It’s no secret that welterweight champion Errol Spence was disappointed he wasn’t the one who got beat Manny Pacquiao this past weekend. For Spence the Pacquiao fight represented not only what would’ve been the biggest payday of his career, but also a chance to thrust him into true superstardom given the global platform Pacquiao brings with him. But a retina injury and subsequent surgery forced Spence to withdraw from the bout, handing Yordenis Ugas the chance to grow his name with the big win.
Spence, who has been in social media rivalry with fellow welterweight titleholder Terence Crawford — which is easily the single best fight to be made in the division — is now on the receiving end of some antagonism from Crawford after Spence openly dismissed his need to face Crawford for a big fight.
Looks like @ErrolSpenceJr gone need me after all tho I know you really mad about that fight last night because I was but not in a hating way just in a missed opportunity way. Don’t beat yourself up about it get well Champ
— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) August 22, 2021
“Looks like Errol Spence gone need me after all tho,” Crawford posted on Twitter. “I know you really mad because I was (laughing) but not in a hating way just a missed opportunity way. Don’t beat yourself up about it, get well champ.”
With Pacquiao on the losing end this weekend and clearly past his best days, the potential for Spence to now face him has clearly dissipated. And although Spence could make his next move towards a unification fight against Ugas, there’s really no question that a Crawford fight remains the most marketable and significant fight to make at 147. Whether or not that will be enough to get negotiations moving forward for that fight remains to be seen, but we can dream…