Errol Spence Jr. believes the likelihood of making the much anticipated fight with Terence Crawford has never been greater than now.
A bout involving the two fighters, widely regarded as the top welterweights in the world, has been the subject of intense debate, frustration, and fascination among boxing’s cognoscenti for more than half a decade, but their hypothetical match-up has never seemed to gather any steam.
Spence (27-0, 21 KOs), who holds the IBF and WBC welterweight titles, thinks that could now change.
That is apparently because Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs), the WBO 147-pound titlist from Omaha, Nebraska, is no longer with his longtime promoter, Top Rank. Crawford and Top Rank parted ways last November after Crawford defeated Shawn Porter in the 10th round of their 12-round welterweight title bout in Las Vegas. That was the final bout on Crawford’s contract with the industry stalwart.
Politics – that is, the competing business aims of boxing’s various promotional factions that routinely lead to the stonewalling of some of the best and most competitive matches that can be made in the sport – was often cited as the chief reason why Spence and Crawford could never sign off on fighting each other. Bob Arum, the head of Top Rank, and Haymon seldom do business.
With Top Rank out of the picture, at least for now, Spence is optimistic that a fight between him and Crawford will materialize down the line.
“Yeah cuz I mean – It wasn’t my first thought,” Spence said of the notion that Crawford’s free agency improved the odds of making a fight in an interview with The DAZN Boxing Show. “I was just talking to my manager [Al Haymon of Premier Boxing Champions]. The people he (Crawford) dealing with now that Al didn’t have past dealings with them and things like that. I think it’s a lot easier to be made.”
The clamor for a showdown between Spence and Crawford will only grow louder should Spence defeat WBA welterweight titlist Yordenis Ugas April 16 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In that scenario, Spence, who has not been shy about wanting to fully unify the division, will end up with three welterweight titles.
“Like I said, we’ll see what happens after the Ugas thing if I have three belts,” Spence said. “And my motto’s ‘strap season.’”
It is not as if Crawford is suffering from a glut of options at 147. Most of the top contenders are aligned with Haymon’s PBC.
Spence believes his track record for taking on titleholders should give disgruntled boxing fans hope about the Crawford fight.
“A lot of people want me to say all kinds of stuff this and that, but the proof is the pudding in what I’m doing,” Spence said. “I’m fighting for my third belt so hopefully we can get something on the table so we can fight for the fourth belt.”
