Terence Crawford Talks on Promoters and the Business Side of Boxing
When WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (38-0, 29 KO’s) parted ways with longtime promoter Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, the bidding war for his services should have been out of control. Instead, things have been quiet on all fronts. There have been no takers, or at least nothing has been reported. However, Crawford understands it’s a business, and he is open to conversation.
Arguably, Crawford is considered the most talented fighter in boxing. Moreover, his being a free agent should give the Nebraska native more flexibility to make the high-profile fights he wants. One of the fights everyone is patiently waiting to see is a mega-showdown with unified champion Errol Spence Jr.
Crawford shocked the boxing world with a lawsuit against his former employer, Arum, in the aftermath of his departure. Some boxing enthusiasts believe this has slowed things down for the WBO champion. But, fans are still waiting to see him return to the ring sometime in 2022.
UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS SIDE OF BOXING
With no ties to any network or promotional entity, it can still be hard for him to get a big fight because of how the business side of the sport works. The more dangerous a fighter, the less likely a network/promotional company will take the risk of losing out on their investment. There is a lot of money invested in fighters. The only way to get inside the barrier for a boxing entity is to either sign to them briefly or the amount of money has to be worth the risk.
Crawford seems to have a clear understanding of how the business works and during an interview with SecondsOut, he expressed a willingness to have an open dialogue with other entities to hopefully come to some level of agreement.
“A lot of promoters are not going to let you just come over there and beat their champion and then just walk away scot-free. It’s a business, at the end of the day.
I don’t think, being in that position, they will allow me to just come over there and just take a title and just say, ‘all right it’s my title. I can do whatever I want with it’. […] It’s a business and we’ll see how everything plays out.”
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By: Garrisson Bland
