Promoter Leonard Ellerbe says Errol Spence Jr. will be the one to get the winner of Saturday’s fight between WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora over Terence Crawford due to Errol’s close relationship with PBC boss Al Haymon.
The ‘In Group’ vs. the ‘Out Group’
Ellerbe points out that Crawford, as good as he is, is a free agent and NOT with PBC. He’s in the out-group, whereas Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) is part of the “PBC family” and is in the in-group.
It doesn’t matter that Crawford beat Spence and that some fans believe he’s the best fighter in the world. He’s not in with PBC and that means he’s not going to get the fight against the winner of the Tszyu vs. Fundora contest.
Ellerbe also says Spence is the bigger fight for Tszyu or Fundora rather than Crawford. It’s great that Terence won, but that doesn’t translate to popularity with paying fans.
Crawford has failed to capitalize on his victory by taking an extended victory lab to celebrate his win for the last seven months. That was a big mistake by Crawford. He should have shown some urgency by getting a fight signed to get back in the ring to take advantage of his win over Spence, but he hasn’t done so.
Spence: The Bigger Draw
“Errol Spence. It’s no knock on Crawford, but Errol Spence is family,” said promoter Leonard Ellerbe to Fighthype when asked who will likely get the winner of Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford.
“He has a relationship with PBC for a number of years. Terence Crawford is a beast, but he’s not with PBC. He’s a free agent. You know how that goes. I know the PPV numbers. Errol Spence against the winner of that fight [Tszyu vs. Fundora] is a bigger fight [than Crawford against the winner].
“I can just tell you about the relationship with Errol Spence. He’s on speed dial with Al [Haymon of PBC]. He’s on speed dial with him.
“People don’t understand the business. Errol lost a fight. He lost to the better man that night, who is a phenomenal fighter in Terence Crawford. Many people believe he’s the best fighter in the world. But sometimes the performance is different from the business.
“It’s no knock on this person or that person, but sometimes it’s different. If Errol wants that opportunity, he’s going to pick up the phone and talk to his guy [Haymon],” said Ellerbe.
