The Spence vs Crawford mega fight is not happening
The two best welterweights in the world were supposed to meet in 2023, but Spence will move up to super welterweight.
In boxing, there have been quite a few cases where top boxers were supposed to be facing each other for ultimate supremacy but it never happened or happened when one or both fighters were passed their prime.
Riddick Bowe-Lennox Lewis was one of those fights that never happened that would have likely been a slugfest in the 90′s, but there are other bouts like Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield-George Foreman or even Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao where one or both fighters were at the end of their careers.
It seems that the Errol Spence Jr vs Terence Crawford clash will be one of those bouts that will go down in history for not happening, as The Truth will most probably go up in weight to face Keith Thurman at super welterweight.
Spence-Crawford: now or... never?
Optimistic fans would think that after the Thurman fight or in the near future Spence would reconsider the idea of facing Bud for legacy, as it’s a fight both stars will always be criticized for if it doesn’t happen during their careers.
However, time goes by fast, and Errol (32) and Terence (35) are not getting younger, and it feels like if they don’t make up their minds now, the clash will never happen.
According to ESPN, Spence will have 60 days after the Thurman fight to decide whether he will fight Crawford. In case he rejects the fight, he will be ordered to defend his WBA belt against the winner of the Vergil Ortiz Jr-Eimantas Stanionis bout.
Jaron Ennis: a huge force to consider
Could there be any other reasons why Spence would remain at 154 and not come back to 147 to fight Crawford? The answer is affirmative.
Till now, the welterweight top dogs have been Spence and Crawford, but there’s a third boxer that is terrifying the division due to his skills and is seen as both men’s biggest threat, Jaron Ennis.
The Philadelphia native is undefeated (30-0, 27 KOs) and has proven to be an all-around fighter. For Spence, it’s probably safer to face a fighter like Keith Thurman, who has already reached his peak at 34, than to share the ring with a young, hungry talent like Ennis.
The other possibility is that Crawford moves up to 154 to make the Spence clash possible, although it would make more sense if it happened at welterweight, as it would be a unification bout.