Christian Mbilli vs. Hamzah Sheeraz - Vacant WBC Super-Middleweight Title

[Ruthless-RKO]

Terence Crawford stripped of WBC super middleweight title for non-payment of fees

The WBC on Wednesday stripped its belt from undisputed 168lbs champion Terence Crawford, calling the fighter’s non-payment of sanctioning fees from his last two bouts “a slap in the face.”

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman read from a news release detailing that the unbeaten Crawford, after defeating Canelo Alvarez in September in Las Vegas, stiffed the sanctioning body of $300,000 in sanctioning fees – 0.6% of his $50 million purse – after previously denying payment from his August 2024 victory over Israil Madrimov down at junior middleweight.

“He forgot how he got to make $50 million,” Sulaiman said.

The WBC board then voted to make a meeting between interim champion Christian Mbilli and England’s Hamzah Sheeraz a title fight for the now vacant belt.

Lester Martinez, who fought Mbilli to a draw on the Crawford-Alvarez card, is in line to fight the Mbilli-Sheeraz winner, the board voted.

[joshj909]

I personally believe that there's a point where you become bigger than the belts that you have to pay an obscene fee for. Canelo crossed that threshold, Usyk has too.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I personally believe that there's a point where you become bigger than the belts that you have to pay an obscene fee for. Canelo crossed that threshold, Usyk has too.

yh, Bud, Usyk and Canelo are all multi-weight multiple time world champions and being paid millions.

Their legacies don't need more belts really.

[joshj909]

I personally believe that there's a point where you become bigger than the belts that you have to pay an obscene fee for. Canelo crossed that threshold, Usyk has too.

yh, Bud, Usyk and Canelo are all multi-weight multiple time world champions and being paid millions.

Their legacies don't need more belts really.

And Sulaiman's response to is shows he doesn't understand the belts from a sporting perspective, only a money making perspective

[coneye]

I personally believe that there's a point where you become bigger than the belts that you have to pay an obscene fee for. Canelo crossed that threshold, Usyk has too.

yh, Bud, Usyk and Canelo are all multi-weight multiple time world champions and being paid millions.

Their legacies don't need more belts really.

And Sulaiman's response to is shows he doesn't understand the belts from a sporting perspective, only a money making perspective

Moneys the only reason any of the belts exist

[Ruthless-RKO]

Hamzah Sheeraz mandated for world title shot after WBC strip super-middleweight championship from Terence Crawford

Britain's Hamzah Sheeraz has been mandated by the WBC to fight Christian Mbilli for their super-middleweight world championship; Terence Crawford, who defeated Canelo Alvarez in a stunning victory earlier this year, has been stripped of the WBC's super-middleweight title

Britain’s Hamzah Sheeraz has been mandated for a world title shot after Terence Crawford has been stripped of the WBC super-middleweight championship.

Crawford, an outstanding welterweight, leapt up three divisions to stun Canelo Alvarez and become the undisputed world champion, winning all four of the major titles at 168lbs.

But the WBC have stripped Crawford of their world title, reportedly due to his failing to pay their sanctioning fee.

Sheeraz has now been mandated to fight Canada's Christian Mbilli for the WBC super-middleweight championship.

Sheeraz went on a run of fearsome knockout wins at middleweight, that encompassed rapid victories over Liam Williams and Tyler Denny. He fought for the WBC middleweight title earlier this year, but struggled to a draw against Carlos Adames.

He moved up to super-middleweight and bounced back with a dominant victory over Edgar Berlanga in July.

A spokesperson for Sheeraz's promoter Queensberry told Sky Sports: "We welcome this news for Hamzah to have the opportunity to become a world champion.

"Hamzah is in a great position with all of the sanctioning bodies, so we will be sitting down with the team shortly to discuss the best next move for him and his career.

"Hamzah is already one of the biggest talents in the sport, as he showed last time out when he destroyed Edgar Berlanga after moving up to 168lbs, and when he becomes world champion in 2026 he will become a true global superstar."

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBC: Terence Crawford Stripped, Mbilli-Sheeraz Ordered For Vacant 168-Pound Title

Terence Crawford's reign as undisputed super middleweight world champion lasted just shy of three months.

