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Home » Terence Crawford ordered to face first real P4P opponent in seven years

Terence Crawford ordered to face first real P4P opponent in seven years

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The World Boxing Organization has ordered two-weight champion, Terence Crawford, to defend his welterweight title in the coming months.

“Bud” has a month to negotiate with talented World Boxing News Pound-for-Pound number 21 and world-class contender Shawn Porter.

If the fight gets agreed, it will represent the first time Crawford has faced someone else in the P4P Top 50 for seven years. The last time was Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2014.

Since then, Crawford has dispatched several solid foes and others past their best, but nobody seasoned as a champion like Porter.

This kind of event, if confirmed, will allow Crawford to fend off the doubters who disagree with the fact he was ever number one in the world.

There are no doubts about Crawford’s apparent talents. The only argument is with the fact the most prominent names at 147 have eluded him.

Manny Pacquiao, Errol Spence, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, and Shawn Porter are the big five at the weight. None of which Crawford has been able to land – until the WBO order.

Confirming their plans, the WBO released a two-page document sent to Bob Arum and Tom Brown. Promoters acting on behalf of Crawford and Porter.

Part of it read:

“Please be advised that the parties herein have thirty (30) days upon issuance of this notice to negotiate and reach an agreement for the above-referenced WBO Welterweight Championship Contest. If an accord is not reached within the timeframe stated herein, a purse bid will be ordered per the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.

“The minimum acceptable bid in the WBO Welterweight Division is $200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Dollars). Any of the parties involved may request a purse bid procedure at any time during the negotiation process.

Terence Crawford Shawn Porter

“Furthermore, if a purse bid ceremony for the Crawford/Porter bout is called, Section 14(e)(1)(2) of the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests triggers. It governs proceedings per Terrence Crawford’s WBO Super Champion status and in accordance with the rights and privileges conferred by such provision.

“The applicable “Purse Split” shall be 60% in favor of the WBO Welterweight Champion. The remaining 40% in favor of the WBO Welterweight Challenger.

“In closing, the Committee reserves its right to issue any and all further rulings. Those determinations necessary, helpful, and convenient to accomplish the purposes, policies, and intent of the WBO Rules and Regulations.”

TERENCE CRAWFORD CREDENTIALS

After good wins over Ray Beltran, Victor Postol, Jose Benavidez Jr., and Egidijus Kavaliauskas, Crawford finally has the opportunity to prove his credentials in the division fully.

Julius Indongo, who Crawford fought in 2017, was rated in the WBN Top 50 after pulling off a shock unification. Sadly, his performances since then proved he was never a pound-for-pound star as Porter is right now.

But before moving up in weight, the Omaha man thoroughly cleaned out at 140. He subsequently looked a pound for pound number one of the future.

Sadly, according to WBN, he never reached the number one spot. Furthermore, a win over Porter would be the push Terence Crawford needs after dropping to seven on the P4P list through a lack of top names on his resume.

Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2018. And a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.