By Chris Williams: In potentially good news for fans, sources are reporting that IBF, WBA & WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr (28-0, 22 KOs) & WBO strap holder Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) will be fighting on June 17th for the undisputed 147-lb championship in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Spence-Crawford fight, which is five years overdue, will be announced on April 22nd, the night of the Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis – Ryan Garcia mega-fight on Showtime PPV.
It makes sense for the Spence vs. Crawford fight to be announced during that broadcast, considering that there are expected to be a lot of viewers watching the event on PPV and illegal streams.
Given the inactivity, increasing age, and deteriorating popularity of Spence & Crawford, it’s critical that they fight this year rather than continue to drag out their match another five years.
What interest there once was in the Spence vs. Crawford fight is no longer there, as the two have been inactive and failed to fight the kind of opposition that would keep their popularity high.
You can argue that Spence & Crawford have hurt their popularity like Gennadiy Golovkin did when he put his career in a holding pattern after his 2018 fight against Canelo, choosing to face lackluster opposition for four years, waiting on the trilogy match to happen.
When the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy finally did happen last September, it reportedly did less than spectacular numbers.
Spence and Crawford could have fought the top dogs in the last six years but for some reason, haven’t done so.
“Sources revealed to The Ring that the welterweight super-fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford for undisputed champion will occur on June 17. It is believed the official announcement will be made at the Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia fight on April 22,” per RingTV.
It remains to be seen if the sources reporting the Spence-Crawford news are correct. If not, it’s bad for the careers of those two, as neither is expected to fight anyone good.
Spence could fight the washed Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman, who has fought only a pitiful three times in the last six years since his career-best win over Danny Garcia in 2017.
Like the Crawford fight, fan interest has moved on, and a match between Spence and the aging, inactive ‘One Time’ Thurman won’t be anywhere near what it once was if the two had fought in 2016 or 2017 when they were both in their primes.
Nowadays, boxing fans want to see Crawford or Spence fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, the #1 welterweight in the division in the eyes of many people. Unsurprisingly, Spence and Crawford want no part of Boots.