Davis said the growing resistance stems from sanctioning fees and what fighters see as limited value in maintaining official recognition when major fights are already establishing championship position.
“The belt is going to be obsolete if you don’t treat them right,” Davis told MillCity Boxing. “Especially the WBC. The WBC is going to be obsolete soon. The way they treat people is not going to last.”
His comments came while discussing the sanctioning dispute with Shakur Stevenson, which highlighted the growing friction between elite fighters and sanctioning bodies over fees and recognition. Davis questioned why fighters should continue to pay large sanctioning fees when their standing has already been established through big fights and championship accomplishments.
“Why would I pay you to hold your belt when it’s sitting right on my living room table?” Davis said. “I can see it now. I’m paying $120,000 for the words. The title. That phrase. That’s what I’m paying for.”
That view reflects a growing shift among elite fighters, especially those who have already achieved championship recognition across multiple divisions. Once a fighter reaches that level, Davis believes the belt itself becomes secondary to the fighter’s name and proven standing in the sport.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to the fighters,” Davis said. “If the fighter can realize in certain cases that the championship belt means nothing, you know, like Shakur is right now, he’s still the champion of the world no matter what.”
Davis also pointed to differences between sanctioning bodies, suggesting that some organizations maintain better working relationships with fighters, while others risk alienating them through financial demands and administrative decisions.
“The WBO treats you well,” Davis said. “Sanction fees don’t seem to be that high. Just the integrity.”
That independence currently applies to only a small group of elite fighters who earn purses large enough to operate outside the sanctions system. Most fighters still rely on championship belts to build their careers and increase their earning power.
Big fights are now driven by broadcasters, promoters and star fighters, reducing the influence that sanctioning bodies once had over the recognition of championships. When elite fighters compete for lineal recognition, Ring titles, or commercially important fights, official sanction recognition becomes optional rather than essential.
Elite fighters are increasingly choosing the fights that make the most sense for their careers, even when it means giving up formal sanction recognition.
Davis believes the trend will continue if fighters recognize their own leverage.
“If you’ve already got the belts and you’ve already proven yourself, you don’t need all the titles,” Davis said.
His view reflects a changing sport, where the authority of sanctioning bodies increasingly depends on fighter participation rather than the other way around.
