By Chris Williams: Terence Crawford is keeping busy as he waits for the slow talks for the undisputed welterweight championship against Errol Spence Jr. to end.
Many boxing fans and members of the media believe that Crawford took the beating from Spence, but I’m not so sure. Crawford still hasn’t faced anyone remotely as good as Spence, and he’s no longer a spring chicken.
WBO 147-pound champion Crawford has been out of the ring for eleven months and will come off a long layoff when or if the fight against IBF, WBA and WBC champion Spence (28 -0, 22 KO).
Aside from plenty of rust in the ring, Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) will turn 35 on Sept. 28, and that’s not young for the welterweight division.
If negotiations don’t end soon, Crawford should consider returning to the ring to defend his WBO belt against the highest-ranked contender available.
Vergil Ortiz Jr or Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis would be ideal for Crawford, as long as he’s willing to take a big step up in the class of guys he’s faced since moving up to 147 in 2018.
“Most of his fights he’s done southpaw, so I don’t think he’s going to have a problem,” Robert Garcia told KO Artist Sports when asked if Terence Crawford would have a problem with Errol Spence’s southpaw stance.
“I hope we will see it before the end of the year. If you’re planning it for November, we don’t have a lot of time for tickets and everything and the location. Maybe they already have everything done and are playing with us.
“Fans want to start buying their tickets soon and we want to start making plans. That is a fight that everyone wants to see. Hopefully it will happen. If he does, it will be one of those fights where the fans are happy.
“It’s a 50-50 fight, a very close fight. I think Crawford has everything just like Spence. Spence has an answer for everything. He is a perfect fighter, but so is Crawford.
“I just feel, and I could be wrong too, but I think Crawford has a little bit more of that dog in him. I just feel like it, and that’s why I’m leaning towards Crawford.
“It is a very difficult decision, and for that reason it is a very good fight because it is difficult to choose. 50-50. Honestly, anything can happen in that fight,” Garcia said.
