Terence Crawford: “If I Leave This Sport Without Being Undisputed At 147, It Doesn’t Hinder Me”

By: Sean Crose

“Of course it’s been disappointing. That’s a fight that’s been on our radar for years,” WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford said to Kate Abdo on her The Good Fight podcast. He was referring, of course, to a failed attempt to make a major and much hoped for match between himself and fellow welterweight titlist Errol Spence. Still, Crawford made it clear that he has a career and family to focus on. “I gotta do what’s best for me at the end of the day,” he said. With that being said, Crawford has moved away from a Spence fight and is set to face David Avenesyan on December 12th.

And don’t expect the undefeated world titlist to apologize for a Spence fight not coming to fruition. “I did everything that I was supposed to do, that I could do to make the fight happen,” he said. When asked if he thinks the fight still could get made, Crawford appeared at least somewhat confident that it could. “There’s always still life in the fight,” he said. “Things just got to be made clear and they’ve got to be right on both sides. That’s it. That’s the only thing I ever asked for. To be fair and be transparent. That was it.”

Abdo suggested Crawford might worry about his legacy. Crawford, however, made it clear he’s happy with where his legacy stands. “When you look at Terence Crawford’s legacy to Errol Spence’s legacy,” he said, “it’s night and day.” He then went on to explain why he feels his legacy is secure. “You’re going to say he’s a three weight world champion,” Crawford said in reference to himself, “he’s an undisputed world champion, he’s a fighter of the year, he’s an ESPY award winner, he’s a lineal champion at two different weight classes, he’s undefeated and he never had a close fight ever in his boxing career.”

Abdo then asked if Crawford would be disappointed if he retired without being the undisputed welterweight champion of the world. “Not at all,” he said. “I already did that. I already accomplished that.” To be sure, Crawford has been undisputed before. “If I leave this sport without being undisputed at 147,” he stated, “it doesn’t hinder me.” Although it was obvious Crawford would like to face Spence at some point in the near future, it was also obvious that Crawford appears content with his career if a Spence fight doesn’t come to fruition.