We have a rematch.
As after Terence Crawford secured a triumphant ninth-round knockout victory over Errol Spence Jr. which made him not just the best welterweight since Floyd Mayweather, but the first-ever male two division undisputed world champion, by claiming the undisputed welterweight world championship. It was announced today that, Errol Spence Jr., has activated his rematch clause for the fight.
Brian "BoMac" McIntyre, Crawford's coach, revealed the news speaking to ProBoxing Fans in preparation for his latest fighter, Chris Eubank Jr., who will rematch Liam Smith, this Saturday, September 2nd, in the United Kingdom.
"[Crawford] just texted me yesterday and said that Spence activated his rematch," BoMac stated in a video interview with Pro Boxing Fans. "The rematch is confirmed but we don't have any date and stuff like that yet."
As stated above no specific details are known at this time, McIntyre is optimistic that the bout can happen in 2023.
Another storyline to this ongoing saga will be the weight class. Since Crawford soundly outclassed Spence, Crawford has made mention of moving up in weight to face Jermell Charlo or Canelo Alvarez. Floyd Mayweather in an interview with FightHype.com, expressed concern for Errol Spence Jr., fighting at welterweight urging him to move up to middleweight. So, it is safe to say the bout could be contested at junior middleweight in the rematch, quite possibly, and with that, all four welterweight world titles might become vacant.
The first fight saw Spence get the preferential treatment, often referred to by fight fans as being 'the A-side' in the bout. This was given a few things, the fact that Spence had fought on pay-per-view multiple times, and held three of the four welterweight world titles. In the rematch, the roles will be reversed as Crawford's name will now be first on the poster, and Crawford in theory will hold some promotional advantages given his new sense of power in the sport, after his win over Spence.
This news comes on the heels of Crawford stating recently that he would like to become a three-division undisputed world champion, a proclamation that might see him on course to face Jermell Charlo or Canelo Alvarez, both of whom are undisputed champions - albeit Charlo will lose one title, the WBO, the minute the bell rings on pay-per-view, September 30th.
Early speculation and rumors suspect that a November/December fight date could be in order for Crawford-Spence II, and despite some being unhappy with the rematch, it is a historically significant fight that matters, and even if the first one wasn't filled with drama, this will provide a fitting conclusion.
