Terence Crawford, who has already won a world title at lightweight, has spent two years and four months of his impressive career fighting at super-lightweight; winning the WBO belt in April of 2015 and adding the WBC crown to his collection in July of 2016. Tonight, should Crawford do as most fans and experts predict, and beat Julius Indongo, he will hold all four major belts at 140.
The question, even if the answer seems to be an obvious one, is will Crawford move up to welterweight after tonight’s fight – win or lose? Most people feel he will win, so assuming he does, will Crawford, 31-0(22) choose to vacate the four belts he spent just under two-and-a-half years collecting and jump right up to 147 in his next fight?
It seems a no-brainer, as welterweight is where the action is. Tonight’s Indongo fight aside, what else is there for Crawford at 140? There are a few decent and possible match-ups Crawford could conceivably take at 140, but nothing as interesting or as exciting as the potentially great match-ups “Bud” could find himself taking at 147.
Imagine the possibilities: Crawford, unbeaten, Vs. Errol Spence, unbeaten.
Crawford, unbeaten, Vs. Keith Thurman, unbeaten. Crawford, unbeaten, Vs. the winner of the Jeff Horn, unbeaten, Vs. Manny Pacquiao (legend) rematch. And that’s just three potential classics a welterweight version of Crawford could be a part of.
Promoter Bob Arum, in speaking with Dan Rafael said that if he is victorious tonight, Crawford will go to Australia to attend the Horn-Pacquiao return fight, and will possibly challenge the winner. Arum also told Rafael that as he sees it, a Crawford-Spence fight could be a major pay-per-view fight, if the reigning IBF welterweight champ “could get good promotion.”
Arum clearly feels Spence needs to become a bigger, more recognisable name in order for a clash between Crawford and the unbeaten southpaw to be a fight that would appeal to the mainstream, but for the purists and the hardcore boxing fans this one would be a can’t-miss fight right now. And Crawford against whoever prevails in November (the 12th being the pencilled in date for Horn-Pac Man II) would also be intriguing.
But Crawford has to do the business tonight before we can get excited about seeing him match his great skills with the best welterweights out there (even though, if he did lose in an upset to the 22-0(11) Indongo, Crawford would very probably still move up to 147 next; unless he could get himself an immediate return bout with Indongo).
Should he put on another master-class tonight, a 32-0 Crawford, now a five belt winner (his first being the WBO 135 pound title, won back in March of 2014) would be a hugely welcome new addition to an already talent-rich welterweight division.