American boxer Shakur Stevenson lashed out at the World Boxing Council (WBC) after losing his lightweight championship status. The athlete maintains that the organization took this measure due to a financial disagreement and not solely because of technical regulations. The controversy arose shortly after Shakur Stevenson defeated Teofimo Lopez for the WBO super lightweight title. The WBC announced the stripping of the 135-pound belt, citing compliance with its competition regulations. Through his social media, Shakur Stevenson described the situation as an attempt at unjustified collection of fees. The boxer questioned the payment of a sanctioning fee for a fight where the WBC belt was not at stake. "One hundred thousand for some scammers who don't deserve it? No. I'd rather give it to my daughter," Shakur Stevenson posted on his X account. The boxer emphasized that the organization had no involvement in his most recent fight. The regulations and the boxer's response: The council's regulations state that a champion must pay a fee even if they fight for another organization. According to rule 7.3, 50 percent of the corresponding sanctioning fee must be paid in these specific cases. Shakur Stevenson recalled that he had already made the payments after his defense against William Zepeda last July. "I just paid them after my last fight. Why would I have to pay now?" questioned the undefeated fighter from Newark.

Future at 140 Pounds

Despite losing recognition from the Mexico-based organization, the athlete remains a champion in a new division. Shakur Stevenson's interest is now focused on unifying the super lightweight belts after his recent success.

So far, the organization's president has not issued any further comments on the fighter's complaints. The relationship between the two parties is at its most strained after years of collaboration in the star's rise.