Newly crowned WBO junior welterweight champ Shakur Stevenson lost his WBC 135 lb. world title outside of the ring Wednesday. And, he's not happy about it.
Saturday night was a triumphant one for Shakur Stevenson, as he captured the WBO junior welterweight title in NYC in a tremendous boxing exhibition over Teofimo Lopez. On Wednesday, just four days later, he lost his WBC lightweight title outside the ring.
Stevenson was stripped by the WBC, who now considers the title "vacant" according to their statement released later in the afternoon,
"WBC World Lightweight Champion Shakur Stevenson gave a brilliant performance, defeating WBO World Super Lightweight Champion Teofimo López.
Stevenson is now a four-time World Champion; a feat achieved by just a few boxers in history. Among those, we find Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Álvarez, and Terrence Crawford.
Throughout his career, Stevenson has maintained a historic and extraordinarily successful relationship with the WBC. His ascent to the top began in January 2019, when he captured the WBC Continental Americas title, signaling the start of a career destined for greatness.
In 2022, Stevenson solidified his elite status by defeating Oscar Valdez to become the WBC Super Featherweight Champion. Subsequently, in 2023, he moved up to the lightweight division to claim the Green and Gold belt, a title he defended with pride and technical mastery on three consecutive occasions.
Considering that Stevenson is now the reigning WBO Super Lightweight World Champion, and consistent with the WBC Rules & Regulations, the WBC has declared its Lightweight World title vacant.
The WBC wishes Stevenson continued success in all his future endeavors, both inside and outside the ring."
So, while that is the organization's side, the fighter obviously sees it differently. Stevenson Tweeted on Wednesday afternoon,
Stevenson is referring to the $100,000 "sanctioning fee" that the WBC imposed for him to move up to fight Lopez in the pay per view main event at Madison Square Garden. This is even though the fight was a WBO title that Lopez had.
Stevenson continued on social media,
That post makes reference to the WBC having stripped former undisputed super middleweight champ Terence Crawford after his win over Canelo Alvarez last September for him failing to pay them two sanctioning fees in his last to fights.
Crawford is a mentor/friend of Stevenson, who was with him for Saturday's victory.
It should be noted that not only has Stevenson been active as the WBC champ, he just fought and easily defeated their #1 contender William Zepeda last July in New York.
So, any objective observer understands that Stevenson doesn't have to fight a "mandatory fighter" for the organization for another few months (July makes one year). Further, to have gone ahead and stripped him just days after the fight instead of giving him a few weeks to decide seems petty by the WBC.
Nonetheless, it has happened and barring an appeal to get the belt back, it looks like Stevenson will stay at 140 lb. or potentially fight welterweight Conor Benn of England, who was in the ring exchanging taunts with him Saturday.