At the 63rd annual WBC Boxing Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday's session saw divisional updates, mandatory challengers and various situations clarified across the sanctioning body's 18 weight categories.

The biggest news came at 168-pounds, where it was announced The Ring's premier pound-for-pound star Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) had been stripped of his WBC title after failing to pay sanctioning fees for his last two bouts.

It was explained that in his last fight, a legacy-enhancing points win over longtime champion Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 13, overtures were made to lower the fee from 3% to 0.6% but despite numerous efforts, no reply was given.

As such, current interim beltholder Christian Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) has been mandated to box Hamzah Sheeraz (22-0-1, 18 KOs) for the vacant title, with No. 1-rated Canelo still rehabbing from elbow surgery and unlikely to return before April at the earliest.

Croatian puncher Luka Plantic (13-0, 10 KOs), rated No. 7 in their most recent update, will face either No. 3-rated Jaime Munguia or Mbilli's recent foe Lester Martinez next in an eliminator after another defence of his trinket title in Albania on November 23.

As reported by The Ring's Mike Coppinger last month, Mbilli-Munguia was in talks while Martinez - who won a regional WBC belt last year - was honored by the sanctioning body in Mexico City with a ring in the shape of their symbolic green and gold belt.

[MPW]

I have mixed feelings about this. I stupidly believe the belts are still important, although the politics that govern them go out of their way to undermine that belief.

I think Mbilli vs. Sheeraz could be a good fight. But, if Mbilli is the WBC "interim" SMW champ, why wasn't he just elevated to the "regular" champion status after Crawford was stripped?

[CaptainSpacerod]

“He forgot how he got to make $50 million,”

Sulaiman is an absolute disgrace, implying that his tinpot organisation played a part in Bud’s earnings. Nothing to do with his rare talent and 20 years of incredible sacrifice and blood, sweat and tears then Maurizio ?

Well played Bud Crawford. He’s a guy who does a hell of a lot of good in his community, I’m sure he’ll put the $300k to better use than Maurizio who no doubt would’ve splurged it on fine dining and hookers

[Ruthless-RKO]

“He forgot how he got to make $50 million,”

Sulaiman is an absolute disgrace, implying that his tinpot organisation played a part in Bud’s earnings. Nothing to do with his rare talent and 20 years of incredible sacrifice and blood, sweat and tears then Maurizio ?

Yh, Bud was more of a WBO guy anyway..

[maninthemiddle]

Surely there suing him for their fees? Must have signed an agreement to pay before the fight took place…

[jameswilson]

Several boxers opted for the IBO title and just defended that when they got huge. I'm sure Naz v Barerra was for the IBO alone, presumably so they wouldn't be told who to fight afterwards. Didn't Hatton go through a spell at 140 where he only held the IBO too?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Surely there suing him for their fees? Must have signed an agreement to pay before the fight took place…

Surely they didn’t send him a new belt before he paid the sanctioning fees.

If he ain’t paid the sanctioning fees, then I’m their record, they shouldn’t have him listed as a belt holder. Should just be vacant after Canelo.

[forcefraser]

Great fight if it happens

[Taansend]

Love Hamza.

Mbilli a tough fighter. Not sure why there's not a rematch with Martinez.

Super Middle has the potential to be one of the best divisions around at the moment. Iglesias is my man to watch but I hope Sheeraz becomes the Man

[MPW]

Love Hamza.

Mbilli a tough fighter. Not sure why there's not a rematch with Martinez.

Super Middle has the potential to be one of the best divisions around at the moment. Iglesias is my man to watch but I hope Sheeraz becomes the Man

I agree wholeheartedly. There are many young fighters that can really make SMW a deep, talent-rich hot spot in the coming years, regardless of what Crawford and Alvarez do.

I, too, think Iglesias is at the top of these young boxers, but that spot could be tenuous when you consider there's Martinez, Mbilli, Pacheco, Sheeraz, Melikuziev, Simpson, Sadjo, Plantic, Nurmaganbet, and Ihosvany Garcia lurking out there. I just hope they don't play games, talk trash, and avoid one another like the plague, although Pacheco and Sadjo are slated to fight December 13.