Terence Crawford went on a long rant, apparently in an effort to change the story of why he decided not to fight for the undisputed welterweight title against Errol Spence Jr., who is currently the champion of the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, and the World Boxing Council.
Crawford alleges he was approached by a hedge fund organization offering him and Spence over $20 million to fight. According to Crawford, neither Spence nor his advisor Al Haymon were keen on the transaction.
Terence also claims that he informed Al that he intended to fight this year as discussions for the Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) bout dragged on.
That’s why Crawford jumped at the chance to face David Avanesyan on BLK Prime PPV on December 10.
Crawford claims he still wants to face Spence after the Avanesyan fight, as long as they both win their next bouts.
Terence says he knows Spence might face Keith “One Time” Thurman next and that he thinks Errol’s decision to go in that way is motivated by financial gain. Spence, after Crawford, would be fighting Thurman for the most money.
It would seem horrible for Spence to fight for less money against an opponent like Jaron “Boots” Ennis or Vergil Ortiz Jr. when Crawford is being paid eight figures to face Avanesyan.
Because of this, Spence chose the opponent who would net him the most money, despite the fact that he has previously said that he would never face Thurman.
Al is a solid guy. As Terence Crawford put it to Fighthype, “He’s a lovely man, he’s a cool dude” while describing Al Haymon. I like our conversations, but Spence is Al’s man and I’m not.
Thus, it stands to reason that he would prioritize the welfare of his warrior and his buddy above anything else. As would be expected of any competent boss or advisor. For his boxer, he just wants the best.
Me and Al had a phone conversation. The other PBC guys are a great resource for me. Everyone warns me to “watch out” and “make sure the arrangement is fair.” “Don’t get f***ed,” they warn me. Nothing out of the ordinary from the folks I hang out with at the stable.
My partner Al and I are always arguing over the figures. There will be no more back and forth on this issue. Two different firms have come out to me, offering to front Spence and I a total of $25,000,000.
So, being a manly man that I am, I contacted Spence. Hey dude, check this out: I found a firm that’s prepared to guarantee us each $25 million. Ok, so what’s the deal? Asking, “What are you going to do?” For example: “He’s like, ’25 million? So, what about the tail end?
If they are successful in recouping their investment, I have told them, “Listen, we receive 80-20. The math is easy. ‘We’ve got people hijacking the battle,’ I cried. They acquired the flaming sticks. When asked whether he had a firestick, he says with a chuckle, “I have a firestick too.” This is why, I think to myself, ‘See. In other words, “ain’t nobody purchasing pay-per-views no longer.”
“I told her, ‘All we need is this cash now, and everything will be OK. Obviously, this is the best option. When comparing myself to Spence, I would highlight the fact that, unlike him, I am now my own employer.
He had to negotiate with Al first. Now that I no longer have to deal with that, he has to go through his teams and get permission to do things that I used to. Because I am now an independent contractor, I get to be the one at the front of the meeting.
I am the one having direct conversations with these powerful people. When asked about Terence Crawford, Errol Spence said he has not been in contact with him about the upcoming fight. As far as I could tell, Errol Spence wasn’t present. Errol Spence cannot claim that he was present during our conversations or produce a contract reading “Terence Crawford, Errol Spence.”
He just can’t pull it off. I suggested that he seek Al [Haymon] for permission to accept the large quantity of money in one go so that he could fight Terence Crawford, but I didn’t hear back from him for quite some time.
I went for Al. “Al, hear me out,” I said him. The largest hedge fund firm in the world is out here thanks to me. They say they recognize you. Two, not one. We’ve each been offered guaranteed payouts from two separate firms totaling $20 million.
Straight out, Al informed me, “I’m not letting anyone touch this battle.” After hearing this, I was like, “Alright, fine, but why?” The guy is like, “Why would you want to limit yourself?” If you’re already doing so well, why limit yourself?
If the corporation is willing to take the risk, then there is no need for me to limit my potential. If that’s the case, the stakes are quite high. Since Floyd Mayweather and them, I haven’t seen a fight make that much money.
So there was a fight, then. Since my dispute with Spence was going on and neither of us seemed willing to compromise, I proposed to Al that I come out to see him with my lawyer and settle the matter once and for all. Only my lawyer, you, and I.
After hearing that Al’s mother wasn’t doing well, I made sure to treat him with the utmost respect and regard. Al I asked him again as the discussions dragged on and I reiterated that I wanted to contest this year.
I approached Al and said, “Hey, since you’re Spence’s agent, why don’t you fetch him and the two of you and we’ll just have this fight?” Signed, sealed, and delivered, we may finalize whatever business we have there and there.
That ain’t never occurred in the history ever when two boxers sit down at a table and come to an agreement and they have a fight produced like that,’ Al informed me flat out. Not even OKBET boxing superstars like Mayweather and Pacquiao.
This is a first for everything. As far as I’m aware, no one has ever taken zero guaranteed to fight. To my knowledge, no boxer has ever accepted 0% of a guarantee for a four-round bout. This is something I’ve never done before, but I was ready to try in order to make this battle take place.
They remark, “Terence, you dodged,'” which is a common criticism. “You didn’t want to fight Spence,” he said. All the risks were taken by me alone. Okay, cool,’ I reassured him. No promises from me, please. I’d like the lower amount.
“‘Whatever it is you want, I’ll take it since I am so sure that I defeated that guy.’ So, even though I was going to be f***ed in the end, I only wanted some honesty.
I reasoned as follows: “If I’m going to wager on myself and go against all the odds, then I want a little bit of openness. Naturally, I’d want to be able to deduct expenses from my pay.
