By: Sean Crose
“It’s no different than Omaha,” WBO welterweight titlist Terence “Bud” Crawford told FightHub. “Just a little bit hotter.” The native Nebraskan had just been asked about the searing heat in Dallas, where the interview was taking place. I’ve often found that sometimes a fighter’s words and behavior outside the ring can reveal their personalities and worldviews in unique ways. Although few would argue that Crawford isn’t a master in the ring, it’s his ability to put things in perspective, to not lose his nerve or his control, that really elevates his game. Coming from a man who shrugs off 100+ degree heat, that should probably come as no surprise.
Of course, fellow divisional titlist Errol Spence – himself a Dallas area native – is quite the cool customer, as well. That, coupled with high end skill sets, title belts, and undefeated records, makes a match between the two welterweights a long awaited event. So long has this potential throwdown been spoken of that there are now some who are outright saying a fight between Crawford and Spence won’t go down this year – if at all. After the endless leadup to the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao welterweight superfight seven years ago, people have rightfully grown impatient with the pace of contemporary matchmaking.
Fortunately, Crawford made it clear during the brief FightHub interview that he feels good about his chances of meeting Spence in the ring, sooner rather than later. “I love that fight,” he said. “Hopefully we can get that fight made down the line.” He then quickly corrected himself. “Real soon, not down the line,” he added with a smile, “and give fans what they’ve been looking for.” Fighters say these sorts of things all the time, but the soft spoken Crawford’s smile exuded real confidence. “We’re working to get it done for y’all,” he said.
The welterweight division has long been considered one of the sport’s “glamor divisions” for a reason. In the past fifty years, some of the most relevant, popular, and lucrative fights in boxing have been at welterweight, such as Ray Leonard’s two battles with Roberto Duran, along with his first classic against Tommy Hearns. Of course, things moved faster then. As has been pointed out, Leonard fought Duran twice and Hearns once in the course of a year and half. He also fought Larry Bonds and Ayub Kalule during that same period, all before turning 26.
