Crawford: Spence Fight Has Been Talked About For Years, Sometimes You Just Let Those Fights Pass You By

There was a time when Terence Crawford wanted nothing more than a showdown with Errol Spence Jr.

It’s a matchup that the unbeaten three-division and reigning WBO welterweight titlist still craves, though not one that remains a focal point ahead of the more realistic fights that can be made.

“I really don’t even see us fighting, to tell you the truth,” Crawford confessed during a recent installment of The Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer, repeating a belief he has carried at least all through 2021. “Man, the fight has been talked about for years and years and years. That’s a fight I’ve been wanting since I came to the division and when Errol Spence became the number-one guy in the division after Keith Thurman. I called for Keith Thurman before I was even a world champion in the division.

“Sometimes you just let those fights pass you by.”

The pairing remains among the most requested fights in the sport, one that would feature three of the four major titles at welterweight held by two unbeaten pound-for-pound level talents.

Crawford (37-0, 28KOs) has held the WBO welterweight belt since June 2018, arriving 13 months after Spence (27-0, 21KOs) claimed the IBF belt in an eleventh-round knockout of Kell Brook in May 2017 on the road in Sheffield, England. Spence has since added the WBC title, outpointing Shawn Porter (31-3-1, 17KOs) in their memorable September 2019 title unification clash.

Despite serving as the best two welterweights in the world and among the sport’s best pound-for-pound talents, Crawford and Spence have yet to share any more than words.

The closest they’ve come to a confrontation was a spirited conversation in November 2018 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, when both were in attendance for a junior welterweight title fight between Maurice Hooker—a Dallas native and a friend of Spence—and Alex Saucedo. Crawford was a month removed from his first welterweight title defense at the time, now preparing for his fifth defense as he faces Porter atop an ESPN Pay-Per-View event November 20 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

There was plenty of time spent wondering if a fight with Spence would materialize, though having long ago learned to not hold out for a dream fight even to the point of being promised such an opportunity.

“I never want to get in a situation like the Manny Pacquiao fight,” admits Crawford. “Here it is in 2021 and I was promised the Manny Pacquiao fight in 2015.”

Crawford was assured of being in the hunt for a showdown with the legendary eight-division champion, who at the time was eyeing the final fight of his career ahead of a run at an open seat in the Philippine Senate. Crawford was preparing for his third HBO-televised hometown headliner in Omaha versus Dierry Jean in a junior welterweight title defense while assured by Top Rank brass—specifically its founder, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum—that his name was on the short list of potential foes for the fight.

Pacquiao went on to face Tim Bradley for a third time, scoring a landslide decision to go up 2-1 in their series before calling it a career at the time. Pacquiao went on to win a Senate seat in the 2016 election, though not to the point of having to completely step away from the sport as he once believed. He returned later that November, fighting six more times—three more times with Top Rank as the lead promoter and another three with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), under whose banner Spence has fought since its 2015 inception.

Spence and Pacquiao were due to meet this past August, with their announcement made this past May. A torn retina ultimately forced Spence to withdraw, as he was replaced by Yordenis Ugas who defeated Pacquiao via unanimous decision.

However, the planned matchup itself was the ultimate wake-up call to Crawford, who has since taken firm control of his career. The focus for now is squarely placed on beating Porter. Once that day arrives, it’s simply onto the next fight that can be made rather than the one that will stall his career any more so than has already been the case.

“So, I never want to get in the same situation as Manny Pacquiao with Errol Spence,” notes Crawford. “So, I just let it pass me by and move on to the next.

“There’s a lot of good fighters that Terence Crawford can be facing, like right now. Shawn Porter is a great fighter. November 20 we’re gonna put on a tremendous show. It’s gonna be a barnburner.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox