Yordenis Ugas is the only other welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. is thinking about at the moment.
The unbeaten IBF/WBC 147-pound champ was noncommittal when he was asked about boxing Terence Crawford later this year during a press conference Wednesday in Arlington, Texas. That’s where Spence and Ugas sat on a stage at AT&T Stadium, the home of Spence’s beloved Dallas Cowboys, to promote their title unification fight April 16.
While intriguing, especially since Ugas upset Manny Pacquiao on August 21, Spence-Crawford, not Spence-Ugas, remains the welterweight showdown at the forefront of boxing fans’ minds.
“We’ll see,” Spence said when asked specifically about boxing Crawford. “Like I said, I’ve gotta get past [Ugas] first. So, once I get past him, we’ll definitely see.”
Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) then opened his jacket and pointed to his T-shirt, which featured the words, “Strap Season,” Spence’s mantra.
“But like I said,” Spence continued, “you read the shirt, right?”
Miami’s Ugas (27-4, 21 KOs), the WBA “super” champion, simply smiled as Spence sort of addressed the possibility of facing Crawford if he were to beat Ugas in their Showtime Pay-Per-View main event next month. Barring a draw or no-contest, Spence or Ugas will leave the ring with three of the four welterweight titles needed to become the first fully unified 147-pound champion during boxing’s four-belt era.
Another reporter asked the 32-year-old Spence during the press conference if owning three of the four titles would make him the “shot-caller” in the division.
“Well, I’ve been the shot-caller, so nah, that wouldn’t matter,” Spence replied. “I’ve been the shot-caller. You know, like I said, I’m the big fish, especially at 147. So, no, that doesn’t matter at all.”
Crawford has owned the WBO welterweight title for almost four years, one year less than Spence has held the IBF title he won by knocking out Kell Brook in May 2017. The 34-year-old Crawford wants to face Spence, yet, like it or not, the promotional free agent might have to align himself with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions if the Omaha, Nebraska, native expects to secure a showdown with Spence.
Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs), a three-weight world champion, doesn’t have a fight scheduled. He most recently stopped another PBC-affiliated fighter, former IBF/WBC welterweight champ Shawn Porter (31-4-1, 17 KOs), in the 10th round of their November 20 bout at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.