Terence Crawford has officially informed the WBA that he’s vacating his welterweight title, choosing instead to keep the 154-lb belt he recently won. This decision results in WBA “regular” welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis being elevated to full champion status in the 147-lb division.
Crawford, now 36, recently returned to the ring after a year-long layoff, securing a close unanimous decision victory over WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov on August 3rd in Los Angeles. Despite winning the 154-lb belt, Crawford has not expressed any desire to defend it or pursue further unification bouts in the division.
Given Crawford’s apparent disinterest in other potential opponents, some observers are puzzled as to why he hasn’t vacated the 154-lb title as well. It’s speculated that Crawford might be holding onto the belt in hopes of landing a big-money fight against rising stars like Vergil Ortiz Jr. or Tim Tszyu. However, there's also concern that Crawford may treat this title the same way he did his welterweight belts—by sitting on it without defending for extended periods, as he did after becoming the undisputed 147-lb champion last year.
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Meanwhile, the elevation of Stanionis to full WBA welterweight champion opens new opportunities in the division. With Crawford out of the picture, Stanionis becomes a prime target for unification bouts, particularly for IBF champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and his promoter Eddie Hearn. Stanionis has already been approached by Hearn regarding a potential fight with Ennis, but negotiations stalled, likely due to financial disagreements.
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Image Credit: ESPN