One of the week’s biggest boxing stories emerged from Thailand and involved a president and a fighter — though thankfully not Donald Trump or Jake Paul. Instead, it centred on WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman and triple undisputed champion Terence Crawford.
Crawford began the week as the undisputed super-middleweight champion following his historic win over Canelo Alvarez in September. By Wednesday, that status had changed. The WBC stripped him of its title for failing to pay sanctioning fees, reducing his collection of belts from four to three.
Crawford responded with a nine-minute rant on social media, while Sulaiman outlined the WBC’s position during the organisation’s annual convention in Thailand.
It didn’t take long for figures across the sport to give their views, including former two-weight champion and ESPN analyst Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley. While the dispute between Crawford and the WBC revolves around unpaid fees, Bradley believes there is another angle at play. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Bradley said:
“This ain’t about no WBC. I want y’all to think, man. This about Hamzah Sheeraz.”
Sheeraz is a direct beneficiary of the WBC’s ruling, with the organisation ordering him to face Christian Mbilli for the now-vacant title.
Bradley continued:
“It’s about him getting a strap. That’s what this is about. Whose guy is that? Think about it. It ain’t about the money. It’s about Hamzah Sheeraz — without having to go through Crawford. That’s what this is about.”
Last year, Sheeraz was appointed an ambassador for Riyadh Season — a decision made by boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh. Riyadh Season has been behind many of the sport’s biggest recent events, and Bradley’s comments clearly point in Alalshikh’s direction.
