According to the president of the WBC, Mauricio Sulaiman, the organizations responsible for those belts were staying away when the event started. Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, Sulaiman said the WBC, as well as the WBO, WBA and IBO, were banned from the ring and banned from the ring and other technical areas where sanctioning bodies often operate on fight nights.
“I was treated badly in Las Vegas because of Canelo vs Crawford,” Sulaiman said. “I and the other three organizations WBO, WBA, IBO were not even given credentials, we were told that we cannot enter the ring, we are not allowed to enter the dressing room, we are not allowed to be at the commission desk.
Sulaiman said the issue is about how the sanctions agencies work, not about the situation. He explained that officials go to big fights to work, not to watch, and that their presence in restricted areas is part of the way the titles are run.
“When we go to war, we go to work,” said Sulaiman. “It’s not a holiday or entertainment or as a fan or journalist. They fight for our championships.”
Instead, Sulaiman said the officials of the sanctioned organization are treated as spectators rather than being part of the event.
“We have been given a ticket to go to war outside the technical area, with the general public,” he said, adding that no explanation was given for these restrictions.
This episode is consistent with Zuffa’s view of boxing. The promotion is open about the preference for a simplified structure made up of several titles, borrowing heavily from the UFC model. It also questioned the importance of many sanctioned organizations and explored changes to the Muhammad Ali Act that would allow greater central control. Those positions are fine. The difference here is how they are used in practice.
The irony is that Zuffa’s boxing success is entirely dependent on uncontested form. The four belts were central to the promotion, marketing and definition of the fight. However, the managers of those bands were considered as participants of their choice when the event started. The message was procedural rather than verbal. A degree was required. The bodies behind them were not there.
There was no public conflict and no record-breaking. Zuffa simply runs the event at will, bringing UFC-style rules of operation into the boxing arena. Access was limited. Roles were reduced. Ancient customs are set aside without explanation.
Sulaiman’s response has since been measured. Despite his criticism of the way the event was handled, he said he is still willing to work with Zuffa Boxing in the future, as long as certain conditions are met.
“They are welcome if they want to fight a unification war, if they want to promote boxing,” said Sulaiman. “But they have to comply with the rules and structure.”
That position suggests realism rather than ascendancy. Zuffa currently controls attention and momentum. Sanctioning bodies still control legality if an indisputable condition is required. Neither side holds absolute power, even if the balance has shifted.
Canelo and Crawford showed how Zuffa Boxing is willing to push its operating model when given the platform. It also showed the limitations of that model at this stage of its boxing expansion. A traditional boxing program was needed to sell out the night. They were simply not invited to participate fully in the way the evening was run.
With Zuffa running more events and signing top players, that momentum will continue to build. The key issue will not be whether punitive agencies are necessary. It will be whether they are allowed access that their involvement becomes inevitable.
