WBC strips Shakur Stevenson of title, fighter laments ‘crooks’ in sanctioning bodies

Shakur Stevenson is no longer the WBC lightweight champion. The WBC stripped Stevenson of the title four days after he beat Teofimo Lopez for the WBO junior welterweight title.

On Wednesday, the WBC announced that its lightweight title was vacant. Stevenson had held the WBC lightweight title since November 2023 after defeating Edwin De Los Santos. 

“In light of champion Stevenson now being the reigning WBO super lightweight world champion and consistent with the WBC rules and regulations, the WBC has declared vacant its lightweight world title,” the WBC wrote in a statement. “The WBC wishes champion Stevenson continued success in all his future endeavors, both inside and outside the ring. The WBC will provide further information regarding the process to crown a new lightweight world champion in the near future.”

Stevenson defended the WBC lightweight title three times before moving up to defeat Lopez with a brilliant performance for the WBO 140-pound crown.

Stevenson addressed the title vacancy with a much different energy. The undefeated boxer suggested the WBC stripped him because he refused to pay the organization $100,000 for the Lopez fight.

“[$100,000] to some crooks who don’t deserve it?” Stevenson wrote. “The WBC didn’t even have shit to do with this fight, and it’s eating them alive. Take your belt, it don’t make me.”

Stevenson referenced the WBC stripping Terence Crawford of the super middleweight title in early December for similar reasons, suggesting the sanctioning body was taking out their issues with ‘Bud’ on him.

“I just paid these dudes after my last fight.. What the hell am I giving y’all 100k right now for? Because y’all got beef with ‘Bud,’ so come at me for it?”