Boxing fans won’t like to hear this.
After his training partner Maurice Hooker came up short against rising star Vergil Ortiz this past Saturday on DAZN, WBO Welterweight champion Terence Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs), who was in attendance, once again discussed the unlikeliness of a bout between him and Errol Spence Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs) taking place.
“Nah, never,” Crawford told Fight Hub TV (via Bad Left Hook) when asked about the potential matchup. “That fight never gonna happen. It’s over with.”
Crawford and Spence, who holds the IBF and WBC 147-pound titles and was also in attendance on Saturday, have long gone back-and-forth on social media and in-person about a potential clash. Given that both men are considered to be amongst the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, it’s a fight that makes a ton of sense, although negotiations have never seemed to gain steam.
The 33-year-old Crawford, a Nebraska native, is unbeaten at 37-0 and became an undisputed champion at 140-pounds with a knockout victory over Julius Indongo in 2017. He then moved up to Welterweight and has won five-straight fights, but some have criticized him for the lack of elite opposition he’s faced at 147 pounds.
Spence, meanwhile, won the IBF title with a victory over Kell Brook in 2017. The 31-year-old then added the WBC title to his collection with a split-decision victory over Shawn Porter in a back-and-forth war in 2019. Most recently, “The Truth” returned from a horrific car accident to defend his titles with a dominant decision victory over former champion Danny Garcia late last year.
There’s no denying that Spence, who’s also unbeaten at 27-0, would represent the toughest test of “Bud’s” career, but for now, it seems as if Crawford has put the nail in the coffin regarding that fight.
“I already told everybody that fight is history for me,” Crawford told Chris Mannix on Saturday (via DAZN). “I’m not thinking nor worried about Errol Spence anymore. That fight is behind me.”
In terms of what could be next for Crawford, it’s currently unclear. It’s expected that he’ll return in May, and Porter, who stands as the No. 1-contender to Crawford’s WBO title, could be a possible opponent. Additionally, Ortiz (17-0, 17 KOs) called out Crawford after beating Hooker as well.
“I would love that opportunity,” Ortiz told Mannix following his win (via DAZN). “Crawford is possibly the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world — definitely Top 2 — so if they give me that opportunity, I’m looking at you, Bud, I’m looking at you. If you want to make this happen, I’m more than willing to do it.
“I don’t care if I’m ready or not,” he added, “I want that fight.”
However, Bud wasn’t overly enthusiastic about the idea of a fight against the 22-year-old either.
“He really don’t want me,” Crawford told Fight Hub TV (via Bad Left Hook). That’s just the thing to do — call for the fighters that’s at the top. But he’s doing his thing, doing what he’s supposed to do, and I wish him nothing but the best.”
If Crawford is indeed going to return in May, an opponent will certainly be named soon. But at this point, it’s unclear what lies ahead for one of boxing’s best.
