Errol Spence Jr’s cataract eye surgery puts his rematch with Terence Crawford in doubt due to the amount of recovery time it will take for him to be ready to fight.
Errol made it known on social media yesterday that he’s not retiring, but he said nothing about going ahead with the rematch with Crawford.
Spence’s silence about the fight suggests to some that the rematch isn’t something he will pursue, and it’s questionable whether he could even if he wanted to.
It might be a good thing for Spence and Premier Boxing Champions [PBC] if the rematch with Crawford doesn’t happen because it won’t likely make the kind of money the previous one did last summer.
The Rematch’s Uncertain Fate
The purse requirements for Spence & Crawford might be too high for the rematch to turn a profit, which would be a bad thing for PBC. Spence’s eye injury and the financial issues make the rematch with Crawford potentially unrealistic.
It would be a risky move on Spence’s part to jump into a punishing fight with Crawford coming off eye surgery. For the sake of PBC, it would perhaps be a wise move on Spence’s part to forget about the rematch.
Can PBC find Spence a well-paying tune-up opponent, someone who lacks the kind of power that could re-injure his eye? That’s the magic question.
If there’s a time limit in the contract for the rematch clause, Spence could potentially run past that. It’s already been close to six months since former IBF, WBA & WBO welterweight champion Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) lost to WBO champ Crawford by a ninth round knockout in their undisputed championship last July.
“Errol Spence Jr. said he had cataract surgery, putting his rematch with Terence Crawford in doubt. Spence said he wouldn’t retire. The timeline for recovery is typically eight weeks. This follows Spence’s surgery for a detached retina in August 2021,” said Mike Coppinger on X.