Vafaei-Sani Faces Execution—Boxing’s Selective Activism Exposed
While boxing argues about pound-for-pound lists and Saudi mega-cards, Mohammad Javad Vafaei-Sani—a 30-year-old Iranian champion—waits in a Mashhad cell to be hanged.
Arrested in 2020 for joining anti-regime protests, Vafaei-Sani has spent five years in legal hell. His death sentence has been issued, overturned twice, and now reinstated. The Iranian Supreme Court just rejected his final appeal. His mother was granted an unexpected visit this week—in Iran’s grim judicial playbook, that’s usually the final goodbye.
The WBC has pleaded for his life. But the mega-promoters? The fighters with millions of followers? Silence. The Vafaei-Sani case exposes where athlete activism ends and business calculations begin.
Boxing Sanctioning Bodies Under Fire: Crawford Exposes the WBC System
Terence Crawford just declared war on boxing sanctioning bodies, and the timing couldn’t be more strategic. The pound-for-pound king isn’t just complaining about the WBC — he’s exposing how alphabet organizations drain hundreds of thousands per fight through sanctioning fees while offering fighters nothing but manufactured prestige. The mandatory challenger system? Politically manipulated. The rankings? Influenced by promotional connections and mysterious “fees.” Crawford’s already secured financial freedom and unified welterweight, which means he can afford to burn these bridges. Within two years, we’ll see either legitimate reform driven by elite fighters or Saudi money completely bypassing traditional sanctioning bodies.