited a fierce public dispute, with Stevenson taking to social media to criticise the organisation's sanctioning fees.
Stevenson's Career-Defining Win Overshadowed by Title Controversy
Last Saturday in New York City, Shakur Stevenson delivered a boxing masterclass, dominating the naturally larger Teofimo Lopez over twelve rounds to win a clear points decision. This victory saw Stevenson capture the WBO super-lightweight title, an achievement that cemented his status as a rare four-weight world champion. The triumph was widely celebrated as a career-defining moment for the 28-year-old phenom.
However, just seventy-two hours after this landmark performance, Stevenson found himself stripped of the WBC lightweight championship he had held since November 2023. The WBC updated its official rankings to list the lightweight title as vacant, confirming multiple reports that had begun to circulate. Stevenson had successfully defended this particular belt three times throughout 2024 and 2025, making the organisation's decision particularly contentious.
A Public Outcry Over Sanctioning Fees
Stevenson responded swiftly and vocally to the WBC's action, posting a series of messages on the social media platform X that directly questioned the sanctioning fees demanded by the governing body. "100k to some crooks who don't deserve it?" Stevenson wrote, before addressing his daughter, "Nah Leilani I rather give it to u baby girl."
The boxer expressed clear frustration, noting the WBC had no involvement in his recent fight with Lopez. "The WBC didn't even have s*** to do with this fight and it's eating them alive take your belt it don't make me," he stated. Stevenson also revealed he had recently paid fees to the organisation, asking, "And I just paid these dudes after my last fight.. What the hell im giving yall 100k right now for? Because yall got beef with Bud so come at me for it."
In referencing "Bud", Stevenson was pointing to his friend and fellow champion Terence Crawford, who retweeted the posts. Crawford faced a similar dispute with the WBC last year over unpaid sanctioning fees after his historic victory over Canelo Alvarez, which led to him being stripped of the WBC super-middleweight title in December.
Echoes of the Crawford Dispute
The situation mirrors the high-profile conflict between Terence Crawford and the WBC leadership. After becoming the undisputed super-middleweight champion, Crawford was stripped of the WBC belt, with the council alleging non-payment of fees. Crawford, who reportedly earned around $50 million for the Canelo fight, launched a tirade against WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, vehemently disputing the $300,000 fee.
President Sulaiman had previously explained to The Independent that the WBC had offered a reduced fee for Crawford's fight, from the standard 3% to 0.6%, with the majority earmarked for the Boxers Fund charity. "This is a very unfortunate situation, which has created much speculation and misinformation," Sulaiman stated at the time. Crawford subsequently announced his retirement as an unbeaten, five-weight champion.
Post-Fight Tensions and Future Fights
The controversy unfolded against a backdrop of simmering tensions in the ring after Stevenson's win over Lopez. British welterweight Conor Benn entered the ring, leading to a heated exchange with the new champion. Benn, promoted by Eddie Hearn who also works with Stevenson, dismissed Stevenson's challenge. "You're too small for me, bro, you're tiny," said Benn. "You can't punch, you can't keep me off you."
Stevenson fired back, "My skills is too much!" before telling promoter Eddie Hearn, "He's food! He's food! He's food!" Benn retorted, "You think I'm scared of you? I'm not scared of you, bro. We can do it next. Come up to welterweight with the big dogs. You're a little man." The confrontation ended with Benn conceding it was Stevenson's night, but the verbal sparring hints at a potential future matchup.
The WBC has yet to provide an official comment on stripping Stevenson of the lightweight title. This incident raises significant questions about the relationship between sanctioning bodies and the fighters they champion, highlighting ongoing debates about fees and governance within the sport of boxing.
