2025-12-09 12:34:39
Ryan Garcia has slammed Terence Crawford after he was stripped of his WBC super-middleweight world title for failing to pay sanctioning fees.
Bud, 38, lost the belt less than three months after becoming undisputed champion by dethroning Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, 35, in September when he failed to pay the maindated $300,000 fee, and The Flash, 27, has now blasted Crawford for his actions.
Speaking on The Inside Ring Show, Garcia said: “Crawford should have talked his talk. Before, when he needed them, he wasn’t talking like this.
“Now that he’s got his money and the cash, now, ‘Oh, I don’t need the WBC to get me an opportunity. Now, I’m going to say, f*** you all.’
“To me, that’s a little cowardice on his part.”
Garcia argued that Crawford was wrong to ignore the payment despite highlighting that the fee itself – reduced to $300,000 from a typical $1.5 million – was unusually high.
He said: “The only thing I don’t agree with is why is it $330,000? I don’t like that amount.”
Crawford was ordered to pay 0.6 per cent of his reported $50 million purse for the Alvarez bout, as well as fees relating to his victory over Israil Madrimov, 30, at super-welterweight in August.
His refusal prompted WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman to announce that the title would be declared vacant.
Sulaiman, who said the organisation was “instrumental” in approving and securing Crawford–Alvarez, described the non-payment as a personal and professional snub.
Speaking at the convention, he said: “For making an event with multi-million dollars at stake … just to receive a slap in the face, it is sad.”
Crawford responded furiously in an Instagram Live rant, directly addressing Sulaiman’s criticism. He said: “Who the f*** do you think I am? Boy, you better slap your f****** self.
“I ain’t paying your a**** s***. You, the WBC, think you are better than everybody … you have the green belt, which don’t mean s***.”
The dispute has reopened the super-middleweight landscape heading into 2026.
With Crawford refusing to reconsider payment, the WBC board voted to install their interim champion Christian Mbilli, 30, against Hamzah Sheeraz, 26, for the now-vacant belt.
Mbilli was previously due to rematch Lester Martinez, 30, but the sanctioning body opted to fast-track the title resolution.
Crawford has long voiced frustration at sanctioning fees and has hinted he may stop “paying unnecessary bodies” as he pursues big-money fights on his own terms.
Despite losing the green belt, he remains one of the sport’s pound-for-pound stars and could continue campaigning at 168lbs in blockbuster match-ups not tied to governing bodies.
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