Will Spence Jr And Crawford Face Off?

When one boxing fight is entered into the history books, there is always the question as to what happens in the future and after Terence Crawford got the better of Shawn Porter recently, the discussion has pivoted to who he will fight next.

Because with Crawford now extending his professional record to 38-0, there are not many opponents for him left to face and although retirement is not impending just yet, it cannot be all that far away either.

With such an impressive unbeaten record under his belt, it is the possession of belts that continually interests Crawford and with the WBO welterweight title still his own, such a prize has garnered the attention of a potential foe.

One that comes in the shape of Errol Spence Jr and with the 31-year-old also previously getting the better of Shawn Porter, there is something of a career symmetry between both he and the current WBO welterweight champion.

Does how each handled Shawn Porter affect how you assess Spence versus Crawford, if, BIG IF, it happens?

However, the listing of former victories is not something that necessarily interests “The Truth” and with him already stating that his next fight should be a title fight, it means 2022 could offer a rather interesting proposition.

A proposition that sees the WBO welterweight title on the line and with Spence Jr stating that he does not need a tune up fight beforehand, he will now plan to lure the fighter otherwise known as Bud into the ring.

Should that be the case, it will make for an incredibly interesting fight and one that will likely split the expert picks in terms of opinion and with neither the champion nor potential challenger yet to taste career victory, somebody’s 0 will have to eventually go.

Which will also make for an interesting topic when it comes to the betting lines and although one fighter will always be priced as favourite in a scenario such as this, there is likely to be little difference between the two men.

Which is why the prospect of a duel between these two warriors, is one that is so appealing and with Spence Jr being inactive in 2021, the sight of him returning to the ring in 2022, is one that cannot come soon enough.

Of course, when it comes to the sweet science, there is always a great deal of politics attached to it and with nothing being rubber stamped at the time of writing, boxing fans will now have to wait with bated breath.

Because when it comes to this beautiful sport, the champion has the prerogative on who they will fight and although the WBO may decide to put forward a mandatory challenger, money has a habit of talking loudest when it matters.

Which means, a bidding war to get Crawford into the ring, is one that may develop at the start of next year and with Spence Jr being one of a number of options in terms of next steps, it will be interesting to see what happens come 2022.

Because if it is not to be the man who possesses a 27-0 record at the time of writing, that is afforded a WBO welterweight title opportunity, the question is who will? While the answer could lie with Keith Thurman.

Because Thurman has gone on record to say that he is ready for a 2022 title bout and if that is to be the case, then a duel with him and Crawford, could offer something of a boxing blockbuster in the ring.

Thurman says he will do a rust shedder, then pursue a Superfight

Something that was perhaps lacking when Shawn Porter stepped into battle recently and although there is no doubting his boxing pedigree, he does arguably lack pizzazz and the ability to generate box office interest.

While when it comes to pizzazz and showmanship, Thurman has it in spades and not only can he generate interest when it comes to pay-per-view buys, but he might actually be an easier opponent for the current champion.

Which would only make him more appealing to Crawford, because if he can get a sizeable payday and still walk away with the WBO welterweight crown, then it arguably is a less risky fight than taking on Spence Jr.

Especially as Thurman has been out of the ring for two years and although he has stated that he would need eight months to get up to speed, this one-man promotional machine is pinning his hopes on mid-summer title shot next year.

Now and as always, it will be time to talk options and if Crawford wants to go for the route of the mega fight, he can always get on the phone to Spence Jr. Then again, if he wants to pad his record to 39-0, then Thurman is also ready and waiting at the same time.

There’s no doubt that the champion is kingmaker and rightly so. Now though, one wonders if boxing fans will get what they truly want in Crawford vs Spence Jr or will they have to wait for such an enticing prospect.