Errol Spence Jr. may have lost the biggest fight of his career at the hands of Terence Crawford. However, there doesn’t appear to be any bad blood between the former rivals. In fact, Spence Jr. has now backed a movement ‘Bud’ Crawford feels strongly about—the sanctioning fees from the four major three-letter sanctioning bodies.
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Last year, after the Nebraska native defeated Canelo Alvarez to become the new undisputed super middleweight champion, he lashed out at the WBC for demanding exorbitant amounts from him, calling it sanctioning fees. He blamed the WBC for riding the coattails of boxers without doing anything. Now, Spence Jr. has also voiced his frustration with the practice.
“It is a huge problem in boxing that we do need to fix, and hopefully it’ll get fixed soon,” Errol Spence Jr. told reporters. “I mean, boxers need representation. I mean, it’s kind of, it’s going to be hard to even have a damn union because, I mean, we are independent contractors. So, how are we going to have a union when we’re working with so many other different [promoters]… It’s different entities. So, I mean, how are you going to have a union?“
Spence says sanctioning bodies and fees is still a problem in boxing that needs to be fixed!
Spence Jr., of course, fought Terence Crawford in July 2023 and suffered a brutal beatdown before being knocked out in the ninth round of the bout. Since then, it took Spence Jr. three years to return to action. He is now slated to face Tim Tszyu in Australia on 27 July this year. The pair even had their first press conference, where Spence Jr. also revealed the status of his relationship with Crawford.
“We see each other,” Errol Spence Jr. told reporters. “We just say what’s up to each other. You know, he asked how my kids doing and stuff. You know, I seen his son there. They just won the wrestling championship or whatever. I dapped him up. But nah, they ain’t it ain’t no bad ain’t no bad blood between us.”
Crawford later took to social media to express his thoughts on Spence Jr.’s return to action.
“[Errol Spence Jr.] good seeing you back out there,” Crawford wrote. “Get to it, I’ll be there supporting.”
Since the win over Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford has retired from the sport. Although there was some talk of him fighting in a middleweight bout, that appears to have gone down the gutters. In the meantime, though, Errol Spence Jr. is ready to prove his return isn’t temporary.
Errol Spence Jr. reflects on the skepticism against him
As ‘The Truth’ prepares for his long-awaited return, he’s fully aware of the skepticism surrounding him. Many question whether the former unified champion can still compete at the highest level. But Spence doesn’t shy away from those doubts. He understands them.
“I’m glad to be back,” Errol Spence said. “It’s been a long time, a three-year layoff. And I’m sure everybody has their, you know, reserved opinions, thinking I’m a shell of myself or, you know, ‘Do he still have it?’”
He is not dismissing those opinions, however. Instead, the former welterweight champion is embracing all the doubts against him.
“It’s just because I would be thinking the same thing, seeing my last fight,” he admitted.
Still, the 36-year-old remains confident that he’ll silence critics when he faces Tim Tszyu.
“But I guarantee you, come July 26th, you will see a better, more improved Errol Spence.”
Whether he can deliver on his promise is yet to be seen. But for now, it appears Errol Spence Jr. has Terence Crawford rooting for him.
