Connect with us

Featured Articles

Errol Spence Jr. is Back, and His Priority Should Be Terence Crawford

Published

on

Errol-Spence-Jr-is-Back-and-His-Priority-Should-Be-Terence-Crawford

Perhaps the most prescient point made by analyst Lennox Lewis during Saturday night’s pay-per-view telecast of unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.’s comeback victory over two-division former titlist Danny Garcia had nothing to do with either of the main event participants. But in a way, it did.

Now 55 and retired for these past 17½ years, Lewis, the two-time heavyweight champion and 2009 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, still is in a snit that as a pro he never got a chance to reprise his stoppage of Riddick Bowe in their gold medal super heavyweight bout of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Nor is Lewis, who blames that glaringly blank space on his resume to Bowe and his manager, Rock Newman, alone in decrying a woulda, coulda, shoulda megafight that never advanced beyond the theoretical.

Lewis and his fellow commentators for the Premier Boxing Champions/Fox Sports PPV showdown at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, were in agreement that Spence, who had not fought since being involved in a potentially fatal car crash on October 10, 2019, if not completely back to his previous elite level, was at least mostly so.

“Errol Spence has been consistent, and persistent, with his punches,” Lewis correctly assessed after the unified IBF and WBC welterweight champion registered a clear-cut, unanimous decision over the well-regarded challenger.

“He just looked physically, mentally, like the same champion he was 15 months ago,” said Brian Kenny.

And this, from Joe Goossen: “Errol Spence has been a machine against a really, really good counterpuncher – a smart, high-IQ fighter in Danny Garcia. He’s really taken away all of his best tools from Garcia with his pressure, his relentlessness and his combination punching. Errol Spence is back.”

Ah, but back to what? Another conga line of expected victories against very good-to-excellent fighters, such as Garcia, Shawn Porter, Mikey Garcia, Lamont Peterson and Kell Brook? Or to the kind of Armageddon brawl for it all that happens all too seldom in boxing, where petty squabbles and an aversion to risk-taking can keep the most alluring of matchups forever on the drawing board?

In a very real sense, the most important figure for Spence’s ascertainment of proof that he is still the best (or maybe second best) 147-pound fighter on the planet is WBO welterweight king Terence “Bud” Crawford, the figurative Bowe to Spence’s Lewis, or maybe the other way around. A pairing of Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) and Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) could be an updated version of the early 1980s first clashes of Sugar Ray Leonard with Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran, which would be the kind of adrenaline jolt that the fight game periodically requires for maximum revitalization. It also could be a relative letdown, as was the case when Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad squared off in 1999 in a unification showdown that promised so much but delivered something less. But, hey, one never knows until the posturing ends and the punching begins.

With the possible exception of middleweight/super middleweight straddler Canelo Alvarez, a majority of the No. 1 designations atop those pound-for-pound lists everyone is so hot to put together go to Crawford, who obviously has ample support as the finest 147-pound fighter on the planet. Spence, on the other hand, was and is a top five P4P type who is rated as the division’s best by The Ring magazine, just ahead of Crawford. Along with a full unification heavyweight showdown of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, Spence-Crawford is a guaranteed blockbuster that would harken back to that glorious heyday of the ’80s when certain fight nights captivated global interest.

The primary roadblock thus far to getting Spence and Crawford inside the ropes together has been the intransigence of Top Rank founder Bob Arum, who is aligned with ESPN and holds paper on Crawford, and Al Haymon, under whose PBC banner Spence toils. But the growing rift between Arum and Crawford suggests movement toward some sort of resolution.

Following Crawford’s relatively routine dismissal of Kell Brook via fourth-round TKO on November 14 in the Bubble at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, Arum ripped into his fighter with words that stung Crawford more than Brooks’ punches had.

“He’s got to promote like (Teofimo) Lopez does,” Arum, whose contract with Crawford extends for two more bouts. “He’s got to promote like Shakur (Stevenson) does. Like (Floyd) Mayweather did. Like (Manny) Pacquiao did. If he doesn’t, who the f— needs him? He may be the greatest fighter in the word, but, hey, I ain’t going bankrupt promoting him … I’m no longer in the business of losing money on Terence Crawford.”

A miffed Crawford fired back at Arum, saying, “If he feels that way, he can release me now. You don’t have to wait until after a Spence fight. Release me now and you don’t have to lose any money if I am such a loss, a headache.”

Spence had too much respect for the gallant but not-quite-good-enough Garcia (36-3, 21 KOs) to ruminate about the 800-pound elephant in AT&T Stadium, namely the continuing specter of Crawford. The native of DeSoto, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, recently purchased a ranch and Spence figures he owes himself another half-year-or-so break from the ring wars so that he can mosey on over to his new spread and tend to his livestock.

“Be patient with me,” he advised fans during a post-fight interview. “I had to shake off a few cobwebs. This was a comeback fight for me, but I’ll definitely be 120% come my next fight.

