Resendiz Upgraded To Full WBA Champion After Crawford Exit

Jose Armando Resendiz has been elevated to full WBA super middleweight champion following the retirement of Terence Crawford, who formally relinquished his remaining titles when he stepped away from boxing last month.

Crawford Vacates the Title Upon Retirement

The update was confirmed by The Ring Magazine, which reported that Crawford vacated the WBA’s 168-pound title as part of his retirement on December 17, 2025. Crawford exits the sport at 38 with an unbeaten record and championships across five weight classes, closing a career widely viewed as one of the most complete of the modern era.

With the title vacant, the WBA moved to upgrade Resendiz from interim to full champion. The 28-year-old Mexican earned interim status in May 2025 with a unanimous decision win over Caleb Plant, a result that disrupted the established order at super middleweight and positioned Resendiz as a credible presence in the division’s upper tier.

The upgrade does not alter Resendiz’s immediate schedule. He is already set to defend the belt against Edgar Berlanga on February 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. What changes is the framing. The bout now carries the designation of a full world title defense rather than an interim holding pattern.

Questions Around Title Legitimacy at Super Middleweight

Reaction to the move has been predictable. Some fans have criticised the WBA’s reliance on administrative promotions rather than in-ring consolidation, questioning how much weight the title carries without a direct championship fight. Others have focused on what the decision unlocks, noting that the super middleweight division remains crowded and commercially driven, with figures like Canelo Alvarez continuing to shape the landscape from above.

For Resendiz, the belt is official. The test ahead is less about paperwork and more about opponents. How the title is viewed will depend on what follows Berlanga, and whether Resendiz is positioned against the division’s defining names rather than protected from them.

Olly Campbell has been covering boxing since 2014, offering readers a clear ringside perspective and thoughtful analysis on many of the sport’s biggest nights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, corner adjustments, and the technical details that shape high-level bouts. Over the years, Olly has reported on major cards in Las Vegas, New York, London, and across the UK boxing circuit, earning a reputation for levelheaded, detail-driven coverage.

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