No one knows which – if any – of the PBC welterweights will fight Terence Crawford any time soon. Promotional and TV rivalries are often unyielding.
That said, if there is any accuracy to current chatter, it seems that momentum is building toward a showdown between Boxing Junkie’s No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter and Shawn Porter. If nothing else, the veteran contender said that the fighters, not Top Rank (Crawford) and PBC (Porter), will decide whether they will fight.
If it happens, fans are in for a treat. Crawford’s all-around ability and Porter’s relentless pressure should make for an entertaining matchup.
Here are three reasons I would like the fight to happen:
CRAWFORD NEEDS A TEST AT 147
Crawford is arguably the best fighter pound-for-pound in the division, as I mentioned earlier. However, he’s probably No. 2 at the weight – behind Errol Spence Jr. – because he hasn’t proved enough at 147 pounds. His victims in the division: Jeff Horn, Jose Benavidez Jr., Amir Khan and Egidijus Kavaliauskas.
A fight with Porter, a respected former two-time welterweight titleholder coming off an inspired performance against Spence, would provide Crawford with the opportunity to prove he can beat a next-level opponent and demonstrate his credentials at 147.
Of course, any of the top PBC welterweights – Porter, Spence, Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman or Manny Pacquiao – would serve that purpose.
SPENCE BEAT PORTER
The best possible opponent for Crawford is Spence. The winner of the fight would be the undisputed king of the division.
The next best opponent? Porter, because Spence just beat him – barely. Spence had to dig deeper than he ever had to in his previous fights to win a split decision – 116-111, 116-111 and 112-115 – and maintain his perfect record.
If Crawford can beat Porter, particularly if he can beat him more easily than Spence did, he will have made a strong statement and added intrigue to a potential future matchup with Spence.
THEY BOTH DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY
Crawford is a three-division titleholder and, even if you have reservations about him, a Top 5 fighter in the world. Indeed, he has dazzled us fight after fight with his ability, power and killer instinct, which we saw in his most recent fight against Kavaliauskas on Dec. 14.
The thought of the 32-year-old future Hall of Famer failing to lure another top welterweight into the ring because of boxing politics is depressing.
Porter gave the performance of his long, successful career against Spence, pushing his more highly regarded opponent to his limit, only to lose a split decision – and his title – in a fight-of-the-year candidate in September.
To fight that well and that hard yet come up empty was devastating for Porter, who proved he belonged in the ring with the very best. He earned a shot at Crawford and his title.