By Kenneth Friedman: Promoter Richard Schaefer says Terence Crawford isn’t needed by many of the popular welterweights in the division. Schaefer says that the Top Rank promoted WBO welterweight champion Crawford (35-0, 26 KOs) is the “odd man” out in some of the big fights that are being made nowadays involving the following fighters:
- Errol Spence Jr.
- Manny Pacquiao
- Keith Thurman
- Danny Garcia
- Shawn Porter
- Mikey Garcia
Schaefer – Crawford who?
“As long as you see these type of fights happen like the ones that you just mentioned or if Manny Pacquiao is going to fight Mikey Garcia, and let’s say the winner of this fight [Errol Spence vs. Shawn Porter] is going to fight a Danny Garcia or vice versa or Keith Thurman,” said promote Richard Schaefer to Behind The Gloves in discussing about what happens with Terence Crawford with all these potential fights with PBC fighters.
“As long as these fights happen, and are 50-50 fights statistically, and beautiful and fan friendly, then sorry. Crawford who? I mean, there’s just no. It doesn’t require Crawford. As long as these fights happen, unfortunately it sounds like to me that Crawford is the odd man out. But look, he’s a terrific fighter, and I respect Top Rank with what they do. I think Bob Arum is a terrific promoter, and it’s like the world we live in, you know? As long as great fights happen, we as fight fans have nothing to complain,” said Schaefer.
It sounds like Crawford is basically frozen out while he’s on the other side of the street with Top Rank. If his promoters make it worthwhile for him to re-up with his contract expires, it may take him to the end of his prime. At that point it won’t matter if he doesn’t get fights against the above mentioned top welterweights.
As long as those fighters continue to face each other, Crawford is out in the cold, according to Schaefer. Crawford will be turning 32 this Saturday on September 28, and he can’t wait forever to get one of those guys to fight him. But even if he does get one of them to face him, that might be the only fight he gets.
Will Crawford’s career outlook improve if he leaves Top Rank?
If Crawford ever does leave Top Rank, boxing fans will be able to see if anything changes in terms of the fights he’s getting. In theory, Crawford should be able to get big fights if he signs with the same management as Spence, Pacquiao, Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter, Thurman and Danny Garcia. Maybe not. Crawford is a switch-hitting counter puncher, who likes to move a lot. He’s got three strikes against him in terms of a style that other fighters traditionally don’t like to deal with.
You can argue that Crawford has four strikes against him in that he’s not a hugely popular guy. If was as popular as Floyd Mayweather Jr., then the PBC fighters would likely be trying hard to get a fight against him. Unfortunately, Crawford isn’t in the same league as Mayweather in terms of his popularity,
Spence (25-0, 21 KOs) is the only fighter among those six that has shown interest in facing Crawford. If Spence loses to Crawford, then you can bet that the other fighters will stay away from him for the remainder of their careers. Likewise, if Spence beats Porter, then there’s no reason for the other fighters to face him. Either way, Crawford loses out.
Crawford will be fighting next on December 14 on ESPN+. His opponent is expected to be Egidijus Kavaliauskas.
