The clash between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, which has a combined purse of $200 million, is less than two weeks away, but the real fight has already spilled outside the ropes – and it’s not between the boxers. For years, the World Boxing Council (WBC) has been accused of showing favoritism toward Canelo. As Mexico’s biggest star and a proven box office draw, every Canelo fight has translated into big money for the sanctioning body.

The criticism grew louder when David Benavidez, despite being the WBC’s mandatory challenger at super middleweight, failed to secure a fight with Alvarez. Whereas when paid enough money, Canelo is ready to fight Terence Crawford, someone he chose. But this time, retired four-division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez isn’t letting it slide. In a recent interview, he clashed directly with WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman in a fiery exchange.

“When a fighter decides who he fights, sports justice is violated,” Marquez highlighted Canelo Alvarez’s unfair move during an interview with ProBoxTV, directly questioning Sulaiman about Canelo’s standing within the sanctioning body’s structure. “This affects those who have worked to earn their opportunity in the ring. There are many boxers who wait for a legitimate opportunity and don’t receive it because Canelo chooses his opponents.”

Sulaiman quickly fired back, bringing up an old dispute. “Juan Manuel, you and Beristain attacked my father in that famous Televisa trial. Since then, there’s been tremendous prejudice in your comments about Canelo. You can’t deny that story.” He went further, suggesting Marquez’s criticism was rooted in envy of Canelo’s success. 

“Don’t be so envious, Juan Manuel,” Sulaiman said. “You talk as if you don’t see Canelo’s career. The facts speak for themselves: he’s been a world champion for 14 years, he’s defeated 21 champions, and he’s always respected the rules. When he didn’t, like with Golovkin, he was stripped of the title. There’s no favoritism, there’s just facts.”

Marquez firmly rejected that notion, insisting his stance came from defending the sport. “I respect Canelo as a boxer; I know what he’s achieved, but I criticize the way certain privileges are handled. Boxing has to be fair for everyone, not just the stars.” Still, Sulaiman doubled down, arguing Marquez’s words carried resentment. 

“The public sees it, and that’s why I say it’s envy,” he said during the interview. But Marquez wouldn’t budge, reiterating, “What I stand for is that champions should be judged equally, without special advantages or privileges.” Regardless, it’s not just Marquez who is calling out the WBC.

David Benavidez called out the WBC for being unfair regarding the Canelo Alvarez fight

Back in July last year, before David Benavidez moved to the light heavyweight division, he hit out at the WBC over what he saw as unfair treatment regarding his long-awaited shot at Canelo Alvarez. He was Canelo’s mandatory, but didn’t get a shot at the Mexican superstar. Despite this, the WBC neither stripped Canelo nor forced him to fight Benavidez. 

“Definitely, I earned my right to campaign for the title,” Benavidez told Fight Hype. “The WBC, I think it’s unfair that they’re only giving me ten days to decide if I’m staying at 175 or 168. I haven’t gotten the opportunity for three years.” Frustrated, he eventually moved to light heavyweight and defeated Oleksandr Gvozdyk and later David Morrell. 

As Canelo Alvarez gets ready to defend his titles against Terence Crawford, it appears the WBC has come under fire from the Mexican boxing legend. However, whether this changes anything within the sanctioning body remains to be seen. Do you think the WBC favors Canelo Alvarez?