Back in 2023, one month out from the biggest fight of his career, Errol Spence Jr wanted to know exactly where sanctioning fees go.
Spence faced Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight title and, at the time, held three of the four belts. From their purses, the pair paid an agreed three per cent to each sanctioning body –– a total of 12 per cent.
During back-to-back press conferences, Spence repeatedly questioned the fees: Where is the money going? How does it help fighters? And what exactly are the organisations doing with it?
A portion goes to charitable causes and to governing-body operating costs. But two years on, Crawford is asking similar questions after the WBC stripped him of his super-middleweight title for unpaid fees –– a move that downgraded him from undisputed to unified champion at 168lbs.
The fallout became one of last week’s biggest stories, with WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman and Crawford responding through the media, and in Crawford’s case, on Instagram.
Spence, 35, hasn’t fought since Crawford dominated him to become a two-weight undisputed champion. While questions remain about his own career, he has been a frequent ringside presence in recent weeks, including at Saturday night’s PBC card headlined by Isaac Cruz and Lamont Roach.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Spence was asked for his reaction to Crawford’s nine-minute response to being stripped.
“It makes sense, but I think he should have talked about it before. Now he talking about it when he don’t need a WBC anymore. And he should have talked about it way back when I said something –– he should have spoken up and said something about it. It is what it is.”
Asked whether the system needs reform, Spence said:
“Definitely. Need to be some account of where the money is going. All we see is them having big dinners and throwing conventions. We don’t know where the money is going.”
Ironically, it was at the WBC’s recent convention in Thailand where news of Crawford’s stripping first emerged. Sulaiman has since said he would be happy to work with Crawford again –– if the champion abides by the rules.
