ERROL SPENCE JR is lining up Terence Crawford and Manny Pacquiao next year – in a bid to become undisputed champion and boxing’s No1.
The WBC and IBF welterweight champion last year unified the titles by beating Shawn Porter.
Errol Spence Jr wants to fight for all the welterweight titles Credit: EPA
But a month later, the unbeaten Texan was involved in a horrific car crash, as his Ferrari flipped.
Incredibly, he came out unscathed, but his next fight which was set for January against Danny Garcia was cancelled.
11 months on, Spence, 30, is finally set to face Garcia, 32 when they meet on December 5.
But he is already eyeing Crawford, 33, and Pacquiao, 41, afterwards in unification bouts.
And he believes an undisputed title reign would cement his place as pound-for-pound No1 – surpassing Canelo Alvarez or Vasyl Lomachenko.
Spence told SunSport: “When I become undisputed welterweight champion of the world, I’ll have to be No1 in the sport.
“It would make sense, why wouldn’t I be?
“With the kind of names that are at 147lb for me to beat to become undisputed champion, I’d have to be the No1 guy in the world.”
Terence Crawford and Spence have spoken to each other about a fight Credit: AP:Associated Press
Spence is desperate to face Manny Pacquiao before the Filipino retires Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Spence is desperate to face Pacquiao before the Filipino icon retires.
But a domestic showdown against WBO champion Crawford remains one of the most lucrative fights to be made.
Spence has shared personal calls with his American rival, but admits it is down to those outside the ring to decide when the mega-fight gets the green light.
He said: “It can definitely happen next year, but it’s up to the guys’ in suits.
“We’ve both said we want the fight, but the money has to be right, and everything else has to make sense.
“I’ve spoken to him before, we both want to fight but we’re not fighting for nothing, it has to make sense business-wise.”
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Spence makes his return in front of a limited number of home supporters at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium.
And he will do so with a point to prove, a year on from his near-miss accident which saw him receive a DWI (driving while intoxicated).
Spence admitted: “I fought at the Cowboys’ stadium before, but to be fighting again, especially after my accident, this is a great homecoming.
“I’m very excited, because I know people are watching me closely thinking I won’t be the same Errol Spence as I have been.
“I’m just focussed to prove everybody wrong and go out there and be victorious.”
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Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
