Terence Crawford Doesn’t Mess with These Useless Titles
WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (35-0, 26ko) made his feelings clear about some of these useless titles in boxing.
Stablemate newly crowned WBO featherweight champion Shakur “Fearless” Stevenson gave a dominating performance over Joet Gonzalez on October 26. Following the fight, Crawford emphatically responded to the question about the WBC franchise tag and didn’t stop there.
“I don’t agree with, I don’t mess with no franchise belt. I don’t mess with no WBA regular, or super belt.”
“There is only one champion in the weight and that’s it. Ain’t no franchise, no silver, none of that.”
“I only go by the actual champion.”
The 32-year-old, Nebraska native’s statement is the reason for his high respect inside the boxing community, for always displaying the fighter’s mentality.
It can become confusing to fans when they see so many fighters holding all these belts. Sometimes, you can’t tell the difference between the minor title and the actual championship itself. Even when you look at media, its often used the term “interim champion” instead of “interim title holder”. This distinction can help fans understand the journey for the fighter is not quite complete.
Let’s make it clear, there is absolutely nothing wrong with any fighter being proud and displaying winning the second tier belt. It’s an accomplishment that speaks volume of the fighter’s growth. However, it shouldn’t be celebrated nor received at the same level of being crowned the actual champion and recognition as one of the top dogs of the division.
By: Garrisson Bland
