Spence vs. Crawford: A Timeline
2019
2020
The pandemic shuts down sports, and the world in general. And even as things begin to reopen and resume, safety measures limit the number of fans who can be in an arena — which means less money for major fights. As such, Crawford and Spence only appear once:
2021
Both Spence and Crawford are seeking fights with Pacquiao, not just for the sizable payday but also for the last remaining belt — the WBA, which Pacquiao had picked up from Thurman. Spence and his team make the deal, but the fight never happens.
August: Spence has to pull out of the Pacquiao fight with an injured retina. Instead, Yordenis Ugas steps in and retires Pacquiao.
November: Crawford takes on Porter, now a former titleholder but still a tough out. In fact, Porter is ahead on the scorecards after nine rounds. Crawford is told he could very well be behind, and he comes out and scores two knockdowns for the win, sending Porter into retirement. Afterward, Crawford announces that his time with Top Rank is over. Suddenly, the road to Spence vs. Crawford seems much clearer. But it’s still a ways off in the distance