With the WBO’s deadline for Terence Crawford and Alexis Rocha to agree on their purse having passed since March 19th, questions now remain on what the next step will be for WBO champion Crawford, with recent rumors linking him to fighting unified Welterweight Errol Spence Jr. instead.
Though the mandated 147 lbs fight between Terence Crawford (39-0, 30 KO’s) and Alexis Rocha (22-1, 14 KO’s) is now expected to head towards purse bids – which will leave the fight open to be promoted by anyone that has the means to. A recent interview conducted with Crawford’s trainer Brian “Bomac” McIntyre, left the impression that an undisputed Welterweight fight might be on the cards sooner, rather than later.
Brian McIntyre, the longtime trainer of former undisputed Junior Welterweight/ Super Lightweight world champion Terence Crawford, seemed to be more revealing than usual with his prediction that the long-expectant undisputed Welterweight fight between Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 KO’s) and Crawford would commence in the summer of this year in either June or July after Bomac’s recent interview with Fight Hype.
Just a day before the deadline of the WBO’s mandate, Brian McIntyre claimed Crawford was currently in talks with not one, but two opponents, with Alexis Rocha factually being one of them, and Errol Spence having been confirmed to be the second opponent following his interview.
“Right now we’re just working with two/three different camps to try to get the fight to happen.” Brian McIntyre responded to the question on whether Crawford’s team was in talks with Spence’s.
When asked on a fight with Spence occurring in 2023, McIntyre seemed tremendously positive about the chances of the two Welterweight champions unifying this year. “It looks really good. Talks are real good. Even with the Rocha fight, that looks really good too.“
As always, McIntyre also wasn’t shy to tip his fighter’s chances against either Spence or Rocha if a possible match-up between these fighters and Crawford would occur.
“Either one of them is going to get their ass whooped.” McIntyre said unabashedly shortly before also playing off Rocha as a “sparring match”.
Though this recent news seems to indicate that Spence might soon return to the ring, the unified Welterweight champion was previously linked with fighting a former unified champion in Keith Thurman (30-1, 22 KO’s). After reports surfaced of the possibility of Thurman and Spence fighting at 154 lbs, the PBC – the promotion which employs both fighters – has been mysteriously quiet about their plans for Spence.
With a Welterweight unification fight now teased, it seems like public pressure may be responsible for the two Welterweight champions finally unifying after a heated and lengthy back-and-forth between the two talents that has lasted for nearly five years.
