I’m picking Crawford against Spence

[Kirkland Laing]

I'd take Crawford over Spence, but Crawford is wasting on the vine against average comp.

I will give him this mandatory in December, but that’s it. He has to demand a fight against one of the top fighters after this or else I won’t cut him anymore slack. It’s time.

How would you know he means it if he does demand a big fight? He might be quite happy for Arum to not make one and just keep getting easy paydays. When is his contract up? Didn't he recently sign an extension with Top Rank knowing all the top welters are mainly with Haymon?

Generally it gets out who refused to sign a contract. We will hear that TR sent a contract to X welterweight and that X’s Team refused to sign.

They may have a good reason not to sign. Arum can send them a contract which is massively in Crawford's favour that basically prices Crawford out of any fight. There are always going to be two sides to every story.

Crawford is thirty, has yet to have a top level opponent and all the top level welters, Thurman, Porter, Garcia, Spence are signed with Haymon. Crawford signed a contract extension a year ago with Arum. He could have been a free agent now and able to get a big fight but even assuming he does want one has limited his chances of ever getting one by signing with Arum. If he'd wanted the big fights all he had to do was sign with Haymon and they'd be guaranteed. More money in those fights as well.