After the fight: Why boxing needs Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford

With all the questions surrounding Errol Spence Jr. answered after his TKO victory over Yordenis Ugás, boxing needs Spence vs. Terence Crawford. 

With 16 months since his last fight, doubts surrounded Errol Spence Jr. and his place in boxing, but he stopped Yordenis Ugás after 10 rounds to solidify faith in his talent.

Now it’s time to set Spence vs. Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight crown.

In an era when mainstream interest in boxing is lagging, it’s more important than ever that Spence vs. Crawford gets made. Fans have seen the promise of potentially legendary fights slip away due to business disputes, but failure to secure Spence vs. Crawford in 2022 could disillusion diehard fans away from the sport forever.

Plenty of dream bouts have fallen through the cracks, and boxing has survived. We never saw Riddick Bowe against Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis, but the sport is still here.

Then again, interest in the heavyweight division isn’t what it once was and boxing’s popularity, at least in the U.S., is always a fragile subject. If Spence vs. Crawford doesn’t get made, it’s not crazy to think that many boxing fans would walk away from the sport out of consistent frustration.

That might sound overly dramatic, but many super fights have evaporated or didn’t live up to the hype when made.

Many fans didn’t want Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder three, but that’s the fight they got after a judge upheld Wilder’s rematch clause. It ended up being the fight of the year, but if it didn’t surpass expectations in the incredible way that it did, who knows how fans would have reacted.

When Wilder and Anthony Joshua held all of the heavyweight belts, there wasn’t another matchup more in demand. Both were undefeated knockout artists whose powerful auras made imaginations run wild.

Wilder and Joshua went back and forth on social media, challenging and blaming each other after the fight never materialized. Money and the politics of warring promotional companies prevented what could have been the most lucrative boxing bout in history.

Too much time went by, and Joshua and Wilder suffered defeat. Today neither is a champion, and both have two losses. Fury and Wilder are respected boxers who can draw an audience, but neither can land the type of fight right now that could rival what they could have made together.

Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford called each other out following Spence’s win over Ugás, potentially setting up the biggest fight of 2022

Joshua could reverse that circumstance with a win over Oleksandr Usyk, but Wilder is damaged goods whose days in boxing could be over.

‘Undisputed’ is a word that adds worth to a fight. Boxing fans want to see one champion rule a division and see the most competitive contests possible.

Too often, people are stuck watching a clear A-side vs. a B-side. Every once in a while, that B-side shocks fans. George Kambosos did it against Teofimo Lopez, but it doesn’t happen often. That’s why it’s an upset.

Some think that big fights need time to marinate, but more often than not, they go stale, and the opportunity rots away along with careers.

In that scenario, nobody wins.

Spence and Crawford have gone back and forth for years, only to tell fans to forget it. Spence’s team, PBC, and Crawford’s, then with Top Rank, couldn’t make things work.

But now, there’s hope.

Crawford walked away from Top Rank and then sued them. That bridge is burned beyond repair, but Crawford is a free agent. He can make any fight under the sun happen, and Spence and PBC know this.

Immediately after stopping Ugás, Spence called out Crawford. Crawford pleased everyone by reciprocating on social media.

https://twitter.com/terencecrawford/status/1515548826869719047?s=20&t=WYL8kSfuCjHIN2gX211gEQ

“@ErrolSpenceJr congratulations great fight now the real fight happens,” Crawford tweeted. “No more talk no more side of the street let’s go!!!!”

It seems simple enough. Make the fight a 50-50 split with the winner taking all the belts.

However, the boxing business is never simple.

Spence vs. Crawford is arguably the most desired fight to make. Only money could get in the way, but that’s usually the case and stems from the fighters themselves.

Spence and Crawford have debated who the A and B sides are over the years. Ego got in the way then.

Now, Spence is 32 years old, and Crawford is 34. Both are tremendous boxers but are aging out of their primes. Time is running out of the hourglasses of their youth.

There’s a newly emerging crop of welterweights like Virgil Ortiz Jr. and Jaron Ennis. They’re beating on the champions’ door and could make Spence and Crawford irrelevant with a victory over the aging champs.

In short, Spence and Crawford need to make their fight happen for boxing, fans and themselves. If they miss this chance, they’ll miss a career-best payday and spotlight while serving the sport a mortal wound.

It’s time for an undisputed welterweight champion. Please, don’t screw it up, gentlemen.