Boxing
Crawford still worried about WBC fees months after leaving
But boxing is not based on individual preferences. The structure is now ready.
Sanctioning authorities charge fees. Masters pay them. That’s the trade-off when it comes to keeping the belt, whether the fighters like it or not. If you want to challenge it, it’s usually before you enter the system, not after you’ve already become familiar with what’s involved.
Crawford didn’t do that for the WBC. He negotiated with and paid the three sanctioning authorities. The WBC refused to change its terms and he chose not to meet them. At the same time, he fought for the belt, posed with it and added it to his undisputed status before the holidays.
If he truly viewed the pay as “extortion,” the consistent move would have been to deny him the belt before the fight. By first taking title and then calling the fees unfair, it creates the impression that “principle” only became a priority when it was actually time to part with the cash.
Crawford admittedly planned to relinquish his titles regardless of the fee structure. He used the WBC belt to consolidate his historic position as the undisputed champion of two weight classes. Now he portrays his planned departure as a heroic defiance of a system he willingly exploited for his own legacy.
The most glaring part of this situation is the timing. Crawford didn’t just “accidentally” win the WBC belt. He aimed specifically to achieve undisputed status at 168 pounds.
By winning the belt against Canelo in September 2025, he became the first undisputed three-division champion in the four-belt era. It’s a huge, lasting addition to his legacy that the WBC has helped make.
The WBC actually reduced his pay for this fight from the standard 3% to 0.6%. Given his $50 million purse, that was a $300,000 note.
When he calls it “extortion” now, it sounds less like sticking to the rules and more like a denial from the past. He used the WBC platform to create stories, but when the invoice arrived for a service he was already using, he suddenly discovered that the system was “broken.”
“Beyond that, I’m like, man, I’ve already left them,” Crawford told Travis Hartman.
His plan to leave the club is a “smoking gun.” If he already knew he was leaving the division and would retire shortly thereafter, the belts were essentially rented out.
This puts the dispute in a different lithe. Conditions have not changed. His decision has already been made.
He didn’t lose his titles because of an unexpected change in rules or a sudden change in policy. Calling it “upholding” implies that he was fighting to change the rules, but his actions suggest that he had just finished that chapter and had no desire to pay the bill on his way out the door.
What stands out now is that he’s still talking about it months later. The fight is over. The stripes are gone. He walked away from all four titles and put himself in a position that would lead directly to a rematch with Canelo. However, the same point still appears, with the same edge. This is the part that doesn’t quite fit.
If the lane was already marked clear and the outcome was known in advance, the dispute was not a surprise. Still, he decided to go through with it. So where does this frustration come from now?
Crawford will recognize that he is not giving up. But from the outside it may look like he entered the system, accepted it where it suited him, rejected it where it didn’t work, and kept coming back to that one element that didn’t go his way.
Unbeaten Dominique Francis believes he is closer to boxing’s elite than many realize as the 16-0 super featherweight contender prepares for his return under the Zuffa Boxing banner.
Francis has stopped 10 opponents during his professional career and will return on July 26 against Hector Andres Sosa at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York on Paramount+.
The Miami native has been out of action since his fourth-round knockout of Julio Carrera Lugo in October 2024, but Francis insists the time away from the ring has not changed his belief or his approach.
Speaking exclusively to World Boxing News on the eve of the fight, Francis explained why he does not fear inactivity, why he believes Zuffa has changed opportunities for fighters, and why he feels the world champions are closer than many expect.
Francis Refuses To Blame The Layoff
Francis does not believe a layoff of that nature automatically affects a fighter’s ability if the work continues behind the scenes.
“It ain’t change my mindset. You seen Floyd Mayweather fight Juan Manuel Márquezhe took 21 months off of boxing,” Francis told WBN.
“At the same time, with me, you know what I’m saying, he was as sharp as he, like sharpest he ever was. I don’t believe in all that. If you working and you inside the gym, you alright.”
Zuffa Gives Fighters More Opportunities
Francis believes joining Zuffa provides a valuable platform for fighters, but he knows his own preparation remains his responsibility.
“It’s very important, but you know, they going they going to handle that. It’s just me to do my job: stay in the gym, stay in shape, stay healthy, you know what I mean, so whenever I get a call, we can make it happen.”
The 16-0 contender is also excited about competing on Paramount+ and believes the boxing landscape is changing.
“Oh man, very I’m very thankful for this opportunity, man. The landscape changed a lot, man, ’cause you know, now you have more fighters that have opportunity now.
“They have places to go, you know what I mean? So the landscape changed a lot, they have places to go, and that’s a great thing for us fighters, man.”
Francis was pleased with his last performance against Lugo but is not looking back as he prepares for the next stage of his career.
“My last performance was good. It was a it was a good performance, but that don’t matter no more, you know what I mean? ‘Cause now it’s about this performance.”
“I’m Closer Than I Even Think”
Francis has clear ambitions for the next 12 months and believes continued improvement will put him in position for bigger opportunities.
“I want to be prosperity, to keep learning, and I want growth, definitely growth, as long as you keep going. So keep prospering and keep learning and keep growing. For sure, for sure.”
When asked about his distance from the world champions, Francis made it clear that he believes he belongs closer to the top than many might expect.
“I’m closer than I even think, and I know that. ‘Cause I be seeing a lot of things that I’ll see on TV with the top guys, whatever like that, but they’re just normal guys, man.
“They just normal guys that put in the hard work. And one thing about me, I’m a guy that put in the hard work, and I have the talent, skills, and ability.”
No Distractions Ahead Of Return
Francis believes his latest training camp has given him the ideal foundation before his return.
“This training camp was beautiful, coaching, um trajectory was very well, no distractions. No distractions at all, great recovery and understanding.”
The 25-year-old now gets the chance to prove his confidence inside the ring, with the unbeaten contender believing the next stage of his career can bring him closer to the biggest names in boxing.
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