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Welterweight bosses Errol Spence and Bud Crawford are, according to numerous sources, back at the negotiating table. Additionally, the two men are said to be very close to signing a contract that will allow them to finally step into the ring to face off. This story is certainly noteworthy, especially considering the fact that it is reported by reputable news outlets. However, this is definitely a case of waiting and testing, especially for fans of the fighting game. We’ve been down this road before, after all. And no one needs to be reminded how recent negotiations between the two undefeated fighters collapsed several months ago.
That said, there’s no denying that this month’s Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia superfight was probably a motivating factor for top fighters to pit against each other, something that all too rarely occurs in the sport these days. Apart from Spence and Crawford, heavyweights Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk saw their superfight negotiations collapse into a pile of smoldering ashes not too long ago. Promoters, managers and sometimes even the fighters themselves have regularly displayed a stubborn reluctance to make big matchups a reality. Thank Spence and Crawford for at least being willing to try.
One can’t help but suspect that the business of boxing has devolved into something akin to a Terry Gilliam film, a universe so burdened with bureaucracy and the fine print that it is no longer capable of functioning at the highest level. Except, of course, it can. Davis and Garcia proved it. It is the fighters themselves, after all, who have the final say in these matters. And sometimes three words are enough: make it happen. This is what appears to have been the case with Garcia and Davis. The two men wanted the fight and so the fight took place.
Of course it’s worth noting that both Davis and Garcia are younger than Crawford and Spence, two men now well into their thirties. It’s fair to note that while they make a lot of money, the money can go quickly and the career prospects for ex-combatants aren’t always promising. In other words, men like Spence and Crawford have good reason for wanting to get all they can out of an event they literally may not survive. Both men have children to provide for. Yet it should also be noted that boxing is a sport, and sports require that there be contests between the best boxers if they are to remain at all interesting.
There’s reason to hope that one of the hottest potential fights of a generation could actually be signed, but don’t believe it until you see it.