Naturally, I need to check the figures to make sure they back up their claims. It seems reasonable to me that if two people decide to go into company together, one will contribute half, but the other will need half of the initial investment.
After that, you tell them, “Oh well, I’m not going to tell you how much we actually earned, but I’m just going to give you this and you’ve have to believe me. Now, now, come on. Not making any sense at all.
The phrase “I was never promised a guarantee, not once” comes to mind. There was never anything offered to me but, “Here, you want this fight? What you desire, we’re going to give you, so get ready to be f**ked.
That’s how sure I am of myself. All of it was mine. It was a gamble, but I made it. Taking a chance with a potentially huge payoff is how I like to play the game, and I have faith in both my skills and my own judgment to get me through.
So I’m just like, ‘Whatever,'” she said. He, Errol Spence, cannot make the same claim. Over the recording, he can be heard indicating that Al Haymon would check up on him to make sure everything is well. The odds of victory are highest for him in this conflict.
A reasonable person would respond, “Of course he is; he is expected to. You are surrounded by resources designed to aid you. Since Al warned me that Errol Spence would go on to earn eight figures if I didn’t accept this fight, a lot of people are upset with me.
Since we’ve been dragging this out for so long, “he’s essentially telling me, ‘You take this battle or leave it or you have nothing.
I don’t know the sort of individuals he’s been dealing with or who they’ve been dealing with, but I’m not the type of person that sits around and lets someone else provide for his family.
So, he’s upset with me because I chose to face David Avanesyan, a very formidable opponent. While you may not recognize him, he is a formidable challenger for a larger payout and a guarantee that I was not even in the running to get. You must be completely insane.
Here we are, back at the beginning. In any case, what do you anticipate? You anticipate that I will sit here while I be ignored, trampled, and otherwise treated with contempt? To say the least, that’s completely insane. That just isn’t my thing.
“I wasn’t planning on saying anything, and you guys already know that I’m not the chatty kind. But sometimes you just gotta speak what’s genuine, express what’s on your mind. You have to prevent these individuals from using you as they see fit.
Some may wonder whether he requested to look at Bob Arum’s financial records. Did he inquire about honesty from Bob Arum? Actually, I didn’t do it at all. Is there a reason you think there is, and if so, what There are a lot of folks who have no idea why I was not my own boss when I was signed with Bob Arum.
Every time I fought for Bob Arum and Top Rank, I was guaranteed a paycheck. To put it simply, that’s the difference. Si, I don’t know what more to tell you if you don’t get it.
My thing this year was to get in a fight, and so that’s what I said. So we keep circling back and forth, numbers over and over. Thus, the lack of secrecy was the main drawback. If Errol Spence was around, where was he? Errol Spence was not audible to me.
Were all the Tweets missing? The Tweets went over my head. What happened to the guy? There was no way to find him since he was hidden. If you’re the truth and you claim to be the truth, then you’ll just come out and say it.
“Be honest with me, pal. Okay, enough enough. I gave you a call and said, “Hey, I put some food on the table.” “What are you doing?” Stop stating things like “I am my own boss” and “I am telling the truth” and “You are this and You are that” because you are not your own boss. True, but there are a lot of people you have to account to.
I’m not trying to discredit it. That’s how you arrived at this point in your life. Many have asked “Why didn’t you fight Boots?” Why didn’t you go to war with Ortiz? None of their names were ever mentioned. If I’d known their identities, I would have battled them in a heartbeat. Okay, enough enough. It’s been said that I’m the greatest fighter in the world.
Who do you think I am, anyway?” Never did my mandatorys without a fight. I’ve never avoided a required contest, but word on the street is that Spence is poised to face Keith Thurman, despite having pledged and sworn he would never fight Thurman.
I have no idea how accurate it is yet that seems to be the consensus. Why is it so true, exactly? You make a solemn oath that you will not engage in physical combat with this individual. What other people think is of no concern to you. And now you’re going to fight him.
What this says is that you lied to me, mate. But are you aware of why a battle with Thurman is necessary? Fans, are you curious as to why? just because of financial considerations. The bottom line is paramount.
Now, listen up. Fighting Ortiz and Boots won’t net him a huge payday. Seriously, it’s hardly rocket science. Where will Spence fight for $20 million, and who will he team up with? Nobody.
However, I will share this with you. Floyd claims (and I have no reason to doubt this) that he is PBC’s official spokesperson and Al’s trusted right hand guy. Floyd has publicly said many times that the bout will not take place this year.
“So, you guys angry with me because I went to fetch a bag? As in what year did it begin? Disappointed that I went to grab a bag, y’all? Okay, enough enough. Here comes BLK Prime and we’re going to do our thing. We’re making an effort to help out.
The tide is shifting in OKBET boxing, dude. All the major conflicts are taking place there. How about they be the next big thing? They simply give to these warriors. Are you really set on fighting this guy? Do you really want to get into a fight with this guy? They’re determined to make it work. While straightforward, the meaning remains the same.
Spence wins, I win, he claims he’s going to spin the block after this bout. Let him round the corner so I can drop him off at his lodgings, and I’m keeping it that way. It really is that easy.
He spins the block, and no matter what happens, we’re prepared. My fans may take this and mash it up, alter the order, and attempt to pass it off as their own, and I won’t be offended in the least.
Make sure you tune in to BLK Prime on the 10th of December. This is your BLK Prime, baby. At this point, we’re already inside. Keep listening. People that don’t like you are haters. It is what it is, dude,” Crawford remarked if you all do it.
