Stephen Espinoza of Showtime is hopeful he can get the Errol Spence Jr vs. Terence Crawford fight negotiated successfully.
Espinoza says he’s anxious about getting the deal done between the two welterweight champions, Spence and Crawford, but it will take time for a fight of this magnitude.
He points out that there’s a lot of “misinformation” about the negotiation status of the Spence-Crawford fight, such as the November 19th date. Espinoza says the two fighters want to get the fight done, and that’s basically it.
There is no plan B, C, D or E, says Espinoza. All they have is plan-A to try and make the Spence vs. Crawford fight.
If it doesn’t happen, IBF, WBA & WBO 147-lb champion Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) will likely be ordered to defend against his IBF mandatory Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, and Crawford against his WBO mandatory Vergil Ortiz Jr.
It’ll be up to those two champions whether to take those risky fights or play it safe by vacating those titles and moving up to 154 for greener pastures.
“I’m not even sure how the November 19th date got out there, and then all of a sudden, it was written in stone. In reality, there’s a lot of dates we’ve talked about, and November 19th was one of them,” said Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza to Fight Hub TV about the Errol Spence Jr vs. Terence Crawford fight.
“I’m as anxious as a fan as anyone else to get this done. There are two more anxious people than me, and that’s Errol and Terence. They want to get this fight done as quickly as anyone.
“The reality is, these fights take time. I know everyone wants it done yesterday. It’s a complex deal, and there’s a lot to negotiate. I caution people all along the way. Don’t believe people trying to make headlines, trying to give you a piece of the story.
“It is frustrating because there is so much misinformation. The real story is both fighters continue to work hard at making a deal, and I’m still optimistic that it will happen.
“There’s a plan A. Both fighters have said that’s what they want. No ones thinking about a backup plan and alternatives at this point. I want to see it as quickly as everyone else wants to see it. It will get done in time, and we’ll have the fight that we’ve all wanted.
“It’s the fight that everyone else more than anything else. That’s why everyone is so impatient and anxious to make it happen, and we are too. But it takes time, and no one is going to be forced into a deal that they’re not happy with,” said Espinoza.
