Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. was a rivalry that everyone was craving for years. After years of anticipation, promotional drama, and several debates that kept delaying their fight, the two best pound-for-pound boxers finally stepped into the ring two years ago for welterweight supremacy. The July 2023 fight week felt like a throwback to the golden era with the intensity of this rivalry. However, when the two actually met, things turned out differently.
Terence Crawford completely shut down the unified welterweight champion, knocking Spence down in round two and then twice in round seven. The beatdown was so brutal that the referee, Harvey Dock, ended up putting a stop to it in the 9th round. It was a one-sided masterclass in boxing skills. Though most agreed that Crawford was the best among the modern boxers, many argued that the fight came three years too late, claiming The Truth was not at his best. The narrative fueled the lingering tensions between Spence and Crawford despite the fight being over and done with. And that tension still persists today, two years later. And according to the southpaw from Nebraska, the fans are to blame for it.
Terence Crawford highlights the unity of the Mexican community
Recently, the former two-division undisputed champion sat down with NFL legend Shannon Sharpe for a three-hour-long candid conversation on the latter’s Club Shay Shay podcast. During the conversation, Sharpe asked Terence Crawford about the criticism he received after the Spence fight. Visibly frustrated, Bud shared that he had anticipated them even before the fight ended. In a somber tone, he spoke warmly about the Texan, revealing his deep respect for Spence and even calling himself a “fan” of the former champion. However, what was more damning for him was a how his own “people, the urban community” made it look like the two were enemies. For Crawford, it was through them that the division between the two grew. “Why can’t you like me and like him? Ain’t nothing wrong with that,” asked the 37-year-old, pointing out the dislike evident between his fans and Spence Jr’s fans.
July 29, 2023, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA: Action between WBC, WBA and IBF unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. 28-1 22KOs white black & red and WBO champion Terence ÃâËBudÃââ Crawford 40-0 31KOs gray in a bout for the undisputed welterweight championship of the world. Crawford won the fight by TKO in the 9th round in a sensational performance that say him drop Spence to the canvas multiple times. Las Vegas USA – ZUMAd151 20230729_znp_d151_041 Copyright: xAdamxDelGiudicex
The NFL Hall of Famer echoed his opinion, explaining the toxic athlete-worshipping culture that creates bridges and sows dissent among the athletes. “If I like Bud, that don’t mean I hate Errol. If I like Errol, that don’t mean I hate Bud, right? But sometimes it seems to be now if I like something, I can’t like him right,” Sharpe explained.
Crawford went deeper, noting the issue is prevalent only in “our own community.” He contrasted it with Mexican boxing fans, who rally behind their fighters regardless of the outcome. “When you look at the Mexican community, they support each other. When you got two Mexicans fighting each other, the Mexican community wins. They going to celebrate whoever. They going to win,” he stated while the NFL veteran agreed emphatically.
“When you see us fight each other, it’s not like that. I just always felt like we our own downfall,” he lamented. According to Terence Crawford, the “blacks and the Mexicans” rule the boxing world. However, when it comes to supporting their athletes, the Black community has a lot to learn from the Mexican fans. “We got to do better with supporting each other,” he shared.
While the Omaha native has urged the fans to do better, it looks like it is already too late to mend things with Spence. Recently, Terence Crawford stirred massive controversy, putting Errol Spence Jr.’s career in question.
Errol Spence Jr. not a Hall of Famer yet?
Last month, Terence Crawford addressed the burning topic of whether Errol Spence Jr. deserves a spot in the Boxing Hall of Fame on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. Social media had been buzzing with opinions, and the 41-0 boxer decided to weigh in with his two cents. His verdict? A straight no.
“He couldn’t, like everything that I’ve accomplished, he’s still trying to accomplish,” he stated, claiming that Spence still had more to achieve before warranting a place in the HOF. Bud further added, “He fought in just one division and never unified the belts, [and] he wasn’t undisputed. He wasn’t. But what I’m saying is they already called him a weight bully, right? He beat Kell Brook coming off a loss and an eye injury,” further clarifying his stance to Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo.
Well, as expected, the comments created a huge uproar on social media, with even professional boxers slamming Terence Crawford while contradicting his assertion. Meanwhile, Spence has stayed quiet, focusing on his recovery and letting his future fights do the talking, if he does decide to return.
Will he be able to do that? Only time will tell. Till then, let us know your thoughts regarding Terence Crawford’s criticisms of the fans.
The post “We Our Own Downfall”- Terence Crawford Blames His Own Community for Dividing Him & Errol Spence Jr. appeared first on EssentiallySports.