Bud Crawford: Would being with PBC make things easier?
Ever since WBO world welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (35-0, 26 KO’s) moved up from junior welterweight, the boxing world has demanded he fight IBF world welterweight champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr (25-0, 21 KO’s).
While both boxers want the fight, it has yet to come to fruition. Unfortunately, as is too often the case in boxing, the business side appears to be getting in the way. In this regard, Crawford takes the biggest brunt of the blame.
The common thought sees the issue in Crawford’s decision to remain loyal to his current promotional company, Top Rank.
Bud would resign with the company almost a year ago to the day. Top Rank founder Bob Arum has long maintained a public feud with Al Haymon. The latter is the creator and founder of Premier Boxing Champions to which Spence is signed.
Many believe that had Bud signed with the PBC, that this dream fight could have been made. This is a notion that Bud questions in an interview with FightHype.
“Who says the fights would have been easier? You see Spence and Thurman haven’t fought yet. Spence and Garcia haven’t fought yet. Spence and Pacquiao haven’t fought yet.
“So who’s to say it would have been easier? That’s just people saying things that just come to their minds but don’t know nothing about the business side of boxing or boxing in general.”
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Having been a veteran of the sport for some time now, Crawford understands that the business side of the sport can often be tricky and frustrating. To the switch-hitting Nebraska native’s point, he never overcame his own difficulties with penning a fight with the living legend Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KO’s).
For a great length of time, Crawford and Pacquiao shared the same Top Rank promotional stable without this bout ever being finalized. Yet, similar to Crawford v Spence, this was the fight that Bud was very vocally in favor of. In fact, that unrealized bout is still a sore topic for Crawford.
At the moment, Bud has his upcoming title defense against Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas (21-0-1, 17 KO’s) on their tentative December 14 dance date.
His would-be dance partner Errol Spence Jr has his own difficult assignment coming up on September 28 against the very physical fighter and WBC world welterweight champion Shawn “Showtime” Porter (30-2-1, 17 KO’s).
Personally, Crawford views this as a tough out for both pugilists. Although, Bud is a close personal friend of Porter’s.
So much so that he would not to want to face him in a professional prizefight. Spence on the other hand is a different story!
Bud did not waste the opportunity to reiterate one more time that he would love to trade leather with the Truth.
“I want to fight Spence, that’s who I want to fight! I don’t have any ambition or no desire to fight Shawn.
“You know me and Shawn we got a history, we’re pretty cool you know? But as far as Spence, you know I want to fight Spence.”
By: Bakari Simpson
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