After WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson dominated Teofimo Lopez to capture the WBO super lightweight crown Saturday at Madison Square Garden, he was left with a difficult choice: Go back down to lightweight or continue to campaign at super lightweight?
Now, it seems the WBC has made that decision for him.
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The sanctioning body said Wednesday in a statement:
“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 WBC will provide further information regarding the process to crown a new Lightweight World Champion in the near future.”
With the announcement, Stevenson is stripped of the WBC lightweight world title he won with a close unanimous decision over Edwin De Los Santos in November 2023. Stevenson’s fight with De Los Santos was considered one of the worst of the year.
The 28-year-old made a pair of underwhelming title defenses against Artem Harutyunyan and Josh Padley before cementing his place as the No. 1 lightweight in the world with a convincing unanimous decision win over William Zepeda in July.
Stevenson produced the most exciting performance of his career against Zepeda, holding his feet and trading with Zepeda at times. Not only was it compelling television, but it also showcased the different facets of Stevenson’s game. That newfound confidence was carried over into Stevenson’s fight with Lopez, where again he fought with limited movement.
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In a social media post Wednesday, Stevenson commented on the WBC’s decision, referring to the organization as “crooks” and indicating a refusal to pay a $100,000 sanctioning fee for the Lopez fight.
WBC’s current interim champion is Jadier Herrera, although because the WBC is inconsistent with its decisions in such matters, it remains unknown whether he’ll be upgraded to full champion. Zepeda remains the No. 1-ranked contender.