By Chris Williams: Golden Boy Promotions have reportedly reached out to Terence Crawford’s promoters at Top Rank to make a fight between WBO junior middleweight champion Patrick Teixeira (31-1, 22 KOs) and Terence Crawford, according to @MikeCoppinger.
Crawford needs to take chances with his career
Now it’s up the unbeaten Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) and Top Rank if they want to take the fight with the 29-year-old southpaw Teixeira or not. It’s a win-win for the 32-year-old Crawford if he challenges Teixeira, because he doesn’t have any other options for interesting fights. Crawford would win his 4th division world title if he takes the fight with the Brazilian Teixeira.
This would be a good start for Crawford in facing Teixeira. If Bud Crawford wins the WBO light middleweight title, then he go after WBC 154-lb champion Jermell Charlo, and/or IBF/WBA champion Julian ‘J-Rock’ Williams.
Given that Top Rank likely has no one of talent or quality for Crawford to fight, he might as well take the match against Teixeira in 2020. At least it keeps him busy, and it’ll give him bragging rights to say that he’s a 4 division world champion.
Crawford isn’t in the position right now to get a fight against one of the PBC fighters, because he’s on the other side of the fence. He’s with Top Rank, and his resume is lackluster.
Crawford SHOUld take Teixeira fight
While it’s true that there are arguably more talented and better known 154-lb champions than Teixeira, but he’s still a world champion. It’s a fight that would help increase Crawford’s popularity by giving him a chance to win a world title. Crawford wants to get the top fighters from PBC to fight him, but he’s done nothing during his 12-year professional career to build his name by taking on quality fighters.
If Crawford or his promoters at Top Rank aren’t willing to challenge Teixeira, then he’ll continue to be known as a guy whose resume is largely filled with wins over fluff opposition.
Although Crawford has been calling out the injured IBF/WBC welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr. (26-0, 21 KOs) night and day on social media, it’s not likely to happen in 2020.
Crawford wants Spence or one of the other Premier Boxing Champions fighters, but apparently he’s not eager to face former IBF/WBC 147-lb champion Shawn Porter. That’s a fighter that has been calling him out recently, but he’s not taking the fight.
Sources: Golden Boy Promotions inquired to Top Rank about the possibly of matching 154-pound titleholder Patrick Teixeira against Terence Crawford. If the fight comes to fruition – no serious talks yet – Crawford would seek a title in a fourth weight division
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 8, 2020
Teixeira looked good beating Carlos Adames
In his last fight, Teixeira defeated Top Rank fighter Carlos Adames (18-1, 14 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision on November 30 to pick up the WBO 154-lb title. It was a good win by Teixeira in beating Adames by the scores 116-111, 115-113, 115-113. Boxing News 24 had Teixeira winning by a 116-111 score.
Crawford wouldn’t need to vacate his WBO 147-lb title if he were to move up to 160, and take on Teixeira for his WBO 154-lb title. The World Boxing Organization would surely give Crawford 10 days or so to decide which of the two titles he prefers to keep should he beat Teixeira.
Crawford would be seen as a cherry-picker if he faces Teixeira for his title
On the negative side, Crawford would be viewed as cherry-picking AGAIN if he chooses to fight Teixeira for his WBO 154-lb title instead of taking on the talented champions in the division. The quality junior middleweights are as follows:
- Jermell Charlo – WBC
- Julian ‘J-Rock’ Williams – IBF/WBA
- Jarrett Hurd
- Erislandy Lara
- Erickson Lubin
By going after Teixeira for his WBO belt, Crawford would be seen as going after another PAPER title. Unfortunately, Crawford has never been a good fighter in winning his 3 division world titles during his career.
Crawford wouldn’t get credit in beating Teixeira
Here are the fighters that Crawford beat to win his three division world title belts:
- Jeff Horn – WBO 147-lb title
- Viktor Postol – WBC 140-lb title
- Thomas Dulorme – WBO 140-lb title
- Julius Indongo – IBF/WBA 140-lb title
- Ricky Burns – WBO 135-lb title
The boxing world wouldn’t give Crawford credit for beating Teixeira, but at least it would give him another division world title to brag about.