Via Dan Ambrose: IBF/WBA/WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr can face undefeated ‘regular’ WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis as Terence Crawford has bowed to David Avanesyan.
There is also a chance that Spence (28-0.22 KOs) could rise to 154 to start the campaign. in that weight class. Earlier today, Spence mentioned that he could move up to base average.
Given that Crawford is gearing up for a game against Avanesyan on December 10, chances are that Spence will also choose to stay busy.
Yesterday, Spence complained on Twitter that he missed a game in November because Crawford “stagnated”. But now that Crawford is out of the picture, nothing can stop Spence from fighting in November or December.
Mike Coppinger says Spence manager Al Haymon has spoken with Stanionis management about a potential fight. If it shows up, Spence-Stanionis will be a good fight, but nowhere near the excitement of Spence vs. Crawford.
Another pick for Spence against Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman. That bout will bring in more money for Spence, as the boxing public is more familiar with former WBA & WBC ‘One Time’ weight champion Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) than they are Stanionis.
Olympian Stanionis 2016 won first Radzhab Butaev, Thomas Dulorme, and Luis Collazo.
With Thurman’s marketing skills, he’ll make the fight between himself and Spence a huge one. However, Spence says he will never fight Thurman as he never gave him a title earlier in his career as he held the 147-lb WBA title from 2015 to 2017. , and Errol wanted a title.
“It’s really disappointing that we won’t get Spence-Crawford, at least next. I spoke to Terence Crawford last night, and he told me he had signed to play David Avanesyan. It will take place December 10 in Crawford’s hometown of Nebraska in pay-per-view,” Mike Coppinger said on Twitter.
“It was a good game, but it was a big disappointment when we had high expectations from Crawford-Spence. Crawford told me he wasn’t ready to go all year without a fight.
“He hasn’t fought since Shawn Porter last November, and as negotiations with Errol Spence continued to drag on and on, November 19 was the target date, and then it was pushed forward. first quarter of 2023. Crawford said, ‘I need to fight, and then we can watch the Spence fight again.’
“Errol Spence, he hinted at gaining weight on Twitter. He fought in 152nd place at the Olympics, and 147 was not an easy thing for him. He’s a bigger man than Terence Crawford. It is conceivable that he could go up to 154, or I would say he is in negotiations. It was not him, but Al Haymon and Stanionis’ faction that negotiated a war.
“Eimantas Stanionis is the WBA No. 1 candidate. Spence holds three belts. It’s a possible fight in the first quarter of 2023 for Errol Spence. I suppose he can wait for the money to be a balancing act for Crawford.
“If not, it will be Spence-Stanionis because remember, Spence has steadfastly refused to fight Keith Thurman, who is a different viable fight than Al Haymon because he won’t give Spence a crack. [at the 147-lb titles all those years ago,” said Coppinger.
Richard Schaefer tells ESPN there are ongoing talks to pit Errol Spence vs. Eimantas Stanionis.
“He was open to … working out a deal to step aside for the [Spence-Crawford] fight to happen, but now… he plans to exercise his official mandatory position for the WBA title. “
– Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 21, 2022
Spence also holds the IBF and WBC titles at 147 pounds. He’s steadfast about not giving Keith Thurman a shot so Stanionis looks like a reasonable opponent. But it’s also possible that Spence moves up to 154 pounds.
– Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 21, 2022
Stanionis, ESPN’s sixth weight division, claimed the championship title with a decisive win over Radzhab Butaev in April.
“There has been a lot of conversation over the past months to make sure Stanionis gets a fair shot. As the situation has changed, negotiations are now being accelerated.”
– Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 21, 2022
Will we see Errol Spence and Terence Crawford meet in the ring next year in the biggest – and best – boxing match it can bring? @maxkellerman and I’m looking ahead that Crawford will face David Avanesyan on December 10. Max on Boxing today at 5pm ET on ESPN 2 pic.twitter.com/nMi1tsR8Ju
– Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 21, 2022
