Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on DAZN.com.
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Top Rank chairman Bob Arum sent shockwaves through the boxing world after some questionable remarks about the best fighter in his stable, Terence Crawford.
“He’s (Crawford) got to promote like [Teofimo] Lopez does,” Arum told The Athletic when asked whether he wants to extend Crawford’s contract, which expires next year.
“… He’s got to promote like Shakur [Stevenson] does, like [Floyd] Mayweather did, like [Manny] Pacquiao did. If he doesn’t, then who the f— needs him?
“He may be the greatest fighter in the world, but, hey, I ain’t going bankrupt promoting him. The question is, ‘Do we want to keep him?’ I could build a house in Beverly Hills on the money I’ve lost on him in the last three fights. A beautiful home.”
Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) had remained silent on the matter until an appearance on the ” Ak and Barak Show.” While Crawford wishes Arum would have come to him instead of airing his grievances to the media, the pound-for-pound great responded to his promoter’s comments with a stern message.
“It pissed me off,” Crawford said. “I am one of the most loyalest, to the core, and for him to go out and say some foolish s— like that, it made me just look at him a whole totally different way.
“That’s cool, that’s cool if that’s what he said. If Arum feels that way, then he can release me now. I’m not an asset to your company, release me right now. You don’t have to wait for after a Spence fight. Release me now … if I am such a loss or a headache.”
A fight with Spence has been in demand for quite some time by fight fans. Should Spence get past Danny Garcia on Dec. 5, it would clear a path for the two pound-for-pound fighters to compete in a fight to unify the welterweight titles.
Crawford wants to face Spence but doesn’t feel it’s a legacy-defining fight. Instead, it’s a showdown with Pacquiao that Crawford has openly asked for. Unfortunately, the fight never came to fruition when both Crawford and Pacquiao were under the Top Rank umbrella.
Prior to Crawford’s title defense against Kell Brook, Arum stated that a Pacquiao vs. Crawford showdown nearly happened in the Middle East, but COVID-19 derailed those plans.
Now, in light of the nasty comments, will Arum be around to assist Crawford in landing his dream fight? According to Crawford, he doesn’t need Arum to bring the fight to fruition.
“Nah,” Crawford said. “I feel like I can get the Pacquiao fight somewhere else as well, being that Pacquiao is not with Top Rank right now. Manny picks who he wants to fight.
“It’s not up to Bob Arum or anyone else. He said the same as when Floyd made all his own moves.”
Even though Crawford and Arum aren’t on the same page right now, “Bud” understands what the Hall of Fame promoter has done for him up to this point.
“We may have had a disagreement, right now we’re going through some trials and tribulations, and we are gonna get it figured out,” Crawford said. “But at the same time, I cannot bash Bob Arum and Top Rank. I cannot do that.
“… They gave me the opportunities to accomplish everything I accomplished in my career. So I can’t sit there and bash Bob Arum and Top Rank when I know, deep down in my heart, he really is a good dude.
“And he really did do everything that is possible, in his will, to get these fights I was asking for. I don’t know what made him come out and say all the negative stuff he said about me.
“Maybe it’s because all these people kept saying that I was leaving him, and he wanted to seem like I was a bad guy. I don’t know. I haven’t had a conversation with him about it.”
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