ESPN analyst Tim Bradley went into a long speech last Saturday in complaining about IBF/WBC welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr wanting to move up two weight classes to face Canelo Alvarez at 160-pounds instead of staying at 147 to face WBO welterweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford.
Spence would be helping out ESPN if he were to fight Crawford and all the other fighters around that weight that compete on the network.
If Crawford didn’t lose too badly, ESPN would gain with more viewers watching his fights in the future. Spence doing ESPN a favor by fighting Crawford wouldn’t do anything for his back pocket.
Spence is doing what any fighter would do if they in his position, and that’s to go after the fight with Canelo.
After Crawford’s recent fight against Kell Brook last month on November 14th, he told ESPN that he wanted to fight Manny Pacquiao next.
Why did Crawford want to fight Pacquiao instead of Spence? Let me guess. It was because there’s more money in a fight with Manny.
Crawford is too expensive
That request is DOA, so Spence has moved on, but Bradley doesn’t get it. He just wants or needs the Spence vs. Crawford fight to happen no matter what, but it’s not going to.
Crawford wants too much money, and he’s not about to agree to be the B-side. He’d had to swallow his pride to do that, and I don’t think he’s going to.
Bradley thinks Spence is just going for the money against Canelo, and that he’ll be leaving the sport soon after.
At least that’s Bradley’s theory on why Spence would want to skip the lower-paying fight with Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) for the much bigger one against Canelo.
If Spence is chasing the bigger payday against Canelo, you can understand where he’s coming from. But unclear is why Bradley is so upset about Spence wanting to make more money fighting Canelo?
We haven’t seen Bradley giving ESPN fighter Tyson Fury grief for him wanting to dodge his trilogy match with Deontay Wilder, who he’s under contract for, in order for him to chase the bigger money unification fight with Anthony Joshua.
Why is Fury trying to get out of having to live up to his contract with Wilder? Fury can make more money fighting Joshua, so he’s not going to take the risky fight with a highly motivated Wilder unless he’s forced to.
Bradley: Spence vs. Crawford won’t happen
“It’s not going to happen, I don’t see it happening,” said ESPN analyst Terence Crawford last Saturday about his belief that Spence will never fight Crawford.
“Why would you go up and face Canelo, but you won’t face Terence Crawford in the same weight class as you.
“That’s a money thing for him [Spence]. I think Spence is at a point now, correct me if I’m wrong, I think he just wants to get the money and then leave the game, that’s it,” said Bradley about Spence.
There’s so much more for Spence to gain from fighting Canelo rather than Crawford, who can’t sell pay-per-view.
The only reason IBF/WBC welterweight champion Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) would fae Crawford is for the sporting value to have bragging rights as the #1 welterweight in the division.
Spence would be the one bringing in all the pay-per-view buys, and selling tickets, and Crawford would be coming along for the ride.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Mx7cKaXmcM
“He has no intentions of fighting Terence Crawford. I think even if Terence Crawford was to jump ship and go over there to PBC, I still don’t see the fight happening or there.
“And I stand by that until they actually sign the fight,” said Bradley.
Crawford’s lack of popularity and inability to sell fights on pay-per-view will remain a constant even if he joins Spence at Premier Boxing Champions.
There likely won’t be any change with Crawford’s stance of wanting to be the A-side or have parity with Spence.
So really, it doesn’t matter if Crawford signs with PBC; the fight with Spence won’t happen because he’s going to agree to take the smaller money.
