It took the threat (or disappointment) of a Keith Thurman fight to get both sides to agree to terms.
In the end it was Crawford that blinked first and now we have a fight according to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger.
Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford have agreed to all material terms for a fight for the undisputed welterweight championship, an event targeted for Nov. 19 in Las Vegas, multiple sources tell ESPN.
However, the deal has not been signed as the parties’ lawyers clean up legal language in the agreement, per sources. Crawford, ESPN’s No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer and top welterweight, acquiesced to all proposed financial terms from PBC creator Al Haymon, including the short end of a revenue split, sources said
The package includes a bilateral rematch clause that the loser will have the right to exercise, per source. If the rematch clause is triggered, the winner will earn the majority of revenue for the return bout, per sources.
The 147-pound summit meeting – Spence holds the WBC, WBA and IBF titles while Crawford has the WBO belt – will be presented as a co-promotion between Spence’s Man Down Promotions and Crawford’s TBC Promotions on PBC pay-per-view. High-powered attorney Jeffrey Spritz is representing the Haymon/Spence side as the contracts are being reviewed.
“I want Terence Crawford; that’s the fight that I want,” Spence, ESPN’s No. 2 welterweight and No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer, said in April. “That’s the fight everybody else wants. … Terence, I’m coming for that belt!”
The 32-year-old from Desoto, Texas, returned from surgery to repair a detached retina to score a 10th-round TKO of Yordenis Ugas in April to capture a third belt. Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) was set to fight Manny Pacquiao in August but withdrew from the matchup due to the eye injury.
Many are saying it is a 50/50 fight.
Who do you have?
Flip the page for a breakdown of the fight and who might have the advantage.
