By Chris Williams: WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford reacted to the World Boxing Organization ordering him to defend against mandatory Shawn Porter in his next fight. The two have 30 days to negotiate a fight before it goes to a purse bid.
Interestingly, Crawford told ESPN that he’s literally been “begging” for a real fight for years and that the elite 147-pounders had never shown “any interest” in fighting him.
Porter had called Crawford out earlier this year
It’s unclear whether Crawford has forgotten Porter calling him out earlier this year or if he chose to pretend that he’s been avoided intentionally.
“I’ll be ready in May @TerenceCrawford @TRboxing,” said Shawn Porter to Crawford earlier this year on March 11th.
Crawford’s reaction to Porter:
“Just stay on stand by because now you trying me,” said Crawford to Porter earlier this year in March when he was trying to get a fight against him.
Does that sound like a fighter that is being avoided by the elite in the welterweight division? There it is for all to see. Porter calling Crawford out last March and being told by him, “Now you trying me.”
I don’t want to be a mind reader, but it sure as heck looks like Crawford was letting Porter know that he needs to go away and stop calling him out.
I hate to say it, but it seems that Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) is trying to rewrite history by giving boxing fans the impression that he’s been avoided when in reality, it was him that avoided Porter (31-3-1, 17 KOs) earlier this year when he said he’d be ready to face him in May.
Crawford let Porter know that he was annoying him by merely mentioning that he would be available to fight in May. The message from Crawford was loud and clear.
He didn’t want the fight with Porter despite him showing interest. As a result, it’s bizarre that Crawford is talking about how the elite welterweights have shown him no interest because, the fact is, they have.
It’s not just Porter who has shown interest in fighting Crawford. Errol Spence Jr has shown interest in fighting him too, but Crawford hasn’t said the right things to make the fight happen.
For starters, it would help if Crawford acknowledged that IBF/WBC welterweight champion Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) is the A-side, and secondly, he needs to take the smaller cut of the pie.
If Crawford were willing to accept a 60-40 split with Spence, that fight likely would have gotten made three years ago.
Crawford says he’s been BEGGING for a challenge
“I’ve been begging for a real challenge for years,” Crawford said to ESPN about the WBO ordering him to fight Porter. “All the so-called elite welterweights have shown no interest in fighting me. Now one of them is finally being forced to.
“I’ll show once again why I’m the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Be ready,” said Crawford.
There’s an excellent chance that Porter is going to take Crawford places he’s never been to before and hand him his first career defeat. Let’s face the ugly truth.
Crawford has been spoon-fed fodder opposition by his promoters at Top Rank his entire career, and they’ve done a swell job of building his unbeaten record.
But the truth is, Crawford has never fought anyone talented during his 13-year professional career, and he’s pushing 34. What a waste of a career, but that’s how Top Rank chose to match Crawford.
Maybe they saw something early on when Crawford was first rating out in 2008 that made them think they had to handle him to care because he might lose if they matched him against a talented fighter.
All you got to do is look at Crawford’s dreadful resume from his time at 147 to understand what Chris Williams is talking about when he says that the Nebraska native has been spoon-fed fodder level opposition by Top Rank.