Boxers often say they can’t lose when in fact, they can afford to lose.
A loss isn’t the end for all boxers and the biggest are back from significant losses in their careers. All losses are different and there is often an overreaction to how much damage a boxer’s future can take.
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For example, Canelo Alvarez vs. Caleb Plant. Plant was never expected to win the war. Of course, he didn’t want to lose and the spoils went to the winner but the concept of moral victory was applied. He’s shown himself well and will definitely be back, perhaps now with more eyeballs than before.
There are rarely fights that neither of them can lose because of how devastating that loss would be to their futures.
Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter on November 20 in Las Vegas is one such game.
Why Terence Crawford Can’t Lose
If Terence Crawford loses to Shawn Porter, the attraction will be gone. And maybe he’s not as good as we think.
Although he was named Boxer of the Year by ESPN and the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2014 (and again by ESPN in 2017), the current WBO weight champion is still chasing. a signature win. Critics have a right to their questions because Crawford is great as you can see, his résumé lacks a respected rival for his accomplishments and compliments.
Shawn Porter is that opponent.
A two-time welterweight champion has descended to hell for every opponent he steps into the ring. With Manny Pacquiao retiring, it could be argued that Porter has the most impressive résumé of any boxer in the 147-pound division. And without Canelo, Porter might have the best resume in all of boxing. Even though he hasn’t won all of his major teamfights, he hasn’t been overwhelmed by his opponents yet.
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He defeated Danny Garcia, Yordenis Ugas, Adrian Broner while losing to Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr. and Kell Brook. In fact, 11 of his final 13 opponents were world champions.
It doesn’t get any better than that. And a Crawford win opens the door wide open for him to challenge Spence and the rest of the league in a bid to become undisputed in two tournaments. They wouldn’t be able to reject him anymore unless they were scared. It’s just that simple.
With all of this being said, one would think that Crawford could afford to lose Porter’s credentials. Well, that’s definitely not the case. He came in at one of the top five boxers without his name on his resume because he was a damn good inside the squared circle.
But what he didn’t test was tested by an opponent who best pressed the 147-pound athlete for 36 minutes.
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Crawford may have graduated with honors from his undergraduate program in pugilism but now he has to prove he’s Magna Cum Laude and earn a master’s degree in the sweet sciences.
He has little chance of passing the test like Errol Spence and still being considered one of the best in the world or he is cut down by Porter’s aggressive style and finds himself possibly left off the list. pound. Or, he destroys Porter and is undeniably the division’s top dog and again in the conversation as the best fighter in the world.
What’s even more important is that he will be a freelance agent. It’s no secret that Top Rated has struggled to get him a fight between opponents ranging from Errol Spence Jr., Keith Thurman and the recently retired Manny Pacquiao fighting for promotion. opponent rank. There was an expectation that Crawford would see what was on the other side of the street if he passed Porter. But at 34 and facing constant struggles to prove he’s a market star, a loss will wreak havoc on his future.
Bob Arum has spoken in less than flattering terms about Crawford while the PBC will prove their point that Crawford is not in their current stable of leagues. Where would Crawford go if he lost all his leverage?
He can’t lose on Saturday night.
Why Shawn Porter can’t lose
Boxing treats Shawn Porter well because Porter treats the sport well. He is a fighter who may care less about politics and risk. He will fight anyone at any time. And if you step into the ring with Porter, it will be less fun for you than it is. He likes to lunge at his opponents and force them to fight him. It’s rare to find a Porter match that lacks excitement and fans had the chance to enjoy Porter’s bravery inside the squared circle.
But, in the end, you Yes to win big.
Porter is a two-time world champion, going 4-3 in major world title fights. He lost only to Keith Thurman, Kell Brook and Errol Spence Jr. and while all three of those games were an inning or two away from Porter winning, the fact remains that he lost. The notebooks won’t explain how close he was and future generations won’t care. Stats are statistics.
It was expected that Porter would give Crawford all he could, but not get the job done. The scalers installed him like a significantly underdog despite his in-ring achievements. This is a sign that many people think his days are over. And if he finally proves the naysayers right, the idea that Shawn Porter is one of the world’s greatest heavyweights may be over.
Simply put, if he loses, he goes from opponent to gatekeeper. He became the person young boxers target as a name for their résumé. It is very unlikely that he will find himself in a war for control as faction A and will spend the rest of his career as an opponent. Jarron “Boots” Ennis and Vergil Ortiz will use Porter’s name as a stepping stone.
No one wants to be a springboard. But that’s how Porter will be seen if he can’t get the job done.
It’s also possible that his hall of fame is completely dependent on this fight.
A win brings Porter back and rematches against Yordenis Ugas and Errol Spence Jr. will have to be done. There will be reason to believe that Porter is absolutely one of the best boxers in the world and he is sure to break the pound list with an exceptional performance.
But it will all go up in smoke if he loses.
As you can see, the pendulum swings for both boxers are extreme. No one can afford to lose because their respective futures depend heavily on what happens inside those 12 rounds. The stakes are high for both sides and that’s more than enough reason to see what could be an incredible fight with the respective futures of both Crawford and Porter in the balance.
