Crawford stripped of WBA 154 title as Baraou becomes full champion

Terence Crawford was stripped Sunday of his WBA 154 pound title after notifying the sanctioning body he does not intend to return to the division, a move that promoted interim champion Abass Baraou to full WBA champion. The announcement came as the undefeated 37 year old, who beat Saul Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision earlier this month in Las Vegas to become undisputed at super middleweight, also faced a separate incident at home in Omaha in which police briefly held him at gunpoint during a traffic stop that is now under internal review.

Wasserman Boxing, Baraou’s promoter, confirmed on social media, "Abass Baraou is full world champion," after the German boxer’s promotion. Baraou earned the interim strap with a unanimous decision win over Yoenis Tellez last month, a fight in which he scored a late knockdown. Under WBA rules the elevation makes Baraou the organization’s full champion and places him in line for mandatory obligations. One potential challenger mentioned by promoters is former champion Jermell Charlo, who is reported to be in talks for a different high-profile fight in the coming months.

Crawford’s decision not to return to the 154 pound class follows his move...