Is a Porter win better for the welterweight division?
On November 20, Shawn “Showtime” Porter (31-3-1, 17 KO’s) will face WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (37-0, 28 KO’s) in a highly anticipated showdown. On paper, this appears to be Crawford’s most difficult bout since entering into the 147-pound division three years ago. The main fight that the fans have clamored for is one pitting Crawford against IBF and WBC world welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. Yet, for vexing political reasons, this match has never materialized. Even worse, if you let Bud tell it, that fight will never happen.
Outside of Spence, Terence Crawford has shown extremely little interest in facing anyone of note in the division. Sure, he has said on numerous occasions that he wants the big fights. Oftentimes though, in his very next breath, he is overly dismissive of his other viable options. Bud has rebuked the notion of taking lesser money to face Spence and scoffed at the idea of fighting Keith Thurman or #1 (WBO) ranked Vergil Ortiz. In fact, had the WBO not mandated the bout with Porter, Crawford almost certainly would not be about to fight Showtime.
A TALE OF TWO FIGHTERS
Given his overly aloof behavior during his tenure in the division, there is very little evidence to suggest Crawford will change how he has been moving. Having said this, one must wonder which victor would better suit the sport and the fans. Provided that Bud wins, we can only imagine that he will resume his established talking points about wanting big fights but essentially snubbing his biggest opponents. It would be hard to foresee Porter doing the same thing.
To begin, all one has to do is look at Showtime’s resume to confirm his commitment to facing the best available. To date, Porter has fought Devon Alexander, Paul Malignaggi, Kell Brook, Adrien Broner, Keith Thurman, Andre Berto, Danny Garcia, Yordenis Ugas and Errol Spence Jr. With this track record, it’s easy to assume that Porter would continue with the same mentality of fighting only the best. Going a step further, it’s all but certain that if Showtime beats Crawford, the very next bout that he would seek out is a rematch with Errol Spence Jr.
Can we honestly say that Crawford would pursue a dustup with Spence with any sort of legitimate gusto? There is little doubt that he will call for the fight. When he does this, and Spence is not offering a 50/50 split, which he will not, Bud will all but certainly reject any other offer, leaving us stranded in this same idle position that we’ve remained for years. Who wants that?!
THE GREATER GOOD
Granted Porter beats Bud, as said before, his first target will almost certainly be Spence. Unlike Crawford, however, Showtime is likely going to be far more flexible at the negotiation table just to get the fight done. While we are on this journey through the land of “what if,” let’s assume that Porter defeats Spence. He will no doubt want a showdown for undisputed versus WBA super welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas.
As undisputed champion, it’s hard to believe that Showtime would shy away from a rematch with Keith Thurman or duels with up-and-coming talents like Jaron Ennis or the aforementioned Vergil Ortiz. Of course, this all involves a mountain of hypotheticals. That goes without saying.
In the end though, does it sound far-fetched for Shawn Porter to chase these huge fights if he were successful? At the same time, do we feel the same level of confidence that Crawford and his Top Rank promotions will all of the sudden change their stripes? So, coming full circle, is a Porter win over Crawford better for the sport? Theoretically, it’s an unreserved YES! In the end though, we just may never know, but it should be fun watching Shawn Porter and Terence Crawford handle their business in the ring come November 20!
By: Bakari Simpson
