By Dan Ambrose: Trainer Jose Benavidez Sr. says he doubts that we’re going to see a fight between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. Benavidez Sr sees money being the obstacle to getting a fight made between IBF, WBA & WBC welterweight champion Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) and WBO belt holder Crawford.
What’s holding Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) from getting the deal he wants is that he has fewer titles, and he’s not proven himself to be a pay-per-view fighter the way Spence has.
Crawford’s fight tonight on BLK Prime pay-per-view against David Avanesyan could further hurt his chances for a match-up against Spence because it’s likely to bomb badly with only a small handful of pay-per-view buys coming in.
After that, Crawford can forget about ever fighting Spence because he’ll be met with a stonewall when he attempts to get the deal he’s looking for.
It doesn’t matter that Crawford is undefeated, holds the WBO belt, and is ranked highly in the pound-for-pound ratings. What matters is PPV buys, ticket sales, and popularity.
“I don’t know what’s happening. Somebody says something, and the other one says another thing,” said Jose Benavidez Sr to Fight Hub TV about the Errol Spence Jr vs. Terence Crawford fight failing to happen this year.
“I want to see that fight. That would be a great fight to watch, but until they come to negotiations and agree to whatever makes them feel comfortable. I don’t see that fight happening.
“I thought it was super close. I don’t know if it’s going to happen, to be honest with you. I don’t think it’s going to happen. I want to see that fight happen. Nowadays, it’s about money, in my opinion.
“Terence thinks he’s the best, and Errol thinks he’s the best. They just got to sit down and agree for both camps to be happy. If that doesn’t happen, it’s not going to happen.
“I’m super happy with the outcome,” said Jose Sr. about his son’s 12th-round knockout loss to Crawford in 2018. “We did our best. I thought it was a great fight. Terence Crawford came victorious and won that fight. My respects.
“He was a good fighter, a great fighter, pound-for-pound, the best. We lost to somebody better than Junior. My respects. It was an exciting fight; it was exciting for us to come here and fight. It was a great moment, a great experience, and I’m super happy to be back,” said Jose Sr.
“We knew from the beginning that we have to use our jab, use our distance and be careful,” said Jose Sr. “Junior used his jab very well. He wasn’t making a lot of mistakes, and he had the respect of Terence Crawford, and it was a great plan. The execution was great for that fight.
“Different styles,” said Jose Sr when asked if Spence can use the same type of game plan against Crawford that Benavidez Jr did. “In our fight, Junior was the taller guy. He had a good jab, and we were relying on that jab.
“I don’t know if Errol Spence can do the same. If he can use that jab, maybe jab to the chest, jab to the body, and just wait for the right hand. I don’t know. It’s different styles.
“I can’t even speak on that what their game plan would be. Who the heck am I to have a game plan for them? They have their own game plan, but my advice is to use the jab, use the jab a lot. That’s what worked for us, and that’s what we were watching before. It worked good for us.
“It’s very complicated. Different styles and they’re great fighters. I couldn’t choose one, to be honest. They’re both great fighters. Whoever shows up that night is going to be victorious.
“To be honest with you, I don’t see anybody beating Terence Crawford right now at this point or Errol Spence. That’s why it’s a good match-up. These two guys can beat all these other guys in my opinion.
“That’s another dangerous fight, a very good fight,” said Jose Sr when asked about his thoughts on who would win if Crawford went up to 154 to challenge undisputed champion Jermell Charlo. “Hopefully,he does that.
“I’m on the same page with that fight too. That’s a f***ing great a** fight. I’m going to have to go with whoever shows up that night, to be honest. It’s different styles, and they’re both super good.
“If I knew, I would bet. I don’t think I would get the right winner. The size. I couldn’t choose one, to be honest with you,” said Jose Sr when asked who wins between Jermell and Crawford.