WBC Strips Crawford of Title Over $300,000 Fee

Terence Crawford, the Omaha native who stunned the boxing world by defeating Canelo Alvarez in September, has been stripped of his World Boxing Council super middleweight title after refusing to pay a $300,000 sanctioning fee. The WBC announced the decision this week, citing Crawford's failure to comply with the organization's rules following his unanimous decision victory over Alvarez on September 13, 2025, in Las Vegas.

Crawford, who earned approximately $50 million from the bout, became the first fighter in the four-belt era to claim undisputed super middleweight honors, adding the WBC strap to his collection alongside those from the IBF, WBA, and WBO. This marked his fifth weight class with a world title and solidified his status as a three-division undisputed champion, a feat previously achieved only by Alvarez in the modern era. However, the WBC reduced its standard sanctioning fee from 3 percent of a fighter's purse to 0.6 percent in this case, amounting to the $300,000 figure. Officials stated that Crawford's nonpayment left them no choice but to vacate the belt.

In response, Crawford unleashed a profanity-laced video on Instagram, expressing deep frustration with WBC...