Terence Crawford’s promotional future remains under a cloud after the two-weight pound-for-pound star decided to leave Top Rank and Bob Arum.
Launching legal action against ‘racial bias,’ Crawford went alone and is currently a free agent.
While his case gets heard for compensation against Arum, ‘Bud’ faces a career on hold until things get sorted out one way or the other.
However, some promoters have sounded out Crawford for a final run on another platform. They include Eddie Hearn and Al Haymon.
Crawford is known to want Pay Per View guarantees before signing any future deal, one that will probably be the final contract of his tenure.
TERENCE CRAWFORD DEMANDS
A six-fight deal exclusively on the paid platform is not out of the realms of possibility, much like that of Floyd Mayweather when he moved to Showtime.
There will be a massive gulf in the price tag, though.
Mayweather signed for a guarantee in every fight plus a percentage of the Pay Per View takings. It was the biggest deal the sport had ever seen at that time.
Despite being one of the world’s best fighters, Crawford will get nowhere near those figures as his struggle to generate revenue is widely known in the sport.
The ex-undisputed super-lightweight king has to be smart about what kind of offer he accepts. But he also has to be realistic about his expectations.
Sales for his entertaining clash with Shawn Porter at the Michelob Arena inside the Mandalay Bay were disappointing. Therefore, asking for a PPV stipulation should be the first thing Crawford drops from his demands.
Taking a decent purse offer for each of maybe four to six fights is possibly the best he can expect. Crawford has to think about legacy over money if he really wants to be remembered as a great.
It’s no secret that his resume is paper-thin when it comes to top-level opponents. After enjoying those stellar years of Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, and the rest, the welterweight division is also running out of top names.
ERROL SPENCE
Errol Spence Jr. is the number one target and one of the reasons why Crawford left Top Rank. So taking a deal with Haymon and Premier Boxing Champions remains the favored destination.
Spence will have to deal with Yordenis Ugas before that can happen, though. Even then, fans seeing Spence vs. Crawford in 2022 is still unlikely due to the current litigation.
There could be a sad ending to the Terence Crawford story.
The views expressed in this article are opinions of Phil Jay.
Phil Jay – Editor of World Boxing News since 2010 with over one billion views. Follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
