It’s arguably the hottest fight that can be made in boxing right now: Errol Spence Vs. Terence Crawford in a three-belt welterweight title fight unification; a fight that would have major pound-for-pound ramifications. Yet the way things are going, this fight is in danger of being left out in the cold, of not happening.
Spence, the IBF and WBC king at 147, said after his tough and thrilling win over Shawn Porter how Crawford needs him more than he needs Crawford. It’s tough to disagree with this statement. Spence passed a serious gut-check in winning the Porter battle, whereas Crawford, as skilled as he is, has nothing on his 147 pound resume to match Spence’s win. Worse than that for Crawford and his supporters is the undeniable fact that “Bud” is letting his prime years slide on by.
Amazingly, considering his boxing brilliance and his popularity, Crawford has (by October 13) fought just once in a full year. Having moved up to welterweight in June of 2018, when he beat Jeff Horn to take the WBO belt, Crawford has boxed just twice since: beating Jose Benavidez and then, this April, some six months ago almost, Amir Khan. Now, with no next fight confirmed, Crawford, at age 32, is in real danger of seeing his best days, his super-fight days, slide him by.
Ask yourself this: has Crawford had his defining fight? Spence may have done so, with the stirring win over Porter. Time really is ticking for Crawford and his true greatness – as in him proving his true greatness. If it’s frustrating for we fans that we haven’t yet seen Spence Vs. Crawford, it sure must be frustrating for Crawford himself. For if he were to face Spence and beat him (who knows, maybe two out of three times in the next great trilogy of the sport), Crawford would prove his credentials in fine style by seeing off the biggest threat to his unbeaten record.
Spence already has his next fight (all but) done, against Danny Garcia in January. Yet what’s Crawford’s next move? Three fights in a sixteen month period is just not enough for as special a fighter as Terence Crawford. The way things are going, it could take longer to see a Spence/Crawford fight than it took to finally get to see Mayweather and Pacquiao get it on. And we all know what happened when those two, past their best, met at last.
Spence, 26-0(21) and Crawford, 35-0(26) deserve better.
