Absolutely. Crawford, 35, has been a pound-for-pound beast for years, and he looked like the 147-pound king that he is when he scored a 10th-round TKO victory over Shawn Porter to retain his WBO title last November. While he doesn't believe that Crawford is eschewing his well-respected son, Bozy does have an inkling as to why they haven't been given the call. Welcome back Scientists! ESPN's Mike Coppinger reports that Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford are "closing in on a deal" for a blockbuster October pay . Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs), a promotional free agent after leaving Top Rank when his contract expired following the Porter fight, defeated Avanesyan by sixth-round KO on Dec. 10. . "I explained to Al Haymon and Errol that I was going to fight before the end of the year. Thurman last fought in February following an almost two-year absence. The boxers have never been regarded in as high esteem as they are now. He has little doubt that a bout could be made if they receive COVID-19 clearance in the Middle East next year.Arum believes a #Spence bout is less dependent on COVID-19 because it can be made in the United States. There's no promotion company that's blocking it, there's no wrong side of the street, there's no nothing. Spence, 32, has long been considered Crawfords only qualified peer. Little to no argument can be made surrounding Terence Crawfords permanent fixture amongst boxings pound-for-pound elites. And the WBO welterweight world champion opened up about his frustrations that they haven't been able to make the fight up until now. Sources: Spence-Crawford at risk; delay likely, The triumph of Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors in Creed III. If true, that would mean the sands of time in the hourglass have been running faster to the end than expected. When asked by Spence about the backend, Crawford stated there would be an 80-20 split. Boxing pound-for-pound rankings: Bivol keeps winning and moving up; Haney earns top 10 spot, A megafight is set: Here's what's at stake when Gervonta Davis faces Ryan Garcia in April, Gervonta Davis' arrest history: Timeline of abuse and hit-and-run charges and denials, are closer than ever to fighting for welterweight supremacy, ESPN's Boxing Star Index: Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia and more ready for the next step, Terence Crawford's 7-year-old daughter loses shoe, comes back to win track race in heroic effort, Boxing pound-for-pound rankings: A new No. He continued: "I always gave Errol the respect. The 147-pound meeting for all four belts is one of the biggest fights in boxing. MORE:Boxing Schedule 2022: Date, division, location for upcoming fights, (Crawfords) been stalling for months, I couldve fought in November, Spencewould tweetbefore Crawfords fight became official. Round-by-Round coverage: How Tommy Fury vs. Jake Paul played out, Inside the creation of Jake Paul's 'Stardust Warriors' trunks, Women's boxing divisional rankings: Thorslund, Fundora solidify spots after dominant performances, Divisional rankings: Matias, Jack make big moves after impressive wins. Since Crawford's Instagram Live story, there has been a back and forth on Twitter between the two champions. Those same fans felt like they got hit with a shot to the gut following ESPNs report that WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford will be fighting in 2022, just not against Spence. Terence Crawford doubled down on moving on from a potential unification bout with fellow welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jr. The Sporting News will be keeping an eye on all Spence-Crawford fight news and will be providing more information when it is released. Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. 1 and 3 in the ESPN pound-for-pound rankings, so it would make sense that the winner would secure the top spot. The outlet is reporting that organizers are targeting Nov. 19 in Las Vegas. There is a small holdup before it can become official, per ESPN. But now its another waiting game and getting reminiscent of the massive delays that fans endured to see Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather in May 2015 a matchup that wouldve been more entertaining a few years earlier when both fighters were still in their prime. (Editors note: This column originally published atBoxing Junkie, part of the USA TODAY Network.). He believes now is the perfect time to pull the trigger. Spence beat Ugas via TKO after Ugas' eye was swollen shut. 1 pound-for-pound boxer and top welterweight, last fought in November, a 10th-round TKO victory over Shawn Porter to retain his WBO title. Crawford, from Omaha, also claims he has always held rival Spence in high regard as he recognises his achievements in the ring. Spence was scheduled to fight Pacquiao in August 2021 but canceled the clash due to his injured retina. Look for the left hook to land against the fellow southpaw. Spence and Crawford had agreed to terms, with Crawford set to earn the short end of the financial split, ESPN reported earlier this month. So, too, could Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, who just beat Anthony Joshua a second time. Their strengths and weaknesses and what it's going to take for each to come o. According to Mike Tyson, it's disappointing that the fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford hasn't happened yet because it could have been really exciting. He's a natural 147-pounder who competed at 152 pounds in the Olympics. This is one of boxing's youngest, deepest, most intriguing divisions. Crawford, meanwhile, won his first title fighting at 135 pounds but has filled out nicely at 147 and possesses uncanny strength for the division. An undisputed welterweight championship fight between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. is being targeted for Nov. 19. 