Terence Crawford seems ready to shut the door for good on Errol Spence Jr.
On Friday, the former undisputed welterweight champion from Omaha, Nebraska, offered a dour update regarding his contractually mandated rematch with Desoto, Texas’ Spence on his social media.
“I done heard it all now @ErrolSpenceJr it’s ok tho because all in all I’m glad it’s over and done with. I wish you well ma brotha,” Crawford wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
It is not clear what exactly Crawford is referring to, although it may be related to comments Spence made earlier this week, when he posted a video on social media showing that he recently underwent cataract surgery. It is the second time Spence has had serious eye surgery; he had to go under the knife to repair a detached retina ahead of a scheduled fight with Manny Pacquiao in 2021. Yordenis Ugas ended up being Spence’s late replacement and would go on to defeat Pacquiao.
Spence made it clear in a post that he believes his poor performance against Crawford was in part due to his eye condition.
“It’s been past due,” Spence wrote of his operation. “Sh!t was covering my eye. Why [do] you think I got hit with so many jabs and hooks? Still a great performance by bro [Crawford].”
Crawford’s post on Friday follows a slew of other contentious ones, with ripostes directed at his critics, Spence, newly installed IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, and 140-pound titlist Teofimo Lopez.
Crawford defeated Spence last summer, dominating the southpaw en route to stopping him in nine rounds to unify all four belts in the 147-pound division. It was the second time of Crawford’s career that he achieved the undisputed distinction in a weight class, having already done so in the 140-pound division. (Crawford has since been stripped of one of his belts by the IBF.)
Spence activated his contractual right to a rematch but it has not been made clear what weight class the rematch is supposed to take place at, although Spence has preferred to fight at 154 pounds. The choice of the division ultimately requires Crawford’s approval.
A rematch had been expected to materialize later this year. Premier Boxing Champions, the outfit that backs both fighters, recently signed a new multi-year deal with Amazon Prime Video. The first “PBC on Prime” card is expected to take place in March.
Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.