Stephen Espinoza of Showtime says the rematch between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. could take place in early to late 2024 or perhaps not at all.
That might be disappointing and shocking to some boxing fans, but Espinoza points out that Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) took a great deal of punishment in his ninth round knockout loss to Crawford on July 29th.
Espinoza says that when a fighter is involved in a tough fight like the one the 33-year-old Spence endured, it’s important not to rush them back too soon.
The Crawford-Spence rematch was supposedly taking place in December, but given the punishment Errol took, it’s important to allow him to mentally & physically recover and then either face Crawford at some point in 2024 or not at all.
It would be better for Spence to get a couple of tune-up fights under his belt and move up to a division that is easier to make weight before he considers fighting Crawford again.
If they fight in December or early 2014, Spence might be too weight drained or worn out from their previous fight.
“I’ll be completely honest. I was shocked, and a lot of people were shocked. Not everybody. There were some people that said it would be a device Crawford win, and they were right,” said Stephen Espinoza of Showtime to Hardcore Boxing News about Terence Crawford’s blowout ninth round knockout win over Errol Spence Jr. on July 29th in Las Vegas.
“Look, it was a masterful performance. We all expected a more competitive fight, but I don’t think it was disappointing because you saw some great skill out of Crawford, a lot of persistence and determination, and a lot of fighting spirit out of Spence.
“That was once in a lifetime performance out of Crawford. It was pure artistry. It depends. It was supposed to be late this year; it’s possible a little bit sooner,” said Espinoza when asked about the Crawford vs. Spence rematch.
“When someone takes a tough fight like that, you want to make sure you’re not rushing them back. Maybe early next year. It’s either late next year or early next year if it happens.
“I didn’t see any hints during the week about it. I know there’s some silly stuff online and people throwing around crazy opinions,” said Espinoza about Spence not looking good during the fight week for his contest with Crawford.
“He’s always been a reserved, low-key guy, not really outwardly emotional. He didn’t look strange to me all week, but not taking anything away from Crawford. It was an incredible performance, but it didn’t look like the Errol we’ve seen before.
“Whether it’s weight or whether it’s something else going on, who knows? But maybe he ran into a guy on that particular night that was operating at a different level. It’s really hard to say, and you’re not going to get it out of Spence or anyone on his team.
“He’s not an excuse-maker, and he’d never take away from anyone else’s performance. If there was an issue, it’s going to go to the grave with those guys because they’re never going to put anything out in public like that,” said Espinoza.
