Terence Crawford mandated by WBO to face Shawn Porter
by Dane McGuire
While no bout details have emerged as of yet, the World Boxing organization has mandated Terence Crawford must defend his title against Shawn Porter next.
“I’ve been begging for a real challenge for years,” Crawford told ESPN. “All the so-called elite welterweights have shown no interest in fighting me. Now one of them is finally being forced to. I’ll show once again why I’m the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Be ready.”
The pair fight for rival promoter Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions, and the fight is not yet a done deal. Per the mandate, the two sides have 30 days to get it done. ESPN reported if no deal is reached during that time frame, a purse bid will be ordered in which the rights to the title tilt will be auctioned.
“Please be advised that the parties herein have thirty (30) days upon issuance of this notice to negotiate and reach an agreement for the above-referenced WBO Welterweight Championship Contest,” Luis Batista Salas, chairman of the WBO Championship Committee noted in an official letter sent to both camps obtained from BoxingScene.com.
“If an accord is not reached within the timeframe stated herein, a purse bid will be ordered per the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests,” the letter says.
BoxingScene noted, “in lieu of a traditional 80/20 purse split, Porter would be entitled to 40% of the total pot in the event the fight goes to a purse bid hearing, with Crawford due the remaining 60%.
The ruling was made after an extensive evaluation of the previous three fight purses earned by each boxer, a policy occasionally enforced by the WBO Championship Committee when challengers such as Porter boast exceptional credentials.”
“Last year, there was no mandatory involved,” Top Rank’s Bob Arum told BoxingScene.com Thursday. “This year, it’s a fight that’s been demanded by the [WBO], and let’s see how we can get it done.”
“It’s a lot different vibe when an organization mandates a fight that is a real fight. It’s another thing when an organization mandates a fight that is not competitive, which happens so many times. But nobody can say that this fight isn’t competitive,” Arum continued.
The fight could be a joint pay-per-view venture between ESPN and FOX Sports if a deal is reached.
CageNation will have more information about the potential fight as it emerges.