Via Max Schramm: Terence Crawford felt it was a mistake when his fight with Shawn Porter was shown on the ESPN+ app for pay-per-view last Saturday night.
At issue is whether it would have significantly improved PPV numbers if Top Rated were to place a Crawford vs. Porter fight if it hadn’t made it to the ESPN+ app.
If you’ve taken a look at social media over the past two weeks in preparation for the Crawford-Porter fight, there’s been very little talk about the competition.
There is arguably more interest in the daily discussion of Anthony Joshua, Canelo Alvarez and Tyson Fury than Crawford vs. Porter.
WBO weight champion Crawford believes money is still on the table due to his promoters’ decision to defend his title against Porter (31-4-1, 17 KOs) on the app ESPN+.
Crawford thinks many “elderly” fans who aren’t tech-savvy didn’t know how to schedule a match because they didn’t know where to find the ESPN+ app or they didn’t know the steps it took to watch their fight. . TV by app.
So instead of giving orders to fight, they chose not to, according to Crawford. It’s unclear if Crawford chose to say no to the decision to put his match on the ESPN+ app.
If Crawford is unhappy with his fight with Porter being put on the app, he should speak up. Whether Crawford did or not is unknown.
Some boxing fans questioned the timing of Top Rated placing Crawford’s match against Porter on the ESPN+ app, as it came at the time of his contract.
Crawford is not pleased Porter battle is already on the app
“Certainly, I feel there is still a lot of opportunity. Not just with the boxers but with pay-per-view,” Terence Crawford told the Porter Way Podcast of how much money he could have made with the Top Rating but failed.
“For example, me and Shawn Porter fought over an app [ESPN+]”Crawford said, ‘A lot of people tell me they don’t know how to put apps on TV and they don’t know how to do it.
“Ordinary old people don’t know technology, they won’t know how to upload apps to TV. So what they do is they don’t buy it.
“There’s a reason why he beat these guys that he was defeated,” Crawford said of Shawn Porter. “It takes skill to do what he does. It’s not just like a straight-forward fighter jet leaves you mesmerized.
“No, he came in with technique and skill, and he was thinking in that too,” Crawford said.
Likely, it wouldn’t have made a huge difference if Crawford’s fight with Porter wasn’t shown on the ESPN+ app.
In fact, Porter has been deemed past his prime after losing to Errol Spence Jr in 2019 and has only fought once since then with bottom-of-table contender Sebastian Formella.
Porter has done nothing to redeem himself since his loss to Spence, and he doesn’t deserve the title of world champion. If this were the NFL, Porter would lose the Super Bowl in 2019 to Spence, beating a team 8-8 [Formella], and was then given the opportunity to attend the Super Bowl.
That’s not how it’s supposed to be, and it’s no surprise that the boxing public chose not to buy the Crawford-Porter fight. The fight is a farce, and the fans know it.
Crawford enjoys Spence joining his fight
“It was funny when he came to my fight because he said he was never going to be in my fight,” Crawford said of Errol Spence Jr coming to the fight against Porter.
“When I came to [Spence] fighting against Danny Garcia, he took the microphone,'[saying] I don’t even know why he’s here. I will not participate in any of his battles. ‘
“I just looked at him like, ‘Damn, it’s crazy that he’s been in my two games earlier in my career before I’m even a champion, and you’re a champion. fan.
“You’re not even an expert, but now we’re in the same division and you’re scared, won’t you join my match? I said, ‘That’s crazy. I think you are a fan of boxing. ‘
“Yes, it was the battle of Alejandro Sanabria in [Dallas] Texas and [Thomas] Dulorme fights in Arlington,” Crawford said when asked which of his two matches Spence had attended earlier in his career in Texas.
Spence is thinking about fighting Crawford, but he won’t spell it out. Instead of mocking Spence for showing up in his battle, Crawford needs to see it as a positive.
Terence Lists Three Wars He Wants
“Yes, it must be Keith Thurman, [Yordenis] Ugas, and Errol in any order. I don’t care what order,” Crawford said when asked who the next three fights he wants to have.
“He’s very talented and skilled,” Crawford said when asked what he thinks of highly regarded undefeated weight champion contender Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
“I’ve been following this guy since he was an amateur in the Olympic competitions when he played against Gary Russell. [in 2015]. I always say, he [Boots Ennis] very talented because that’s someone they always compare to me because he can go both ways and things like that.
“He came up, they said, ‘You have to see this kid. He fights just like you. As I continued to follow him, I said, ‘This guy is good.’ So I tip my hat to him. He’s doing what he needs to do to get his name out there.
“He will also be next. You never know what the future might hold,” Crawford said when asked if he could see himself fighting Boots Ennis in the future. “It’s boxing; Anything can happen.
“One punch can change night into day, you know? So you never know,” Crawford said of the possibility that he would one day fight Ennis.
Crawford won’t be playing Keith Thurman next because he said this week he wants a match in early 2022 and could lose two. So if Crawford takes on Thurman in 2022, it will be the end of the year.
Spence will likely make adjustments to ensure his surgically repaired injured eye heals before he engages in a risky fight.
WBA welterweight Yordenis Ugas is participating in the WBA’s four-boxer tournament, which will end in March.
Crawford (38-0.29 KOs) said if he gets his way, his top three desired fights are against these three boxers: Keith Thurman, Errol Spence Jr. and Yordenis Ugas.
Now that 34-year-old Crawford is no longer with the Top Rated, it’s likely he could get some or all of those bouts, but it’s likely he’ll sign with PBC.
With his tenth-round knockout win over Porter (31-4-1, 17 KOs) last Saturday night in Las Vegas, his Top Rank contract came to an end. That could lead to Crawford getting the games he wants, but not necessarily,
