By: Sean Crose

Apparently success has consequences. After winning the WBO junior welterweight title last week with a career defining performance against Teofimo Lopez on Saturday, Shakur Stevenson learned on Wednesday that he was being stripped of his WBC lightweight title.

“On January 31, 2026,” the organization stated in an announcement, “WBC World Lightweight Champion Shakur Stevenson gave a brilliant performance to  defeat WBO World Super Lightweight Champion Teofimo López.  Champion Stevenson is now a 4-time World Champion; a feat achieved by a few boxers in history.  Among those boxers we find Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez and Terrence Crawford.”

After complimenting Stevenson for his brilliant career, the WBC got to the point: “In light of Champion Stevenson now being the reigning WBO Super Lightweight World Champion and consistent with the WBC Rules & Regulations, the WBC has declared vacant its Lightweight World title,” the organization stated. “The WBC wishes Champion Stevenson continued success in all his future endeavors, both inside and outside the ring.”

Needless to say, Stevenson was less than pleased with this latest development. “100k to some crooks who don’t deserve it?,” he asked rhetorically on social media. “Nah Leilani I rather give it to u baby girl.. The WBC didn’t even have shit to do with this fight and it’s eating them alive take your belt it don’t make me.” But Stevenson wasn’t done yet .”And I just paid these dudes after my last fight.. What the hell im giving yall 100k right now for?,” he asked rhetorically. “Because yall got beef with Bud so come at me for it”.

If one reads between the lines of Stevenson’s posts, it’s easy to see that he feels fees and reputed friction between the WBC and Terence Crawford are problematic. Not that anything the WBC does will have too much of an impact on Stevenson at this point in time. He’s one of the biggest fighters in the game right now, arguably one of the few who doesn’t need a world title belt to succeed.

In truth, this sort of thing isn’t uncommon in the contemporary world of high end boxing. It seems titlist after titlist finds himself or herself being stripped of a world title after achieving a considerable amount of success these days. Just ask Crawford, or Canelo Alvarez , or now Stevenson. When it comes to the sweet science, success can sometimes be a double edged sword.