By Chris Williams: Robeisy Ramirez’s trainer Ismael Salas slammed Terence Crawford for choosing to fight David Avanesyan instead of Errol Spence Jr.
Salas pointed out that Crawford doesn’t look to fight the best the way that Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) does. He says Spence “never refused to fight with the top.”
In comparison, the best name on Crawford’s resume is Yuriorkis Gamboa, and that was when the Cuban star was already past his best, fighting two weight classes about his ideal featherweight weight class.
Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) is supposedly getting $10 million to fight Avanesyan (29-3-1, 17 KOs) on December 10th on BLK Prime pay-per-view.
Whether Crawford is actually getting that amount is unknown. If Crawford chose to take less to stay busy this year, it wouldn’t be a shock.
If Spence chooses to not restart negotiations with Crawford due to him bailing in their talks, the Nebraska native will retreat his decision to walk away.
I don’t know how Spence and his management could ever trust Crawford again after he pulled that stunt because who’s to say he won’t do it again?
“I was very disappointed because this fight can be the best match-up for 2022,” said trainer Ismael Salas to Fighthype when asked about his thoughts on Terence Crawford choosing to fight David Avanesyan instead of Errol Spence Jr.
“I don’t know the reason. They say Crawford pulled out. We lost the chance to see two great fighters. Crawford is the guy,” said Salas when asked about his thoughts on Crawford fighting Avanesyan. “Who is in the mind of a fighter?
“One thing I saw, for example, about Spence is that he never refused to fight with the top. It’s the one thing I like about Spence. Crawford, he’s choosing his opponent. Of course, he’s been beating big names, but I think if he keeps that way, boxing is not for whole life.
“So, I think the bigger fight money for Crawford is to fight Spence. He’s [Crawford] always picking up [less than the top guys that he can beat]. Some say that Mayweather did, but no one can say that Mayweather isn’t the greatest.
“No one can complain about Mayweather. Even now, he’s making huge money.
“I’m a little bit concerned about Spence still about his eyeball. Before when he had to pull out of the fight with Pacquiao because he got a big injury in sparring.
“After we [Yordenis Ugas] fought him [Spence], I saw some cracks. In the round six, Ugas hit him in that area [of Spence’s surgically repaired eye], he backed up. So I can see some crack there.
“Even if he don’t worry it, it’s in the mind,” said Salas when asked if Spence is worried about getting hit in his surgically repaired eye. “Something is telling you, ‘Hey, be careful.’
“Even if your heart tells you to go, your inner [brain] that’s telling you, ‘Hey, hey, hey.’
“Pacquiao making money,” said Salas when asked about his thoughts on Manny Pacquiao wanting to fight the winner of the Spence vs. Crawford contest.
“The difference between Pacquiao and Mayweather is Mayweather invested all his money. So Mayweather is like a money-making machine. Pacquiao is different.
“He’d been making big money, but he’s been spending big money for charity and for politics. For this, he spent big money. So, Pacquiao needs a big fight.
“Nope,” said Salas when asked if Pacquiao can beat Crawford or Spence. “If he fights Crawford, he’s already out of his prime. Yes,” said Salas on whether Crawford would knock out Pacquiao.
“Yes, he’s slowing down,” said Salas about Canelo Alvarez no longer being in his prime. “I seen Canelo from day one to this day. He’d getting better in each fight, but in his last fight, he’s not showing anything.”