“I’m gonna chill on my ranch. I have a couple of horses. I’m gonna get some more horses, get some chickens, some more cows. I need to rest a little bit.”

The bickering between Arum and Crawford aside, the likelihood is that Crawford is too valuable a TR asset to simply be cut loose before the end of his servitude. If Spence-Crawford is to happen, it may be 2022 or even later, if at all. Considering that Crawford is now 33 and Spence 30, indefinitely keeping something that seems so inevitable on the back burner could carry it past its optimal expiration date or, worse, into the perpetual limbo into which Lewis-Bowe (or Bowe-Mike Tyson, for that matter) was consigned. That would not only be a disservice to fight fans, but a dark spot on the legacies of Hall of Fame-quality fighters who should loudly demand that they settle, once and for all, who really is the contemporary king of the welterweight hill.

There is a familiar proverb, “He who hesitates is lost,” generally attributed to 18th century British essayist and poet Joseph Addison. It seems as true now as it did three centuries ago.

Photo credit: Frank Micelotta / FOX Sports

Check out more boxing news on video at the Boxing Channel 

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Share The Sweet Science experience!
Advertisement
Avila-Perspective-Chap-330-Matchroom-in-New-York-plus-the-latest-on-Canelo-Crawford
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 330: Matchroom in New York plus the Latest on Canelo-Crawford

Vito-Mielnicki-Whitewashes-Kamil-Gardzielik-Before-the-Home-Folks-in-Newark
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Vito Mielnicki Jr Whitewashes Kamil Gardzielik Before the Home Folks in Newark

Results-and-Recaps-from-New-York-Where-Taylor-edged-Serrano-Once-Again
Featured Articles8 hours ago

Results and Recaps from New York Where Taylor Edged Serrano Once Again

Catching-Up-with-Clay-Moyle-Who-Talks-About-His-Massive-Collection-of-Boxing-Books
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Catching Up with Clay Moyle Who Talks About His Massive Collection of Boxing Books

From-a-Sympathetic-Figure-to-a-Pariah-The Travails-of-Julio-Cesar-Chavez-Jr
Featured Articles5 days ago

From a Sympathetic Figure to a Pariah: The Travails of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

More-Medals-for-Hawaii's-Patricio-Family-at-USA-Boxing's-Summer-Festival
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

More Medals for Hawaii’s Patricio Family at the USA Boxing Summer Festival

Catterall-vs-Eubank-Ends-Prematurely-Catterall-Wins-a-Technical-Decision
Featured Articles7 days ago

Catterall vs Eubank Ends Prematurely; Catterall Wins a Technical Decision

Richardson-Hitchins-Batters-and-Stops-George-Kambosos-at-Madison-Square-Garden
Featured Articles4 weeks ago

Richardson Hitchins Batters and Stops George Kambosos at Madison Square Garden 

Callum-Walsh-Umar-Dzambekov-and-Cain-Sandoval-Remain-Unbeaten-at-Santa-Ynez
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Callum Walsh, Umar Dzambekov and Cain Sandoval Remain Unbeaten at Santa Ynez

A-Fight-Fan-and-Teremoana-Samson-Junior-Leon-Teremoana
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

A Fight Fan and Teremoana Samson Junior Leon Teremoana

Jake-Paul-Outpoints-Julio-Cesar-Chavez-Jr-plus-Other-Results-from-Anaheim
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Jake Paul Outpoints Julio Cesar Chavez Jr plus Other Results from Anaheim

Paro
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Liam Paro Returns with a Flourish on Wednesday’s ‘No Limit’ Card in Queensland

A-Boxing-Card-in-Alabama-Goes-Pfft-A-True-Tale-from-the-Underbelly-of-the-Sweet-Science
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

A Boxing Card in Alabama Goes Pfft: A True Tale from the Underbelly of The Sweet Science

Avila-Perspective-Chap-331-Callum-Walsh-Brian-Norman-Galal-Yafai-and-More
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 331: Callum Walsh, Brian Norman, Galal Yafai and More

A-Closer-Look-at-Mario-Barrios-Poised-to-Wreck-the-Comeback-of-a-Legend
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

A Closer Look at Mario Barrios, Poised to Wreck the Comeback of a Legend

Avila-Perspective-Chap-333-Jake-Paul-JC-Chavez-Jr-Zurdo-and-More
Featured Articles1 week ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 333: Jake Paul, JC Chavez Jr, Zurdo and More

Brian-Norman-Jr-Bombs-Out-Jin-Sasaki-with-a-Frightful-Left-Hook
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Brian Norman Jr Bombs Out Jin Sasaki with a Frightful Left Hook

When-Boxing-Was-Big-on-the-Fourth-of-July-A-TSS-Classic
Featured Articles1 week ago

