By Dan Ambrose: Errol Spence Jr (28-1, 22 KOs) says he’ll be seeking revenge against his conqueror Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) in December at 154 after losing to him by a disappointing ninth round knockout loss last Saturday night in their undisputed welterweight championship bout in front of a packed crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The question is whether PBC & Showtime will be the ones that decide if the Crawford vs. Spence rematch takes place because they could conclude that the interest won’t be there from the boxing public to try and sell a second fight on PPV.
Spence needs a couple confidence-boosters
It would be easier if Spence redeemed himself by beating a couple of top names at 154, like Tim Tszyu, Brian Mendoza, Jesus Ramos, Israil Madrimov, and Xander Zayas. However, it’s questionable whether Spence can beat any of those guys, looking the way he did last night against Crawford.
It would be admirable if Spence fought a couple of those fighters to return from his loss to Crawford, but would he do that? Probably not.
The money that Spence will make in the rematch with Crawford will obviously be more significant than what he’d get fighting the top 154-pound contenders.
It’s a fast turnaround for the 33-year-old Spence to return to the ring after the punishment he absorbed from Crawford in the fight.
At the end of the contest, Spence’s fast was severely swollen, which saw him getting dropped three times by Crawford.
The referee Harvey Dock stopped the fight during round nine when he observed that Spence was getting hammered by Terence and could no longer fight back.
Crawford was asked about fighting Spence in a rematch at 154, and he seemed okay with the idea, which is understandable on his part.
Terence wants to become the undisputed champion at junior middleweight, and it makes sense for him to get acclimated to the 154-lb weight class before he challenges four-belt champion Jermell Charlo.
At this point, it’s unknown whether Jermell will return to 154 because he’s challenging Canelo Alvarez for his undisputed super middleweight championship on September 30th, and he’s going to be getting a massive career-high payday for that fight.
If Jermell beats Canelo, it’s reasonable to assume that he’ll stay at 168 for either a rematch or to defend the four belts in a lucrative bout against David Benavidez or Caleb Plant.
Spence wants immediate rematch with Crawford
Errol Spence Jr: “Hell yeah, we got to do it again. I’m going to be a lot better, and it’s going to be a lot closer. It’s probably going to be in December at the end of the year. Hopefully, at 154,” said Errol Spence Jr to TNT Sports Boxing.
Ariel Helwani: “Undisputed welterweight champion of the world, Terence Crawford. Terence, congratulations on a masterclass. Congratulations on making history. Can you possibly put into words what you’re feeling right now after that performance?”
Terence Crawford: “I’m just happy. I’m filled with a whole bunch of relief. A lot of people have been talking about this fight for years. I can’t do nothing without people saying, ‘When are you going to fight Errol Spence?’ I heard for years, ‘You’re ducking Errol Spence.’ Just to get in the ring to get this past me is a sign of relief.”
Helwani: “Is that how you expected the fight to play out, you being so dominant and eventually stopping him?”
Crawford: “Like I said, I never go into a fight looking for the stoppage. I just go in there looking for a win, and that’s what I did today.”
Helwani: “Do you think he’ll trigger the rematch clause now?”
Crawford: “I don’t know. That’s not up to me.”
Terence open to fighting Errol at 154
Helwani: “Do you think that if he does that, will it be at 147 or 154? Do you have any interest in fighting him at 154?”
Crawford: “Like I said. That’s not up to me. That’s up to him.”
Helwani: “Just curious. You’re making history as the first undisputed champion at 147, but you’re also the first undisputed boxer to win two undisputed golds in two different weight classes. The first female to do it is Claressa Shields in this locker room right now. Which distinction means more to you?”
Crawford: “What do you mean? She made history, and I made history. We’re the only two-time undisputed champions that are standing here right now in the four-belt era. So there’s no difference between her or me.”
Helwani: “Just to be clear. I was saying what means more to you. Being the undisputed champion at 147 or being the first male to do it in two different weight classes?”
Crawford: “Both. We need it all. We need to be the first and the two-time, all of it. We need all of it.”
Helwani: “Maybe, at some point, a three-division?”
Crawford: “Definitely.”
Helwani: “Okay, last thing. Will we see you again this year, do you think?
Crawford: “Probably, probably not. I don’t know.”
Helwani: “This is the greatest moment of your career?”
Crawford: “Definitely, one of them.”
Helwani: “Enjoy it, congratulations.”
