KEY POINTS

  • Terence Crawford is open to fighting either Manny Pacquiao or Shawn Porter next
  • Crawford prefers facing Pacquiao over Porter
  • The WBO welterweight champion's next fight depends on his promoter Bob Arum

Terence Crawford is aching to fight again, and “Bud” has been mentioned as a possible next opponent for Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

However, there are also murmurs of a potential clash with Shawn Porter, but nothing has been set in stone.

Crawford was in Las Vegas last weekend to work the corner of Troy Isley. The 22-year-old hacked out a unanimous decision win over Bryant Costello, one of the undercards of the Richard Commey-Jackson Mariñez main event.

After that fight, most turned their attention on Crawford and who he would possibly fight next. The 33-year-old admits that nothing is official and he is ready for either Manny Pacquiao or Shawn Porter if a deal is closed.

"I don't know. We just have to wait and see. Both of them are great fights. Yeah, I prefer the Manny Pacquiao fight over Shawn Porter, but Shawn Porter is a great fight in its own right and I am going to be ready for whichever one comes to fruition," Crawford stated in an interview with Fighthype.

The choice is hardly surprising considering most fighters right now want a piece of the Pac-Man and the glory and money that comes along with it.

But even if it does not materialize, the WBO welterweight champion is ready for anything. Though Pacquiao and Porter are two different fighters, he appears ready to take on the challenge.

"Both of them have their own strong points. Manny Pacquiao is fast and moving, he can punch. Shawn Porter is aggressive, tough, and durable,” Crawford explained.

One thing that could stand in the way is the fight purse split between Crawford and Pacquiao.

In a previous post, it was reported that the boxer-senator wanted $40 million in the fight, while Crawford would get $10 million. This was already relayed to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

Hence, the final say may not be up to Crawford but Arum. Recall that both had a small feud in November when Arum said he would not continue to lose money promoting the WBO champion’s fights.

Crawford responded by suggesting he should be released, but it appears all that has now calmed down.

Money is something that is holding back a Pacquiao vs. Crawford fight. The latter never mentioned anything tied to it.

It all boils down to negotiations between Arum and Team Pacquiao to see if this blockbuster boxing clash will come to fruition.

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