Promotional free agent Terence Crawford says he wants to move up to 154 to defeat unified champion Jermell Charlo after he defeats Errol Spence Jr for the undisputed welterweight championship later this year.
As long as the fight with Spence can get negotiated, Crawford will get the chance to try and prove he’s the better fighter of the two. It’s going to be a tough fight for Crawford, who lacks the work rate and punching power that Spence has going for him.
The way Spence obliterated Yordenis Ugas in ten rounds on April 16th, Crawford is going to have a really tough fight on his hands unless he runs.
Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) says there’s nothing standing in the way of him and IBF/WBA/WBC 147-lb champion Spence 28-0, 22 KOs) battling it out for the #1 spot in the welterweight division.
Now that Crawford, 34, is no longer with Top Rank, there’s nothing standing in the way of him facing Spence for the undisputed fight at welterweight, as long as they can negotiate a deal.
Jermell (34-1-1, 18 KOs) is fighting WBO champion Brian Castano for the undisputed 154-lb championship in a rematch this month on May 14th on Showtime at the Dignity Health Sports Parker in Carson, California.
The two met last July in San Antonio, Texas, with the judges scoring it a controversial 12-round draw. Many people saw Charlo, 31, being given a gift by the judges, as he was outworked and outboxed like he was in his fights against Tony Harrison and Vanes Martirosyan.
“There’s nothing standing in the way from us fighting. There’s no promotion company that’s blocking it, there’s no wrong side of the street, there’s no nothing,” said Crawford to ESPN about a fight between him and Spence.
“Let’s see who the best welterweight in the world is. I don’t want any tuneup fights. I don’t want anything. I want to go straight into it. After I beat Spence, I’m moving up and I’m f**** up [Jermell] Charlo.”
Crawford is making a lot of assumptions by thinking that Jermell Charlo is the guy he would be fighting for the belts when he moves up to 154.
With the way Charlo looked last year against Castano, there’s a very good chance it’ll be the Argentinian that comes out victorious in the May 14th rematch in Southern California.
“Now everybody’s saying that Errol’s back and he’s 100% ready. So now is the perfect time for me and him to fight. He called me out, so it ain’t no backing up,” said Crawford.