When Boxing was Big on the Fourth of July: A TSS Classic

Mbilli-Blasts-Out-Sulecki-in-Quebec-Wilder-TKOs-Herndon-in-Wichita
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Mbilli Blasts Out Sulecki in Quebec; Wilder TKOs Herndon in Wichita

Avila-Perspective-Chap-332-Jake-Paul-vs-Chavez-Jr-plus-Mbilli-Deontay-and-More
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 332: Jake Paul vs Chavez Jr., plus Mbilli, Deontay and More

Results-and-Recaps-from-New-York-Where-Taylor-edged-Serrano-Once-Again
Featured Articles8 hours ago

Results and Recaps from New York Where Taylor Edged Serrano Once Again

Philadelphia-Welterweight-Gil-Turner-a-Phenom-Now-Rests-in-an-Unmarked-Grave
Featured Articles21 hours ago

Philadelphia Welterweight Gil Turner, a Phenom, Now Rests in an Unmarked Grave

Avila-Perspecrive-Chap-334-Back-to-Back-Boxing-Cards-in-the-Big-Apple
Featured Articles2 days ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 334: Back-to-Back Boxing Cards in the Big Apple

From-a-Sympathetic-Figure-to-a-Pariah-The Travails-of-Julio-Cesar-Chavez-Jr
Featured Articles5 days ago

From a Sympathetic Figure to a Pariah: The Travails of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

Catterall-vs-Eubank-Ends-Prematurely-Catterall-Wins-a-Technical-Decision
Featured Articles7 days ago

Catterall vs Eubank Ends Prematurely; Catterall Wins a Technical Decision

Avila-Perspective-Chap-333-Jake-Paul-JC-Chavez-Jr-Zurdo-and-More
Featured Articles1 week ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 333: Jake Paul, JC Chavez Jr, Zurdo and More

When-Boxing-Was-Big-on-the-Fourth-of-July-A-TSS-Classic
Featured Articles1 week ago

When Boxing was Big on the Fourth of July: A TSS Classic

A-Boxing-Card-in-Alabama-Goes-Pfft-A-True-Tale-from-the-Underbelly-of-the-Sweet-Science
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

A Boxing Card in Alabama Goes Pfft: A True Tale from the Underbelly of The Sweet Science

Mexico's-Francisco-Rodriguez-Jr-is-the-TSS-Fighter-of-the-Month-for-June
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Mexico’s Francisco Rodriguez Jr is the TSS Fighter of the Month for June

Jake-Paul-Outpoints-Julio-Cesar-Chavez-Jr-plus-Other-Results-from-Anaheim
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Jake Paul Outpoints Julio Cesar Chavez Jr plus Other Results from Anaheim

Holly-Holm-Joshua-Edwards-and-Rene-Alvarado-Sparkle-on-the-Paul-Chavez-Undercard
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Holly Holm, Joshua Edwards, and Rene Alvarado Sparkle on the Paul-Chavez Undercard

Mbilli-Blasts-Out-Sulecki-in-Quebec-Wilder-TKOs-Herndon-in-Wichita
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Mbilli Blasts Out Sulecki in Quebec; Wilder TKOs Herndon in Wichita

Avila-Perspective-Chap-332-Jake-Paul-vs-Chavez-Jr-plus-Mbilli-Deontay-and-More
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 332: Jake Paul vs Chavez Jr., plus Mbilli, Deontay and More

A-Closer-Look-at-Mario-Barrios-Poised-to-Wreck-the-Comeback-of-a-Legend
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

A Closer Look at Mario Barrios, Poised to Wreck the Comeback of a Legend

Paro
Featured Articles2 weeks ago

Liam Paro Returns with a Flourish on Wednesday’s ‘No Limit’ Card in Queensland

More-Medals-for-Hawaii's-Patricio-Family-at-USA-Boxing's-Summer-Festival
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

More Medals for Hawaii’s Patricio Family at the USA Boxing Summer Festival

Callum-Walsh-Umar-Dzambekov-and-Cain-Sandoval-Remain-Unbeaten-at-Santa-Ynez
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Callum Walsh, Umar Dzambekov and Cain Sandoval Remain Unbeaten at Santa Ynez

Vito-Mielnicki-Whitewashes-Kamil-Gardzielik-Before-the-Home-Folks-in-Newark
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Vito Mielnicki Jr Whitewashes Kamil Gardzielik Before the Home Folks in Newark

Avila-Perspective-Chap-331-Callum-Walsh-Brian-Norman-Galal-Yafai-and-More
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Avila Perspective, Chap. 331: Callum Walsh, Brian Norman, Galal Yafai and More

Brian-Norman-Jr-Bombs-Out-Jin-Sasaki-with-a-Frightful-Left-Hook
Featured Articles3 weeks ago

Brian Norman Jr Bombs Out Jin Sasaki with a Frightful Left Hook

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending