By Chris Williams: Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford is expected to sit and wait for a highly lucrative fight against Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman in the first half of 2022 rather than take a risky match against one of the lions targeting him.
They see Crawford as food at this point, and they have NO fear of him, especially after his less than impressive performance against Shawn Porter.
There’s too much dough that Crawford can make against the highly charismatic Thurman for Bud to throw it all away by taking on one of the younger talents that want to take advantage of him, having lost a couple of steps due to age.
Despite being rated highly on the pound-for-pound lists, Crawford hasn’t made the considerable money that some of his predecessors like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya hauled in during their long careers.
Crawford hasn’t tasted big money yet
According to Celebrity Net worth, Crawford’s net worth is $8 million, which is good money but way behind Mayweather’s $450 million and De La Hoya’s $200 million. Interestingly, Crawford is just ahead of Errol Spence’s $7 million, but that will change soon. Errol is expected to take on WBA welterweight champion Yorgenis Ugas next in a World Boxing Association-approved unification fight.
To be sure, Crawford didn’t look impressive in his recent victory over the gatekeeper Shawn Porter on November 20th. Crawford was barely ahead of the past his prime ‘Showtime’ Porter when he stopped him in the tenth round.
Many believe that if Porter was still in the zenith of his career, he would have worn down the soon-to-be 35-year-old Crawford and knocked him out.
Former WBA/WBC welterweight champion Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) returns to action on February 5th against former WBA ‘regular’ 140-lb champion Mario Barrios on pay-per-view.
Thurman, 33, has been out with injuries and illness for almost three years since his razor-thin 12 round split decision loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2019.
‘One Time’ Thurman says he wants the title shot against Crawford after he defeats Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) on February 5th, and that’s a fight that Terence is targeting.
Thurman will likely provide Crawford the biggest payday of his career and might even make him more money than a future potential undisputed clash with Errol Spence Jr.
Young lions are coming for Crawford
Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) is being chased by the highly dangerous young lions Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. right now; both want to rip the aging 34-year-old Bud’s WBO welterweight title from him.
Ennis and Ortiz Jr are like a couple of young lions that see the lead lion having lost some teeth and claws from the age and wear & tear of many battles.
Those two are ready to rip Crawford to shreds once they get their opportunity to face him, which is what Bud is expected to take a wide berth around them to wait for his massive payday fight against Thurman.
Also, undefeated 140-lb champion Josh Taylor is hot on Crawford’s heels, wanting to relieve him of his WBO strap in 2022. Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs) has already sized Crawford up and feels he’s got the beating of him, and many boxing fans believe he’ll be too much for the Nebraska native.
With the risk that Ennis, Vergil Ortiz Jr, and Taylor present to Crawford, you can’t blame him if he chooses to sit and wait for the Thurman fight because there’s too much money at stake for that contest.
Speaking of Taylor, he’ll be defending his four 140-lb belts against #1 WBO Jack Catterall on February 26th in Glasgow, Scotland. After that fight, Taylor is expected to move up to 147 to seek an immediate title shot against Crawford in 2022.
“There was some sizing up going up,” Taylor said to Sky Sports about his meeting with Crawford.