Terence Crawford Losses His WBA Belt

Crawford Moves On

Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) briefly reigned at 154 pounds after defeating Israil Madrimov in August 2024 to claim the WBA title in his divisional debut. But his campaign at junior middleweight was always destined to be short-lived. Earlier this month, Crawford stunned the combat sports world by moving up three weight classes to defeat Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds, becoming a five-division champion and three-weight undisputed titleholder.

Following that win, Crawford made it clear: he has no intention of returning to 154. The WBA responded by confirming what had already been in motion Baraou would be upgraded to champion.

Baraou’s Rise

For Baraou, a 30-year-old from Berlin, Germany, the announcement marks the pinnacle of a steady climb. In just his second U.S. fight, he captured the WBA interim belt in August with a unanimous decision over Yoenis Tellez, dropping his opponent in the 12th round to punctuate the victory.

Now, with full champion status, Baraou enters a landscape packed with talent. The Ring currently ranks him at No. 9 in the division, where the other major titleholders include:

• Sebastian Fundora (WBC)

• Bakhram Murtazaliev (IBF)

• Xander Zayas (WBO)

The Road Ahead

Baraou’s promoter, Wasserman Boxing, celebrated the upgrade in a public statement:

“Seat at the top table confirmed for AB. Who would you like to see him fight next?”

Matchups against the likes of Fundora or rising star Zayas would add intrigue to a division that’s been rejuvenated by Crawford’s brief stay and subsequent exit.

For Crawford, the chapter at 154 pounds officially closes, leaving fans to speculate whether his victory over Canelo marked the end of an all-time great career or just another milestone on a still-active journey.