Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford negotiations indicated worrying trend in boxing

13 January 2023 , 16:30

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Errol Spence will fight Keith Thurman in April - not Terence Crawford (Image: Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Let us hope the anticipated announcement of Errol Spence versus Keith Thurman for April is a calling card to Terence Crawford not a goodbye to the fight the world wants to see.

We have to assume that one of them didn’t want it to happen when they were negotiating at the end of last year. It’s a great shame for boxing but indicative of a trend. After all Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are still miles apart.

Spence versus Thurman will be at super welterweight. It should have happened at welter when it would have really mattered, but is not without appeal. We do have two superfights in prospect with Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia close to an announcement. And Fury and Oleksandr Usyk also looks close.

Davis and Garcia are spectacular fighters. Garcia has fast hands, a spiteful left hook and a big heart. He does not want to run and hide behind politics to avoid a match.

Davis has claimed titles from super featherweight to super lightweight. His power is incredible. He fights out of low centre of gravity and boxes as well brawls. He gets hit too which makes him more exciting but boy can he punch. This will be at a catchweight 136 pounds, just a pound over the lightweight limit, but every little counts in the weight-making game.

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It is an intriguing battle and I admire them for taking the challenge. That alongside Fury and Usyk ought to light up the spring and sends a message to the rest of the sport. That Spence has not fought Crawford is a blight on boxing.

Terence Crawford's long-awaited clash with Errol Spence Jr will have to wait even longer (Frank Micelotta/Fox Sports/Pictu/REX)

By going up a division Spence is arguably making it more unlikely. Conversely, maybe this is a signal for Crawford to get on with it. Spence is not going to be making 147 for much longer.

Sugar Ray Leonard went up to super welterweight, or light middleweight as it was known then to fight Ayub Kalule in June 1981 and then down again three months later to take on Thomas Hitman Hearns at welterweight. He won both. Those were the days.

Spence is a huge welterweight. Perhaps a catchweight with Crawford is the answer. Another fight we would all like to see in 2023 is Artur Beterbiev v Dmitry Bivol.

Anthony Yarde might have something to say about that, of course. If not then let Bivol take on Beterbiev rather than drop down to super middle to satisfy the ego of Saul Alvarez on the annual Mayo de Cinco day of celebration.

• Follow Barry on Twitter at @ClonesCyclone @McGuigans_Gym

Barry McGuigan