Is Crawford Spence dead in the water?

That was a simple enough case. Dirrell didn't want it with Ward and bailed from the tournament.

I couldn't say for sure what or who is holding this one up, though I have my suspicions.

 

It needs to marinate. Like Gamboa vs JuanMa

Don't think Ward vs Dirrell is a good example, as they went out of ther way not to fight eachother "because they were friends".

 

Spence side of the negotiations is ok. He's waiting for Crawford

 

You guys will never be honest about this one, will you? Gotta make sure Boogerman Ward shoulders some blame for everything from Sergey Kovalev's mental decline to the medical industry's failure to produce a cure for cancer.

Some truths;

Word of a dispute over the venue for the original September 25 date assigned to Ward-Dirrell had surfaced in the sports media by mid-August of 2010. Gary Shaw had gone public with his insistence that the encounter be staged in Michigan and would not entertain the idea of a neutral venue.

Additionally, footage shot by Showtime in early August (though not aired until November) documented that the Dirrell camp had been attempting to renegotiate their previously agreed and contracted purse for the bout.

By early September, the fight was presumed postponed, with Dirrell quoted as having said as much.

The day before the fight had originally been scheduled to take place, a new date of November 27 was set, with a venue still undetermined.

Two weeks later, Dirrell exited the tournament citing injury. This purported injury was subsequently identified as a neurological issue, despite immediate post-fight examinations from Dirrell's bout with Arthur Abraham having found no sign of concussion or particular damage to his brain.

Showtime, aggrieved by the collapse of the bout, made it quite apparent who they held responsible in the November 2 edition of their Fight Camp 360° series;

This content is protected

Andre Ward is a professional and never made an issue of putting friendship to one side to box Dirrell. The reluctance was entirely on Dirrell's account and the collapse of the bout entirely one-sided.

"Dirrell said the two of them made an agreement. Once they step in the ring in the third stage of the Super Six tournament, their friendship will take a backseat because both of them will go for the win."
— Boxing Scene, April 1

"It's not a guarantee that we fight Ward next. It's not a guarantee. This is a business. Y'know. We're prizefighters, not pridefighters. If they wanna dance, get that money right."
— Leon Lawson, August 3

"The fight, like I said, is under negotiations still. Uh, I'm wondering why I'm in training camp right now. This is the fight everybody wants to see, we are the tournament, so we gotta make sure everything is right before we step in that ring with each other."
— Andre Dirrell, August 3

"I'd been preparing to fight Andre Dirrell, until I got word of the situation. Whether they made the right decision or the wrong decision by pulling out, he's gotta live with that."
— Andre Ward, October

"I can tell you that Andre Ward was more than willing to get in the ring with Andre Dirrell."
— Dan Goossen, October

"At that time, Andre Ward and I weren’t as close as everybody presumed we were. It was just that I had to realize the [neurological] issue and found it important at the time."
— Andre Dirrell, 2019

 

Could you furnish the thread with some details, sources?

I haven't bothered to follow the more recent negotiations, due to the wearyingly drawn-out nature of the Spence-Crawford thing.

 

Yes.

 

THESE TWO ARE AFRAID OF EACH OTHER.

 

If it marinates any longer the both of them will have turned to liquid.

 

Spence and crawford ain't friends like ward and Dirrell.

 

It would be ridiculous for this fight not to happen at this point, both fighters are backed into a corner. With Ennis, Ortiz and Benn these are high risk low reward fights. If Spence and Crawford don’t fight each other, then they’re gonna eventually be forced to fight one of these equally as tough, yet not as financially big, prospects.

Why risk losing and ruining a mega million showdown for undisputed only to lose to a prospect? The only smart move left is for Spence/Crawford to fight for undisputed

 

Don’t know what you are hearing but my sources tell me Bud is being difficult in negotiations hence its protracted. I hope we don’t lose this fight both guys need and boxing needs. This fight could push both guys to genuine legendary status.

 

They both received high guarantees in the past. They both want more guaranteed money than the fight is expected to generate. (Arum has already said that.)

If they can get both agree to a small guaranteed fee and a higher percentage of the PPV buys, the fight will be on.

The more PPVs they sell, the more they will make. I'm sure the promoters would be thrilled with that because they won't be on the hook for a big guarantee.

But neither Spence nor Crawford is a showman. And if they take a low guarantee and a high cut of the PPVs, both fighters probably realize they won't make nearly what they'd hoped.

People can talk all they want about "HOW BIG" this fight is. But it's not really a "BIG" fight if the public isn't willing to pay for it. Spence is a decent draw. Crawford isn't really a draw at all.

It's one of those times where two guys on the "mythical" pound-for-pound list who want to fight aren't nearly as popular with boxing fans as they are with the "experts."

And the promoters are tired of paying big guarantees to these two and losing money.

So, to Spence and Crawford, take a low guarantee, take a higher cut of the PPV and become the "stars" you claim to be.

Make this an epic fight (which NEITHER of you have ever had) that we'll all want to watch over and over and over again.

Then maybe the rematch will be bigger.

 

Tell Dirrell to send over Dr Shaw-Hi to oversee negotiations.