Crawford’s WBC Fee Refusal Revives Spence’s Criticism

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“We give three percent to these organisations… Where is it going to? How is it helping the fighters out?” Spence stated

Crawford’s silence back then has led to criticism by some, while the likes of Eddie Hearn and Oscar De La Hoya have slammed Bud’s conduct.

“You wanted the opportunity to call yourself an undisputed champion, that was important to you. And the only reason you can do that, the way you can do it is to fight for the WBC world title. So if belts ‘don’t matter’ then surely undisputed ‘doesn’t matter’ to you. But of course it does,” Hearn said

“Did he forget where he came from or how he got there? How do you think you rose to that level? Through the ranking system? You get positioned to make that kind of money,” De La Hoya stated 

The Reality

Crawford would not have earned $50 million without pursuing undisputed, which required the WBC title. The belts function as gateways to the biggest fights and paydays. The moment Crawford decided to challenge Canelo for all four belts, he implicitly agreed to play by the rules of those four bodies. 

De La Hoya’s comment about the ranking system is also valid. While flawed, the sanctioning bodies and their rankings are what position a fighter to move from contender to champion, eventually leading to big paydays. To criticize the system only when it asks for its reduced due, after benefiting immensely, can be interpreted as disingenuous.

The criticism, though, fails to acknowledge the fundamental issue raised by Spence, which is the problem of excessive sanctioning fees. Spence’s earlier complaint was about the standard 3% fee (which would have been $1.5 million on a $50 million purse) and the lack of transparency regarding how the money benefits fighters.