Terence Crawford will not fight Errol Spence Jr. for a second time following revelations about his opponent’s injuries and eye surgery.
“Bud” has announced that he has broken up with Spence after “The Truth” revealed that he underwent surgery for cataracts.
Terence Crawford cancels rematch with Errol Spence
“I’ve heard it all, Errol Spence. But it’s okay because, ultimately, I’m glad it’s over now. I wish you the best, my brother,” Crawford said.
Spence blamed his poor performance against Crawford last July on the fact that he “got hit with so many hooks and punches” in the fight.
Since then, Crawford has been bombarded with complaints that Spence is battling a serious ailment. Some fans believe that the contest was never a fair fight since Crawford punched Spence.
Before the Pay Per View, Spence was seen as a solid fifty-fifty competitor in the fight. However, once the first bell rang, many wondered what was wrong with Spence.
Spence, looking like a shell of himself, was taken down and dispatched in seven rounds, seven months after a second car accident nearly derailed the main card.
A fight with Manny Pacquiao was previously canceled in 2021 due to Spence nearly dying in another horror hit. This time, the fight went ahead even though Spence admitted that he couldn’t see 100 percent clearly.
Recovery from surgery
Post-surgery recovery will be at least six weeks for Spence, who invoked a rematch clause in the weeks after his first loss. As his statement suggests, Crawford appears to have the option to leave.
The deadline may be the problem as Crawford defends himself against new accusations that he is not active enough. The undisputed two-weight champion believed he deserved Fighter of the Year for his victory over Spence.
However, most fans and media viewed Naoya Inoue’s achievements in two victories as greater than Crawford’s solo effort.
The 2023 victory has since been seen as something of a sham due to problems with Spence’s eye before the fight. The best win of Crawford’s career had its shine firmly taken off amid accusations of a mismatch.
If Spence had been at the top of his game and injury-free, the consensus is that Crawford wouldn’t have treated him like he did in Las Vegas.
Crawford will no longer have the opportunity to show that it was not easy. This is because Spence is out of the running as his next opponent. Crawford will most likely move up to 154 pounds for a bigger challenge.
The rest of his welterweight belts will now be up in the air. However, once and only if Spence makes a full recovery, a future revival of the second fight cannot be ruled out.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer and has been the editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
Follow WBN: Facebook, Insta, Threads.
