Terence Crawford elicited significant feedback across social media platforms on Tuesday, having openly advocated for a championship opportunity for Lester Martinez, a boxer he previously trained alongside.
Crawford shared a statement imploring governing organizations to grant Martinez a shot at a title, asserting that Martinez “deserves to hold a championship currently.” This declaration rapidly sparked backlash from supporters, with numerous individuals highlighting Crawford’s prior perspective on belts, notably when he chose not to remit the sanctioning fee for the WBC super middleweight title, stating his sole valuable championship was The Ring belt.
This apparent inconsistency emerged as the primary subject of public discussion. Spectators contended that Crawford seemed to disregard recognized championship belts concerning his personal career choices, yet underscored their significance when campaigning on behalf of a different competitor.
Martinez’s most recent contest was in September, where he secured a 12-round stalemate against Christian Mbilli, the WBC interim champion, during the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Crawford boxing event. The bout received varied responses, largely because of Martinez’s repeated employment of shoves to prevent Mbilli from engaging at close range, a maneuver that consistently drew attention from observers. This series of actions prompted immediate remarks, with many noting the absence of official interference.
The distinct stylistic approaches of the fighters became a major talking point in the aftermath, and the drawn result did not alter the interim title landscape.
Crawford’s social media update reignited the debate, with detractors asserting that Martinez had previously been afforded a chance to solidify his position, and that the tied outcome did little to sway perceptions. A different segment of the audience paid less attention to Martinez’s boxing display and more to what they perceived as a lack of coherence in Crawford’s public pronouncements regarding the importance of championship titles.
Crawford has not offered any additional comments concerning the backlash. No championship match featuring Martinez has yet been confirmed.
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Last Updated on 01/28/2026
