Could it be that Terence Crawford engages in TWO brilliant fights, both of them big, consecutively? As we know, the 37-year-old three-weight champ will tonight fight what many people feel will be his career toughest fight against Shawn Porter, but then what? Assuming Crawford gets the win over the teak-tough Porter – and he is a significant favourite with the bookmakers and with the majority of experts – there will be one man and one man only who is able to contest Crawford’s status as the best welterweight in the world. That man is Errol Spence.
For months now, or even years, we’ve wanted to see Crawford, the WBO champ at 147 as well as being one of the very best fighters in the world, fight Spence, the WBC and IBF champ at 147 and one of the very best fighters in the world. Some of us have given up, feeling the fight, a modern-day classic-in-the-making will never happen. Spence, who survived a nasty car crash a little over two years ago and is currently out of action due to his eye problem, could fight Crawford, or Porter, next if WBC president Jose Sulaiman Jr gets his way.
Speaking with Sky Sports, Sulaiman said he hopes to see Crawford, or Porter, fight Spence in the future should he get past Porter tonight in Las Vegas.
“There is Crawford and Porter fighting on November 20 in a big fight, and hopefully the winner fights in the future with our champion Spence Jr,” Sulaiman said. “I have been in communication with Errol. He is a fantastic human being, a miracle man who survived an accident. It has been a difficult time for him but he is very strong mentally and physically. He has begun training.”
But who, if anyone in particular, has Spence begun training for? Spence’s second ring return will be a big event (he of course returned to the ring following the awful car smash, beating Danny Garcia in December of 2020), and “The Truth” did say recently how he is not interested in a tune-up type fight, that he wants to go right back in at the deep end. Surely, after over a year out, Spence would not go right into a super-fight with Crawford or Porter, would he?
This is how the great ones did it back in the day, and maybe Spence will go down as a great? The winner of tonight’s fight cannot truly call himself the best welterweight on the planet until he has beaten Errol Spence, can he? Maybe we will get to see Crawford, currently 37-0 Vs. Spence, currently 27-0, next year?
Still, let’s enjoy tonight’s potentially thrilling fight first!