Jermell Charlo has consistently displayed a lack of admiration for Terence Crawford, a sentiment that has persisted throughout Crawford’s tenure as a welterweight. Charlo’s animosity has seemingly intensified following Crawford’s dominant victory over Charlo’s stablemate, Errol Spence Jr. Charlo has gone as far as accusing the undisputed welterweight champion of being a “dirty fighter,” an unfounded claim similar to when Devin Haney accused Vasyl Lomachenko of similar behavior.
“I just think Errol had a bad night. There was nothing that made me think, ‘Crawford is spectacular’. He didn’t throw that many punches,” responded Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KO’s) when questioned about the Spence-Crawford fight. Charlo made these remarks during the NY press conference promoting his upcoming fight against Canelo Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KO’s) on September 30.
Charlo elaborated on his perspective, noting, “There wasn’t significant adversity that Terence Crawford had to overcome in that fight. I also observed numerous punches to the back of the head in that fight. When he knocked off Errol Spence Jr.’s balance and equilibrium, Errol didn’t recover immediately, but he lives to fight another day, which is his goal.“
Despite Charlo’s claim, Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KO’s) has not been previously labeled as a “dirty fighter.” Charlo’s assertion stems from Errol Spence Jr.’s (28-1, 22 KO’s) defensive maneuvers during the fight. Ducking under punches, as common knowledge among amateur and professional boxers indicates, can inadvertently expose a fighter to being hit on the back of the head due to the lowered position of the head. Deliberately targeting the back of the head is prohibited, as it can increase the risk of a knockout. Rabbit punches, as they are called, are considered illegal due to the inherent danger they pose.
It is crucial to note that, in the Spence-Crawford fight, Terence Crawford was not observed intentionally rabbit punching Errol Spence Jr. Such behavior would unequivocally breach the rules. While Crawford did make contact with the back of Spence’s head, Charlo overlooks the fact that these instances occurred as Spence was maneuvering to evade Crawford’s punches, inadvertently placing himself in a vulnerable position. Throughout the rest of the match, Crawford did not land any rabbit punches outside of these unintentional circumstances.
Charlo’s assertion that Terence Crawford did not throw many punches further underscores the lopsided nature of Crawford’s victory over Errol Spence Jr. Despite Charlo’s skepticism, Crawford’s impressive performance, marked by landing approximately 54% of his body punches, showcased his effective strategy against Errol Spence.
Charlo’s remarks also included downplaying Crawford’s achievement and attributing Spence’s performance to having “a bad night“. Contrary to Charlo’s stance, Crawford’s triumph solidified his status as a dominant figure in the sport, elevating his reputation even further.
Crawford’s lack of vulnerability during the fight contradicts Charlo’s insinuations that Crawford should have faced adversity to prove his worth. Crawford’s comprehensive victory over a unified champion like Errol Spence Jr., who was regarded as a pound-for-pound fighter, speaks volumes about Crawford’s capabilities.
Notably, Jermell Charlo shares a stable with Errol Spence Jr. under the guidance of head trainer Derrick James. This alignment may contribute to Charlo’s attempts to discredit Terence Crawford’s accomplishments and his victory over Spence on July 29. The relationship between Crawford’s team and James’ stable has been contentious since Crawford’s move from junior welterweight to welterweight.
This isn’t the first time Jermell Charlo has expressed discord with Terence Crawford. In a previous interview earlier this year, Charlo swiftly dismissed the possibility of a fight with Crawford and cast doubt on Crawford’s abilities.
In fact, during the same interview with Brian Custer, Charlo urged Terence Crawford to “sign the contract” and face Errol Spence Jr. When the Spence-Crawford bout eventually took place on July 29, Jermell Charlo continued to diminish Crawford’s performance, as evident in his aforementioned statements.
While Jermell Charlo’s evident bias is apparent, Terence Crawford remains widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters globally, a position he has held for over half a decade since becoming undisputed at 140 in 2017.
