By Keith Idec
LAS VEGAS – Terence Crawford doesn’t think any of the elite welterweights will be in a hurry to fight him after watching what he did to Jeff Horn.
Errol Spence Jr., Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter – four fighters Crawford wants to face – all are better than Horn. But Crawford is certain he displayed skills and strength during his dominant victory over Horn that’ll make them hesitant to embrace boxing him.
“I feel like I just displayed my talent and my power,” Crawford said during the press conference following his ninth-round stoppage of Horn on Saturday night. “He’s supposed to be a big welterweight in the division. And they see how I dealt with him, so they’re gonna be a little cautious.”
Spence said recently that he wants to “clean up my side of the street” before fighting Crawford.
The unbeaten IBF welterweight champion meant he wants to face WBA champ Keith Thurman and the winner of the upcoming Danny Garcia-Shawn Porter bout for the vacant WBC title prior to pursuing Crawford, who won the WBO championship from Horn. Spence, Thurman, Garcia and Porter all are advised by Al Haymon and fight for his Premier Boxing Champions organization.
“We want ‘em all,” Crawford said. “We want ‘em all. That’s the goal.”
The 28-year-old Spence (23-0, 20 KOs) is set to defend his title against mandatory challenger Carlos Ocampo on Saturday night in Frisco, Texas. Showtime will televise the scheduled 12-round bout between Spence, of Desoto, Texas, and Mexico’s Ocampo (22-0, 13 KOs) from Ford Center at The Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ training facility.
Assuming Spence keeps winning, the 30-year-old Crawford can’t wait to test himself against the bigger, supposedly stronger southpaw.
“I’ll do well with him,” Crawford said. “I believe I’ll do well with any welterweight in the division.”
Crawford (33-0, 24 KOs), of Omaha, Nebraska, became a world champion in a third weight class by beating Australia’s Horn (18-1-1, 12 KOs) at MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“I feel like I’m getting better and better,” Crawford said. “I feel like I’m stronger. I’m more, you know, energized. I feel like this is a great division for me.”
Bob Arum, Crawford’s promoter, expects him to return to the ring at some point in October. He is not expected to fight Spence, Thurman, Garcia or Porter next.
“Right now, we’re gonna go home, enjoy this win,” Crawford said. “We’ve been out the ring for a long time [since August 19], so we’re just happy to be back in the ring and we’re gonna make up a plan and see where we go. But I assure you that we’re looking for the biggest fights out there.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.