February 5, 2026
WBC Strips Shakur Stevenson Of Lightweight Title
'100k to some crooks who don’t deserve it? Nah,' Stevenson said
The World Boxing Council (WBC) is mired in another controversy after stripping Shakur Stevenson of the lightweight title after his latest victory, in which he moved up in weight to capture the WBO championship.
According to ESPN, the WBC has declared the title vacant, citing its rules and regulations for titleholders because Stevenson moved up in weight.
“The WBC wishes Champion Stevenson continued success in all his future endeavors, both inside and outside the ring,” the WBC said in a written statement. “The WBC will provide further information regarding the process to crown a new Lightweight World Champion in the near future.”
Stevenson handily defeated Teofimo Lopez to take home the WBO junior welterweight title at their matchup, Jan. 31 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The stripping comes less than two months after the sanctioning body stripped undefeated fighter Terence Crawford of his super middleweight title.
Stevenson took to social media to respond to the news, accusing the organization of stripping him of his title for refusing to pay the $140,000 sanctioning fee.
“100k to some crooks who don’t deserve it?” He stated that they had nothing to do with his last fight and “it’s eating them alive.”
The controversial move mirrors the complaint Crawford raised when the WBC stripped him of his title. Crawford said he wouldn’t pay the $300,000 fee, which is why the WBC stripped him of the title.
Stevenson expressed the same sentiments and blamed them for the WBC’s issues with Crawford over unpaid fees.
Shakur Stevenson became a four-division champion after the Jan. 31 victory. In November 2023, he won the WBC lightweight title when he beat Edwin De Los Santos by unanimous decision. He has defended the title three times, winning each match. The 28-year-old boxer has an undefeated 25-0 record and has secured 11 knockouts.
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