The ring had been converted into a stage by the time Terence Crawford emerged from his locker room and back into the lights of T-Mobile Arena.
The new undisputed welterweight champion scrambled up the stairs and headed for Errol Spence Jr. Just like minutes before, as he put on one of the most spectacular performances Sin City has seen in many years.
Bud had a few presents for the defeated Spence – one by one, Crawford returned the WBC, WBA and IBF belts he had just taken from his rival. It was a touching gesture, another reminder that this superfight was never built on beef. Only respect.
But no one privileged to watch Crawford surgically dismantle Spence in nine one-sided rounds was under any illusions: the awards, the accolades, the acclaim only went one way. Towards Nebraska and the new king of boxing.
All week we’d been told this was the Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford era. It sure is now. He was already a three-weight world champion and one of the world’s most complete fighters. This stunning victory – over the elite welterweight of recent years – cemented Crawford as the best fighter in the world. A generational talent. The face of American boxing. An all time great.
Terence Crawford cemented himself as the world’s best fighter with a win over Errol Spence
The 35-year-old put his rival on the canvas three times on his way to an injury victory in Las Vegas
It should propel him to the level of superstardom that his skills have long deserved. There are only a few problems. Rather nagging: Has it come too late? And where does he go from here?
Crawford is already 35. He’s 40 fights in a 15-year career. Time is against him, but, perhaps more importantly, his opponents may also run out. The beauty of this rivalry with Spence was that they seemed to fit together so perfectly.
Many picked Crawford, many fancied Spence. Pretty much everyone agreed it would be close enough to make a rematch inevitable. No one outside of Team Crawford had predicted something so devastating. And genius has a price. Bud may have worked his way out of more big fights and more big payouts with this dance partner.
Spence insists he wants another tango. Crawford opened the door to make it happen at 154 pounds. After this, however, it becomes a much harder sell. Only Spence and those around him will know how much another reduction to 147 pounds really cost the 33-year-old.
Only they will know how much damage – mental and physical – he took from this sustained beating. They need to think very carefully before jumping back into the fire, no matter how much money is at stake. We said the same thing, of course, before Deontay Wilder signed on for a third fight with Tyson Fury. And that turned out to be the best of the bunch.
Spence said he intends to activate his rematch clause after his first professional loss
Jermell Charlo caught Crawford’s attention when the pair jousted during a verbal sparring match on Saturday
Unfortunately, Spence doesn’t have the one-punch power that gives fighters like Wilder the chance to turn every fight around. The brutal truth on Saturday night? After the second round, there was nothing to indicate he could win – even as Crawford resisted switch hitting. So, if Spence is mistaken about taking the rematch – and it’s hard not to hope he does – where does Crawford look instead?
After one of three Saturday night knockdowns, Crawford raced to the neutral corner and began a battle of words with an interested ringside observer: Jermell Charlo. He is a stablemate of Spence and the undisputed champion at 154 pounds. Crawford has already hinted that his future could lie in another division.
“I was already talking about putting on weight and challenging Charlo,” he said on Saturday night. The problem: Jermell will face Canelo Alvarez in September. That fight is at 168 pounds. It seems unlikely that Charlo, at the age of 33, would relapse again. That would make Crawford look elsewhere.
Could the undisputed welterweight king rise to 154 pounds and take on Australian Tim Tszyu?
Weighing in at 154 pounds, a fight with undefeated Tim Tszyu would be intriguing. But after all the work Team Tszyu has put in to build a rising star, would they risk it all against Crawford – since Tszyu is only 28 and on the cusp of a world title? Besides the Australian, son of the legendary Kostya Tszyu, the division also lacks stardust.
Winning a fourth division world title would further cement Crawford’s legend. But at this stage in his career, given the stage he’s on now, given the ticking clock, would competing for an empty title, against an unknown opponent, satisfy the hunger? After all, he may only have a few years – or a few fights – left.
At 35, going back to 140, a division of more marketable stars, would certainly be beyond Crawford. Which means his future might stay at 147. In that case, all roads lead to Boots.
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is a rising star weighing in at 147 pounds and is Crawford’s mandatory challenger
Jaron Ennis is the heir apparent at welterweight. The 26-year-old is undefeated in 31 professional fights and the mandatory challenger to the new IBF champion. He called out the winner of Saturday’s coronation – is he ready for Crawford? Is anyone?
But what a prospect it would be. Master vs Apprentice. The present versus the future. Victory over the division’s next big thing would certainly be another ticked box. And right now, Crawford may not have many other options. That’s the problem with being alone.
Crawford struggled for so long to win the fights that could prove his greatness. He finally got his wish and might have found his way back to Purgatory. But at last he has taken his rightful place.
Crawford always had the skills to rule boxing. He just never played the game. He had no interest in sideshow or sham. That forced him to take the scenic route to this throne. But Bud Crawford is so special because he is so real. We should enjoy his rule—however long it lasts, wherever it takes him.