Spence’s Cataract Surgery Throws Crawford Rematch Into Murky Waters

Errol Spence Jr’s cataract eye surgery puts his rematch with Terence Crawford in doubt due to the amount of recovery time it will take for him to be ready to fight.

Errol made it known on social media yesterday that he is not retiring, but he didn’t say anything about moving forward with a rematch with Crawford.

Spence’s silence on the fight suggests to some that a rematch is not something he will seek, and it’s questionable whether he could do it even if he wanted to.

Could be a good thing for Spence and Premier Boxing Champions [PBC] If the rematch with Crawford doesn’t happen because it probably won’t make the amount of money the previous one made last summer.

The uncertain fate of revenge

The purse requirements for Spence & Crawford could be too high for the rematch to turn a profit, which would be bad for PBC. Spence’s eye injury and financial issues make a rematch with Crawford potentially unrealistic.

It would be a risky move for Spence to jump into a punishment fight with Crawford coming off eye surgery. For PBC’s sake, perhaps it would be a smart move for Spence to forget about the rematch.

Can PBC find Spence a well-paid warm-up opponent, someone who lacks the kind of power that could re-injure his eye? That is the magic question.

If there is a time limit in the contract for the rematch clause, Spence could potentially exceed it. It’s been nearly six months since former IBF, WBA and WBO welterweight champion Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) lost to WBO champion Crawford via ninth-round knockout in their undisputed championship last July.

“Errol Spence Jr. said he underwent cataract surgery, putting his rematch with Terence Crawford in doubt. Spence said he would not retire. The recovery period is usually eight weeks. This follows Spence’s surgery for retinal detachment in August 2021,” Mike Coppinger said on X.