For now, the only action between welterweight champions Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford is limited to verbal sparring.
The latest installment in their war of words came on Saturday night. In an interview with DAZN, Spence said a potential unification fight against Crawford could happen in 2021. But if that were to happen, Spence wants the biggest share of the purse.
“I’m the big dog at the welterweight division,” Spence told the network. “He gotta take a backseat and take that 60-40 [split] or 70-30, whatever we give him.”
Crawford responded on Twitter after Spence’s comments.
“And they said it was me,” Crawford tweeted in addition to a shrugging emoji. “I rest my case now, on to the next. That chapter is now close[d].”
Despite Crawford’s comments, however, rampant speculation about a potential Spence-Crawford showdown will continue, especially after Spence floated the matchup’s viability during an interview in San Antonio before the super middleweight title fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Callum Smith.
Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) and Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) are considered the two best welterweights in the division. Spence holds the IBF and WBC belts in the 147-pound class while Crawford owns the WBO title. Each fighter is coming off a successful title defense in the past two months.
Not only are the men rivals, but they fight for rival companies. Spence is under Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions, while Crawford is promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank.
In a recent interview, Arum said Spence doesn’t want to take on Crawford.
“We want to make that fight, but it takes two to tango,” Arum told The Athletic earlier this month. “Spence is hiding behind Al Haymon.”
Spence and Crawford have expressed interest in fighting each other in recent years as both have dominated the welterweight division. Even though many factors have kept the fight from occurring to this point, Spence indicated it could be an option in 2021.
“I think it could happen,” Spence said. “Just for Al and Bob to sit down and for Bob to stop lying. We’ll see. But I think it definitely could happen next year.”