Terence “Bud” Crawford, the celebrated three-division champion, has lost his status as the undisputed welterweight champion following the International Boxing Federation’s (IBF) decision to cease recognizing his reign. This development comes after Crawford failed to fulfill a mandatory title defense obligation against interim IBF titlist Jaron “Boots” Ennis, due to a contractual rematch clause with Errol Spence Jr.
The IBF had directed Crawford to initiate negotiations with Ennis as a mandatory defense, but Crawford's team informed the sanctioning body of the rematch clause invoked by Spence following their bout earlier this summer. This situation created a conflict with the IBF’s regulations, which generally do not accept rematch clauses as valid reasons for delaying mandatory defenses.
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) had achieved full unification of the welterweight division with a victory over Spence, securing the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles. The rematch clause in their contract, however, which Spence exercised, led to Crawford being unable to commit to a fight with Ennis within the IBF's stipulated timeline.
This development underscores the often complex interplay between contractual agreements among boxers and the rigid rules set by sanctioning bodies like the IBF, which prohibits championship contracts from containing clauses that interfere with mandatory defenses. Crawford’s decision to prioritize the lucrative rematch with Spence over the mandatory defense against Ennis was a calculated risk that has resulted in the loss of his IBF title.
As the boxing world awaits updates on the Crawford-Spence rematch, Crawford faces the decision of proceeding with this fight or attempting to regain his former unified champion status, now with one less title. Meanwhile, Ennis, as the interim champion, awaits his mandatory challenge opportunity while being allowed a voluntary defense in the interim.
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