By: Hans Themistode
Tim Bradley has always been skeptical that the showdown between WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford and unified champion Errol Spence Jr. will be performed.
For years now, both men have been wiping out their opponents and claiming they are the best boxers in the tournament. Although many, including Bradley, were eager to see how their match would play out, fans and pundits were forced to wait.
More than anything, the boxing business has been used as a major reason why their competition has yet to take place. With Crawford now signed with Top Rank and Spence Jr affiliated with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), neither side has been able to resolve their issues and get the fight going. However, with Crawford set to qualify for his first PBC weightlifting next weekend at Shawn Porter, Bradley is just pointing the finger in Spence Jr’s direction as to why their competition didn’t return. reality.
Bradley told a group of reporters: “If Errol really wanted this fight, he could have made it happen. “Look at what Porter is doing. He and Spence should have happened four years ago.”
This Saturday night, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Crawford will attempt to defend his WBO crown for the fifth time since 2018. While many believe the rough and rugged Porter will give Crawford was all he could handle, Bradley certainly expected the pound-for-pound star to come out victorious.
Even if Bradley’s prediction comes true, he still doesn’t believe Spence Jr will be willing to join the ring against him.
Since stripping Porter of his WBC title in September 2019 to become a unified boxer, Spence Jr has almost seen not only his boxing career but his entire life flash before his eyes. A month after his harrowing victory, Spence Jr completed his sports car in a horrific car wreck. Although there were no serious injuries, this weight star was forced to take a break from competition for more than a year.
Regardless of the time he takes to heal his wounds, the Dallas-born player has proven that he is fine. On his first and only trip since the collision, the 31-year-old easily overcame former two-division player Danny Garcia in December 2020.
After the failed win, Spence Jr was set to win the right to participate in the future first ballot House Hall of Fame, Manny Pacquiao. Although he seemed eager to share the ring with the former eighth-place world champion, Spence Jr was furious when it was discovered that he would be forced to withdraw due to a retinal tear/detachment.
Considering the severity of his crash, combined with his most recent injury, and Bradley simply don’t believe that Spence Jr will see Crawford anytime soon.
“No, he’s down,” Bradley said when asked if he believes Spence Jr is a fighter like himself. “Spence is a great fighter, don’t get me wrong. He’s a great fighter, he’s great at what he does. He’s brave and it’s hard to say he’s scared of Crawford but to me he doesn’t want to be without Crawford’s part, not right now. ”
