He was stripped due to non-payment of fees. Mbilli will face Sheeraz for the belt. (even though Mbilli should be ugraded to the full status, but I guess not?) Usually the IBF are the ones who strip unified/undisputed champions. Kind of hard to say whether this is a political move by Sulaiman and the gang, to give Turki's protege a shot at the title, while also letting Canelo in the mix for the belt. The fragmentation of 168 was inevitable, but the way Crawford was stripped is rather lame.
I'm no longer surprised by what the various world associations (especially the WBC) can do, and there might even be valid reasons for stripping a boxer of his belt. Mbilli vs. Sheeraz would be an interesting match, and I don't see the English fighter being the favorite.
Good well done Crawford, those crooks are corrupt parasites and the sooner we do away with all the governing bodies the better. Wouldn’t even mind Turki politically manoeuvring the ring belt to be the one true belt, but fully aware there would be plenty of corruption there too.
I love it. It's more than likely an exception because its Bud, but others should follow his lead against World Boxing Corruption.
Nothing funnier than an era of soon to be retired fighters sticking their fingers up at them ugly commisions. Burn them belts BABY BURN THEM. All the commisions should be dissolved
Good, **** em. Why is Sheeraz fighting for the title? He's got one win at SMW and it was over the WBC's 9th contender.
If you don't pay the sanctioning fee, no org will continue to recognize you. That's why they give out belts: to collect sanctioning fees for them. That's why there are so many. If champs fought more often, there wouldn't be any of those secondary interim or regular belts.
I highly doubt Crawford is going to care all that much at this point. He already has most of the belts, a win over Canelo, and a career high payday. I don't think losing one belt is going to bother him.