Fans Push Back on Terence Crawford’s Call for Lester Martinez

Terence Crawford drew a strong response on social media on Tuesday after publicly calling for a title shot for his former gymmate, Lester Martinez.

Crawford posted a message urging sanctioning bodies to give Martinez a championship opportunity, writing that Martinez “should be champion right now.” The post quickly drew criticism from fans, many of whom pointed to Crawford’s own recent stance on titles when he declined to pay the sanctioning fee for the WBC super middleweight belt and said the only title that mattered to him was The Ring belt.

That contrast became the central focus of the reaction. Fans argued that Crawford appeared dismissive of sanctioning belts when they applied to his own career decisions, while invoking their importance when advocating for another fighter.

In practice, Crawford’s position reflects a familiar split among elite fighters: belts are leverage tools until a fighter no longer needs them, after which their value becomes selective rather than absolute.

Martinez last fought in September, earning a 12 round draw against WBC interim champion Christian Mbilli on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez vs. Crawford event. The fight drew mixed reactions, particularly due to Martinez’s frequent use of push offs to keep Mbilli from working on the inside, a tactic that became a recurring point of discussion among viewers. The sequence drew comment in real time, with viewers noting the lack of intervention.

The difference in styles became a focal point of reaction, and the draw left the interim title situation unchanged.

Crawford’s post reopened that discussion, with critics arguing that Martinez had already been given an opportunity to strengthen his case and that the draw did little to shift opinions. Others focused less on Martinez’s performance and more on what they viewed as inconsistency in Crawford’s public comments about the value of championship belts.

Crawford has not addressed the criticism further. No title bout involving Martinez has been announced.

Give my bro Lester a title shot, because he should be champion right now. pic.twitter.com/1fJf0sELb0

— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) January 28, 2026