‘For me, it’s over’: Errol Spence Jr.’s boxing trainer gives bleak outlook on mega-fight with Terence Crawford

There was a glimmer of hope that Terence Crawford and Errol Spence would fight one another before the end of 2022. Crawford, the WBO welterweight champion, and Spence, the WBA, WBC, and IBF welterweight champion, were as close to getting a fight finalized as ever before. 

It almost came down to the one-yard line, but it all came crashing down in the blink of an eye. There may be a chance the two can fight one another in 2023.

But to some, it appears that the broken bridge will never be repaired. 

Derrick James, a trainer of fighters like Frank Martin (fighting Michel Rivera on December 17), Jermell Charlo, and Spence, believes that the opportunity for an undisputed welterweight title fight has passed. 

MORE: Why Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford are not fighting

“For me, it’s over,” James told The Sporting News. “What’s next? I don’t know. Al Haymon will work on an opponent for Spence. I just have to sit back, be ready, and prepare him. I’m not in that selection process… I’m not even interested in that fight (Spence vs. Crawford) anymore.

“The opportunity has passed. I think that he (Crawford) chose to do something else. He saw what he produced last time out. He can’t bring those numbers into negotiations… He is the guy, but he’s another guy who can’t sell either. So he has nothing to negotiate with.”

At first, there was a target date of November and December for a Spence-Crawford fight. Max Kellerman would tell Mike Coppinger there were disagreements in contract talks regarding events, expenses, and transparency. The latter was on the side of Crawford, who wanted to approve expenses for a purse that was not guaranteed.

Crawford later went in-depth about how representatives from two unnamed hedge funds offered guaranteed purses of $25 million for himself and Spence. “Bud” stated that Premier Boxing Champions’ Al Haymon wouldn’t consider working with the investors.

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Spence later responded to Crawford, telling him that his side agreed to show him all aspects of the deal, per talkSPORT. He also stated that Crawford couldn’t provide an answer when asked where the money from the hedge fund was coming from. 

Following that, Crawford, who left Top Rank and Bob Arum, fought David Avanesyan on December 10. In front of his hometown in Nebraska, Crawford won via sixth-round knockout. That was his first fight since November 2021, when he beat Shawn Porter via TKO. 

Spence last fought in April, beating Yordenis Yugas to win the WBA welterweight title. The WBC has recently ordered him to defend his title against Keith Thurman, but no date or actual match has been announced. 

Will Spence-Crawford be another mega-fight boxing fans fail to see?