It’s not looking good for WBC. Last year, after Terence Crawford defeated Canelo Alvarez to become the undisputed super middleweight champion, ‘Bud’ refused to bend to the sanctioning fees demands made by WBC. He accused them of riding the coattails of boxers without providing any real value. Even Shakur Stevenson has joined the cause. And now, Mike Tyson is fed up! 

‘Iron Mike’ is launching the Mike Tyson Invitational, an amateur boxing showcase/tournament aimed at developing and reviving American boxing talent. This is a three-day invitational event scheduled for March 12–14, 2026, in Las Vegas at the Radiant Brand Complex. So, before the tournament got underway, he appeared in an interview with TMZ Sports. 

Mike Tyson urges others to follow Terence Crawford and Shakur

The heavyweight legend has made his stance on the WBC clear. “Listen, I like the WBC. I respect [them], but no one needs a ranking body,” Tyson told TMZ Sports’ Mike Babcock on Friday. “Fighters fight fighters. And that’s how [they] hold the belt. You don’t need a belt to define [that] you’re the best. Your skills define if you’re the best. You don’t need [any] organizations.”

He went on to argue that most boxers simply don’t earn enough to justify paying sanctioning fees to organizations like the WBC. “A guy like me, I should pay some fees. I don’t mind paying fees. If you [are] making the money I make, but the money these guys [are] making, a million bucks, they’ve got to pay some fees? No, no, no,” Tyson explained.

There is a widespread misconception about fighter pay in boxing. Many assume boxers earn purses comparable to stars like Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, or Gervonta Davis. In reality, only a small percentage of fighters reach that level of financial success. The vast majority struggle to make a stable living throughout their careers. And when those fighters finally win a title and begin expecting better paydays, Tyson believes sanctioning fees feel excessive and unfair.

“What are we paying the fees for? What protection are we getting by paying these fees? Can we get by giving you these fees? Am I going to have a retirement fund? No, I’m not going to do that,” Tyson added during the interview with TMZ Sports. “I’m giving you fees to just bankrupt my family.” He alleged that only the most gullible would pay such sanctioning fees. 

Tyson also alleged that promoters take advantage of fighters before sanctioning bodies step in to claim their share from the revenue generated by the boxers’ hard work. When asked about Terence Crawford and Shakur Stevenson pushing back against the WBC, Tyson quickly voiced his support. “Oh, you[‘ve] got to fight back. When they fight back, all the other fighters will fight back,” Tyson said.

As for Stevenson’s dispute with the WBC, the Newark native reportedly raised serious allegations—claims that only reinforce Tyson’s criticism of the sanctioning body.

Shakur Stevenson calls the WBC ‘crooks’

‘Sugar’ Stevenson blasted the WBC after it stripped him of his lightweight title. It happened just days after he defeated Teofimo Lopez to win the WBO junior welterweight title at Madison Square Garden. The WBC declared the lightweight belt vacant, citing its rules regarding champions who win titles in new weight classes. 

But Stevenson believes the move was financially motivated. Taking to X, he alleged the organization stripped him due to a $100,000 sanctioning fee he refused to pay. “100k to some crooks who don’t deserve it?” Stevenson wrote. He added, “The WBC didn’t even have [anything] to do with this fight, and it’s eating them alive. Take your belt, it [doesn’t] make me.”

Stevenson also questioned the timing of the decision, writing, “What the hell am I giving y’all 100k right now for?” 

There appears to be a growing pushback against the WBC and other sanctioning bodies. And at a time when Zuffa Boxing is entering the sport, this might not bode well for the three-letter organizations. But what are your thoughts on sanctioning bodies?