A prior meeting between Oscar De La Hoya and Terence Crawford has now come to light.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that talks are ongoing for a WBO mandatory title fight in the welterweight division between Crawford as the defending champ and number-one ranked challenger Alexis Rocha. The sanctioning body has now done its part to help expedite matters, having formally ordered the fight on Monday.
Please be advised that the parties herein have twenty (20) days upon issuance of this notice to negotiate and reach an agreement for the above-referenced WBO Welterweight Mandatory Championship Contest,” WBO Championship Committee chairman Luis Batista-Salas informed both parties via official letter. “If an accord is not reached within the timeframe stated herein, a purse bid will be ordered per the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests.
“The minimum acceptable bid in the WBO Welterweight Division is $200,000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Dollars). Any of the parties involved may request a purse bid procedure at any time during the negotiation process.”
The maximum purse split would be 75/25 in Crawford’s favor should it go to a bid, though a deal is expected to be reached long before the March 19 deadline.
Crawford (39-0, 30KOs) became a promotional free agent following his November 2021 knockout win over Shawn Porter, which marked his final fight with Top Rank. The two parted ways shortly thereafter, with their decade-long relationship ending on bitter terms as well as an ongoing lawsuit filed by Crawford last January. The case is currently with the Clark County courts.
The lawsuit has not interrupted Crawford’s career, though inactivity has not been his friend. The 36-year-old switch hitter from Omaha, Nebraska became a three-division titlist following a June 2018 ninth-round knockout of unbeaten Jeff Horn to win the WBO welterweight title.
Just six title defenses have followed in more than four years as champ, including a sixth-round knockout of David Avanesyan last December 10 in his Omaha hometown. The event headlined a BLK Prime Pay-Per-View, though as a one-off between Crawford and the rookie promotional outfit which is already on the verge of exiting the business.
Rocha (22-1, 14KOs)—a 25-year-old southpaw from Santa Ana, California—has won six straight since he suffered the lone blemish of his career, a points loss to Rashidi Ellis in their October 2020 battle of unbeaten welterweights. Most notable among Rocha’s current win streak was a ninth-round knockout of then-undefeated Blair Cobbs last March 19 in Los Angeles.
Golden Boy Promotions representatives met with Crawford during fight week leading into Rocha’s seventh-round knockout of Ghana’s George Ashie on January 28 at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California. BoxingScene.com has learned that among the topics discussed were a potential title defense versus Rocha as well as a multi-fight promotional deal. A potential pact reached between the two would also include an attractive matchup with unbeaten welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz, Jr. (19-0, 19KOs). Of course, such a fight would be contingent upon Crawford beating Rocha and Ortiz getting past and dethroning WBA ‘Regular’ welterweight titlist Eimantas Stanionis currently scheduled for April 29 in Arlington, Texas.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox