TERENCE Crawford is out. Errol Spence Jr. is in?
At least that’s what news reports were saying last Saturday (Friday in the US) about the next foe of former eight-division world champion and ring icon Manny Pacquiao, who intends to make comeback in 2021 after nearly two years of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quoting sources, The Athletic’s boxing and mixed martial arts podcaster Mike Coppinger tweeted that the highly-anticipated blockbuster duel between unbeaten World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Crawford and Pacquiao was no longer on the cards.
“The proposed Manny Pacquiao-Terence Crawford welterweight title fight, pegged for June 5, appears all but dead after the funding from Abu Dhabi investors never came through,” Coppinger tweeted. “Crawford, at long last, would have finally landed an elite opponent. Now the wait continues.”
In a separate tweet shortly after his breaking news, Coppinger added that “if the deal (was) completed, the fight would have headlined (on) ESPN+PPV (pay per view). Pacquiao signed his contract but Crawford never did. Now it doesn’t matter that Crawford didn’t sign.”
One of the reasons maybe why Crawford, 33, who is undefeated in 37 matches, 27 of them knockout wins, balked at signing on the dotted line was the disparity in purses with Pacquiao, who was asking for $40 million (roughly P1.9 billion) in facing the boxer considered the best pound-for-pound in the division.
While the Pacquiao-Crawford slugfest is no longer feasible, writer Chris Williams of boxingnews.24.com reported last Saturday (Friday in the US) that World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation welterweight champ Spence has moved to the forefront as a potential Pacquiao rival in July.
Williams attributed this to reports by ESPN Knockout, a subsidiary of giant American sports network ESPN, that the camps of both fighters were “in advanced negotiations” for a July title fight.
With a record of 62 wins, 39 by knockouts, against seven losses and two draws, Pacquiao, 42, hasn’t fought since wresting the World Boxing Association super welterweight division with a split decision win over erstwhile unbeaten Keith Thurman on July 20, 2019 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