1 fighter pound-for-pound, is coming off a sensational 10th-roundknockout of Shawn Porterin the fifth defense of his WBO belt in November, the biggest victory in his career. But Spence is more defensively responsible. At long last, Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford are closer than ever to fighting for welterweight supremacy this fall, and unlike Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, this matchup is materializing while both are still in the prime of their careers. Spence stated Crawford was offered the financial transparency that he wanted by his team. Spence has held the IBF welterweight championship since defeating Kell Brook in 2017. Bozys insistence on Crawford facing them could be met with somewhat of a roadblock. The issue: Crawford wants transparency related to event expenses since the contract contains no guaranteed purse, sources said. The 35-year-old is currently ranked . Why yall not gonna take us? That is due a disagreement in contract talks when it comes to events, expenses, and transparency, the latter coming from Crawford's end. Issues with contracts, promoters, and timing have delayed it from happening. Editor's note: This story was originally published in June and has been updated with newt information about the fight. Crawford has the WBO welterweight world title while Spence has accumulated the other three belts -- WBC, IBF and WBA. Terence #Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs), ESPN's No.1 pound-for-pound boxer, will showcase his skill set next Saturday against former welterweight Kell Brook (39-2, 27 KOs), but many eyes around boxing are on what he will seek next provided he can handle businessCrawford and his team are aiming big sources have told LTM Luxurytainment MediaTop Rank CEO Bob Arum told LTM on Saturday that he only has two names in mind for Crawford's bout after Brook -- WBA champion Manny Pacquiao or IBF and WBC champion Errol Spence Jr. -- and plans to make one of them happen in the first half of 2021. Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) is repped by Al Haymon's PBC . Coppinger went on to report that, per promoter Richard Schaefer, Spence is in discussions to potentially face Eimantas Stanionis. "Just like when I fought Gamboa, I never thought I was going to fight Gamboa. If it cratered, he would lose a lot money. Inoue has a true claim. -- Michael Rothstein. The hangup now, according to Coppinger: Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) wants transparency in regards to event expenses because the terms say nothing of guaranteed money. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. "That's the next fight I'll be campaigning for.". After recovering from a torn retina that forced him out of a fight against Manny Pacquiao, Spence squared off against Yordenis Ugas in April for the WBA (Super) welterweight title. A free agent, Crawford would sue Bob Arum and Top Rank, seeking nearly $10 million after alleging revolting racist bias that resulted in him failing to secure big money fights. The fight did not materialize, again, to the chagrin of boxing fans. How do Spence and Crawford match up? Per ESPNs Mike Coppinger, Spence, the IBF, WBC, and WBA (Super) welterweight champion, will face WBO champion Crawford in a unification fight. I decided to make a lil promotional vid to alleviate the fans impatience and hopefully help the . Terence Crawford defeated Shawn Porter via TKO in a welterweight title match last November. Theres nothing standing in the way from us fighting, Crawford told ESPN in April. "When he started his professional career I was rooting for him. Here is all you need to know about Crawford . Crawford, Boxing Junkies No. Boxing Matrix. Boxing fans are getting closer to breathing a sigh of relief. Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. are near a deal to meet in a pay-per-view showdown for the undisputed welterweight championship this October in Las Vegas, ESPN is reporting. Spence, the IBF, WBC, and WBA welterweight champion, last fought in April 2022, beating Yordenis Ugas via TKO. Even if the Errol Spence Jr.-Terence Crawford undisputed welterweight championship fight is finalized, it won't take place on the targeted date of Nov. 19 but rather in December or even January . "I grew up as a boxing fan so when Errol was at the Olympics fighting for the USA team I was rooting for him. He already owned the WBC and IBF titles in the division. The undefeated American welterweight. And Ive been waiting for this moment all my life to show everybody that doubts me who Terence Crawford is. That could mean that Crawford remains committed to a fight with Spence but wanted to stay busy until a deal could be reached. The contract for the fight hasno guaranteed purse in it. He wears the IBF, WBA and WBC belts. Assuming the deal is finalized, it will mark the first fight of the year for Crawford. Spence was nowhere to be found while I was trying to make the deal," Crawford said. Not long ago, it felt like we were on the one-yard line when it came to Spence-Crawford becoming official.