Terence Crawford left boxing unbeaten and with little left to prove, yet Mauricio Sulaimán has reopened an old dispute by describing the former champion’s retirement as “cowardly” in an interview this week.
“Fight in September for the world title. He has many options: Benavidez, Charlo, a rematch with Crawford, who retired cowardly, Bivol, and Beterbiev. He is in a position where he can choose,” said WBC president Sulaiman to Tiempo Extra.
This looks more personal than a professional disagreement over paperwork. Sulaimán’s “cowardly” comment is clearly a retaliatory strike for the bridge Crawford burned on his way out.
When Crawford beat Canelo in September 2025, he effectively retired as the “King of the Hill” and then told the neighborhood association (the WBC) that their membership fees were a scam.
During his Instagram Live rant, Crawford refused to pay and devalued the WBC’s entire existence. Calling the famous green belt a “trophy” that “doesn’t mean s***” is a direct hit to Sulaimán’s legacy and the prestige he tries to maintain for the WBC.
The WBC claims they discounted their usual 3% fee down to 0.6% ($300,000) to be “fair,” and Crawford still wouldn’t touch it. By paying the other three bodies (WBA, IBF, WBO) but freezing out the WBC, Crawford singled them out as the one organization he deemed unworthy of his money.
Crawford explicitly stated that The Ring belt is the “real belt” because it’s free. This is a nightmare for sanctioning bodies because it encourages other stars to realize they don’t actually need the expensive sanctioning body “alphabet” titles to be considered the best.
Calling a 42-0 fighter who just moved up and schooled Canelo a “coward” is objectively absurd in a boxing sense. However, in Sulaimán-speak, “cowardly” likely refers to Crawford’s refusal to “stand and fight” in the boardroom.
By retiring, Crawford prevented the WBC from receiving the $300,000 he already owed them for the belt. Also, his retirement meant that future sanctioning fees from a massive Crawford vs. Benavidez or Crawford vs. Bivol fight.
It also prevented the WBC from having the opportunity to strip him formally as a punishment while he was still active.
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Last Updated on 2026/04/23 at 12:28 PM
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