By Norm Frauenheim–
The dimensions to Terence Crawford’s dynamic versatility often looks to be unlimited. Within the ropes, he has all the angles. Left-handed to righthanded, there’s power and poise, all wrapped within an edgy, defiant persona.
Like him. Fear him. Avoid him. This Bud is not for everyone. But he’s impossible to ignore, especially in a sport populated with fewer and fewer performers who know how to close the show. Name one other than Crawford.
Canelo Alvarez? Naoya Inoue? Yeah, maybe. Stoppages are part of their job description.
But nobody has that predatory instinct, evident in both eyes and in each hand, at the very moment when an opponent is hurt and ready to fall. It’s a reason to watch. Crawford defines the ring’s so-called controlled violence better than anyone in his generation. Nobody controls that violence more skillfully. Nobody finishes with such deadly efficiency, either. Kell Brook still doesn’t know what hit him.
But the supreme control that Crawford exerts within the ropes isn’t always apparent outside of them. It’s an irony, a paradox, perhaps. But it’s not exactly a new one. Politics, promoters and time have always been there, been in the way. They are there for Crawford, now at a career crossroads.
Controversy has raged since his fourth-round stoppage of Brook Saturday in a bout that furthered his claim on the pound-for-pound’s top spot. He can’t finish the debate. Then again, who can? That’s why it’s called a debate. It’s a parlor game. For Crawford, the ongoing argument doesn’t rage so much about whether his No.-1 claim is credible. It is and — for now – he has the last word. The question is how to strengthen that claim, along with his Hall of Fame resume.
From this corner, he passes the eye test. He’s No. 1. But the record says something else. Consider Brook. His skillset is a lot more faded than his name. If Canelo is impressive against Callum Smith on Dec. 19 in his first fight in more than a year, the pound-or-pound momentum figures to shift in his favor.
For Crawford, the argument continues to be Errol Spence Jr and/or Manny Pacquiao. Only against one or both can he further his pound-for-pound argument. In the immediate wake of the Brook victory, he said wanted Pacquiao, whose name brings big money and international attention. Mention Pacquiao, however, and fans think 42. That’s how old the Filipino Senator will be on Dec. 17. Of course, Crawford is expected to be a 42-year-old man.
That turns to the debate to where it has always been:
Spence.
From the fans perspective, Spence-Crawford has to happen. Crawford’s credibility hinges on it. Boxing’s credibility depends on it. But there’s a potential problem. Actually, there are a couple.
Problem One: The demand for Crawford-Spence is as loud now as ever, precipitated by Crawford’s knockout of Brook and the Dec. 5 date between Spence and Danny Garcia. The demand’s tone, however, assumes that Spence will be the same fighter he was before his scary car crash in Dallas October 10, 2019. Nobody has seen Spence answer an opening bell since then. Then, there’s the accomplished Garcia, no soft touch. Remember, Garcia upset Amir Khan and Lucas Matthysse when nobody thought he had a chance. Garcia has been at his best when he’s overlooked. Let’s just hold our breath, wait and see.
Problem Two: Even if Spence wins and looks like the welterweight we remember, boxing’s promotional rivalries might make the fight impossible. Crawford is under contract until next October, according to multiple reports. Spence is a PBC client. Spence is also a big welterweight. He’s already talking about a jump to middleweight in a bid to fight Canelo, who faces Smith at super-middle.
Noisy signs of a Crawford-Top Rank split have been apparent for a week. Top Rank’s Bob Arum ripped Crawford for not being a better self-promoter in a story reported by The Athletic.
“He’s got to promote like [Teofimo] Lopez does. He’s got to promote like Shakur [Stevenson] does… like [Floyd] Mayweather did, like [Manny] Pacquiao did.” Arum told The Athletic. “If he doesn’t, then who the f–k needs him? He may be the greatest fighter in the world, but, hey, I ain’t going bankrupt promoting him.
“The question is, ‘Do we want to keep him?’ I could build a house in Beverly Hills on the money I’ve lost on him in the last three fights, a beautiful home. Nobody questions Crawford’s innate, tremendous ability. By beating a naturally bigger guy [in Kell Brook], decisively, that’s a big statement that’s he’s making. The question is, ‘Does he pay the bills?’ Look, you can have the greatest opera singer in the world. If the fans don’t support it, you’re out of business.”
Arum suggested that Crawford is a virtuoso without an audience. The next day, Crawford countered on The Ak and Barak Show.
“Personally, if he feels that way, he can release me now,’’ Crawford said on the Sirius XM show. “He can just release me.’’
He can. But an outright release is not Arum’s history.
Mikey Garcia sued him in April 2014. At the time Garcia was 26, unbeaten and a fighter with a pound-for-pound future. The lawsuit put him on the shelf for about two-and-a-half years. His career stalled. Garcia, a four-division champion, lost at welterweight in a one-sided, disappointing performance against Spence.
Now, Garcia wants a fight with Pacquiao. But time is an issue.
Garcia is 33, same as Crawford.
Crawford can’t afford to wait. On the career clock, he’s in prime time. Maybe, he could try to do what Floyd Mayweather did. Mayweather bought his way out of a contract with Top Rank after he said no to an $8-million offer to fight Antonio Margarito. The buyout cost him $750,000. Turns out, it was a brilliant investment. Eleven years later, Mayweather was the world’s richest athlete with a billion dollars in career earnings.
A key difference was time. Mayweather gave himself some. He was 29 when he bought himself out of his Top Rank deal. On Crawford’s clock, the time to move looks a lot like right now.
