Terence Crawford is expected to come under increasing pressure from mandatories and a desire to win titles at 154 that his undisputed welterweight titles may never be defended.
Crawford beat Errol Spence Jr. for all four championships in Las Vegas, adding the WBA, WBC, and IBF versions to his WBO crown.
However, a mixture of obligations to the number one contenders and Jermell Charlo’s position at super welterweight could lead to Crawford walking away from the 147 division.
The IBF wants Jaron Ennis to get his shot after a long wait. Meanwhile, the WBO ordered Crawford to defend his title against Alexis Rocha in February.
Those two points alone will get in the way of a rematch with Spence. At the very least, one strap would be gone when the pair collides again. But as already stated, Crawford vs Spence II will likely happen at 154 pounds anyway.
WBO chiefs informed Crawford of his duties six months ago.
“Please be advised that the parties herein have twenty (20) days upon issuance of this notice to negotiate and reach an agreement for the above-referenced WBO Welterweight Mandatory Championship Contest,” they told representatives of Crawford and Rocha.
“If an accord is not reached within the timeframe stated herein, a purse bid will be ordered per the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.
“The minimum acceptable bid in the WBO Welterweight Division is $200,000.00 [Two Hundred Thousand Dollars]. Any of the parties involved may request a purse bid procedure at any time during the negotiation process.
“Furthermore, if a purse bid ceremony for the Crawford/Rocha bout is called, Section [14 e 1 2] of the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests triggers and governs proceedings per Terrence Crawford’s WBO Super Champion status, and in accordance with the rights and privileges conferred by such provision.”
Will Terence Crawford move up to super welterweight? Crawford got a reprieve due to the magnitude of the Spence fight. However, gaining a second one might be a long shot. The IBF will also expect a positive outcome for Ennis.
Then comes the potential fight with Charlo. The WBO has already stated Charlo will lose his WBO title after the Canelo fight in September. Therefore, Crawford can still attempt to win three belts if he goes down that route.
A fight against Tim Tszyu, the new WBO ruler, is also on the table. Right now, everything points to Crawford moving up in weight. That’s despite his admission he can still make 147.
“It definitely doesn’t have to be at 147. I’m in the hurt business. 147 was kind of hard for me, too,” Crawford said about facing Spence again at 154.
“I was already talking about moving up in weight and challenging (Jermell) Charlo, so 154 wouldn’t be out of reach.”
