By Chris Williams: Terence Crawford’s ex-promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank believes that the Nebraska native’s lack of a promoter is why negotiations for his fight with Errol Spence Jr fell apart.
Arum says that if he were still Crawford’s promoter, he would have sat down with Spence’s promoter Al Haymon and put together a deal. But given that Crawford doesn’t have a promoter, that failed to happen.
Instead, Crawford (38-0, 29 KIs0 will be defending his WBO welterweight title against David Avanesyan on December 10th on BLK Prime pay-per-view at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
Arum says he’s never heard of BLK Prime, but if the eight-figure purse that Crawford is true, he’s happy for him.
Many boxing fans question whether Crawford will actually get this type of purse, as he’s not proven himself as a pay-per-view attraction, and his opponent, 34-year-old Avanesyan (29-3-1, 17 KOs), isn’t well-known in the United States.
Although the PPV is said to be low, that’s still a lot of money for Crawford to make in a simple title defense. Even if Crawford were fighting Keith Thurman or Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, his getting an eight-figure purse for those fights would be huge.
“PBC did a great job with Errol Spence, and Crawford was left in effect without a promoter. So, it became difficult for Al Haymon to make that fight between Spence and Crawford, who didn’t have a promoter,” said Bob Arum to Fighthype about the failed negotiations between IBF/WBA/WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr and WBO belt holder Terence Crawford.
“What would have happened earlier if we were promoting Crawford, we would have sat down with Al, with the way we did with Pacquiao & Mayweather, the way we did with Wilder-Fury, and worked out the nitty-gritty promotional deals that have to be done in order to put a fight of that magnitude on.
“When Terence’s contract was up with us, and he decided to terminate the relationship, he was really left in limbo without a promoter. So it became difficult for Al to get both fighters on the same track. So, therefore, the fight fell apart.
“I don’t blame Al, I don’t blame Errol Spence, and I don’t blame Terence. It’s just very difficult when one guy has a promoter, and the other guy doesn’t.
“We’re not blaming anybody. Terence chose not to continue his relationship with Top Rank. If he’d gone with another major promoter, who sat down with Al to try and make the fight, it probably would have happened.
“So instead, Spence and Crawford will go their merry way, and maybe when the fight is past its sell-by date, they’ll get together and do that fight in the same way we did Mayweather & Pacquiao after all the back and forth.
“As long as he didn’t say it was coming from us, who’s to argue,” said Arum when asked about his thoughts on Crawford getting an eight-figure purse for his December 10th fight against David Avanesyan on BLK Prime PPV.
“If somebody is coming up and giving him an eight-figure payday to fight David, more power to them. But I know nothing about these people or what they’re up to. Certainly, it’s a big score for him, if it materializes,” said Arum about Crawford.
