What Next For WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford?

What Next For WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford?

By Dan McConnell

On Saturday night WBO Welterweight Champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford defeated title challenger Jose Benavidez to retain his title and move to an undefeated 34-0 record, 25 of those wins via knockout. Crawford finished his American opponent by sending him to the canvas with a sharp right-handed uppercut then finished the bout with a flurry of punches, before referee stepped in to wave off the contest. This fight had some bad blood between the lines for both men but has now been written in the history books.

What is next for Crawford, many people are asking. There are so many possibilities for the WBO Welterweight Champion, choosing his next step to solidify himself as a legit champion within the division is his biggest hurdle that he must overcome. After the Benavidez fight Crawford said ‘I want em all’ in regards to WBC champion Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman and IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. Fight fans want to see all of these fights especially to unify the WBO and IBF titles in a huge bout between IBF title holder and undefeated American prospect Spence Jr (24-0) who is seen by many as the most dangerous fighter in that division.

There are certainly others fights to make between the WBC champion Shawn Porter who has just recently fought against Danny Garcia for the title and Thurman who has been out of action from March 2017. Both fighters don’t seem that interested in fighting the undefeated Crawford or Spence anytime soon so in my eyes the Crawford v Spence fight is the only one to make right now. However this knowing boxing ‘Bud’ won’t get any of these wishes granted anytime soon and both men will tease fights against Porter and Thurman before facing each other. Spence has teased a bout with WBC and IBF Lightweight champion Mikey Garcia who would move up to the Welterweight division for a super-fight.

Number two ranked WBO challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas and third ranked Alexander Besputin will fight for a chance at challenging Crawford for his WBO Welterweight title sometime early next year. The Welterweight division needs to begin to unify all thebelts. If Porter and Thurman aren’t willing to step up to the plate, then maybe it’s finally time for Spence and Crawford to face each other in a potential fight of the year candidate. The only issue will be timing and will both men be up for putting their undefeated records on the line and agree to fight each other in mid-late 2019?

Crawford must not take his eye off retaining his prize first of all, but imagine a huge summer showdown between Spence and Crawford in Las Vegas. However this, Crawford should turn his attention to WBC champion Shawn Porter to claim the WBC title, one that Thurman had before relinquishing due to injury and with the threat of being stripped.

Whatver happens, the stacked Welterweight division could give us some of the best fights in next 12 months.