Crawford claimed that the entertainment value of this fight is less important to him than ensuring that he is paid fairly.
There is no denying that the battle on Saturday to determine the undisputed welterweight champion between WBC, WBA, and IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. and WBO champion Terence Crawford is a massive one by any standard. The outcome of the fight, which will determine whether it becomes important or legendary, is still up in the air. On that objective, Spence and Crawford appear to disagree.
In a media interview in June, Spence said the two fighters had what amounted to a duty to future generations to make the bout as thrilling as they could.
In order for it to be interesting for us, Spence added, “we simply have to make sure that it is thrilling off paper and when we go in the ring. “We need to make sure that people talk about this fight in the same way that they talk about Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, and all the other great contests from 40 years ago. I want someone to see it on YouTube in 20, 30 years from now, whether it’s my kid or someone else’s kid.
They are amateurs who are watching our fight and saying things like, “Man, I wish I could fight like that someday. Alternatively, you might say, “One day, you know, I wanna be in charge of a fight like that.” Additionally, there are documentaries about Terence Crawford and I that cover the events leading up to the fight as well as how they happened. So, you know, it’s a fantastic historical occasion, a great moment for boxing and for me personally.
Crawford made it obvious in an interview with Sports that he disagrees with Spence’s viewpoint of how the fight ought to be handled. Crawford actually seems to be quite content to be in a dull bout as long as he emerges victorious.
Crawford stated, “My thing is, get the job done by any means necessary.” So, if I have to bite and we have to fight tooth and nail, then we have to fight tooth and nail. If I have to make it dull or anything, so be it. As long as my hand is up at the conclusion of the night, whatever works.
Although Spence and Crawford have been rumoured to fight for years, their disparate promotional allegiances prevented it from happening.
Crawford started having serious discussions with Spence and his promoters at Premier Boxing Champions when his contract with Top Rank expired and he became a promotional free agent. After initial talks broke out, Crawford instead engaged in combat with David Avanesyan on obscure streaming platform BLK Prime.
A rumoured $10 million paycheck came from Crawford’s fight with Avanesyan, but it wasn’t going to boost his reputation or cement his legacy.
Any athlete’s career can be motivated by money just fine. Crawford has a different opinion about the value of Saturday’s battle being an all-action battle, driven by the same financial considerations that made fighting on BLK Prime an enticing choice.
When asked about the significance of leaving a legacy, Crawford responded, “It’s all about the money at the end of the day.” “As fighters, our first motivation is to compete in order to gain notoriety, win titles, and obtain belts. When you are larger than the belts, you begin to learn about business and what is truly important in life. When you understand it, you understand that money has always been the main factor. It’s always about the money, no matter what.
What would you have to offer, demonstrate, and fall back on if you weren’t a boxer because you hadn’t held a job in 20 years? So, if you’ve spent your entire life perfecting your sport, are you going to retire and work at Wal-Mart or as a caretaker since you don’t have any degrees or anything else? Yes, in the end, everything comes down to money.
