The WBC has designated Terence Crawford its “retired champion” at welterweight, as he will move up to 154 pounds to challenge for WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov's belt and the WBO interim title on August 3.
Additionally, the Crawford-Madrimov fight will be the WBC 154-pound final, with the winner required to compete in a bout between WBC/WBO junior middleweight champions Sebastian Fandora and Errol Spence Jr. in October.
Crawford's Triple Crown Dream: A 154-pound fantasy?
If all goes well for Crawford, he only needs to win two bouts to retain three 154-pound titles. One of those bouts could be a lucrative rematch with Spence for Crawford if Errol beats WBC/WBO 154-pound champion Fandora in October.
Crawford will likely get a huge payday for a rematch with Spence after beating Fandora.
Potential Crawford vs. Spence rematch
If Spence doesn't retire after the Fandora fight (he has already hinted at doing so), he and Crawford could face off in a huge PPV rematch with all three belts on the line.
If Crawford wins these two bouts, he will become the undisputed junior middleweight champion by simply taking the IBF belt held by Bakram Murtazaliev.
Of course, it's unclear whether Crawford can beat WBA junior middleweight champion Israil Madrimov because he's never fought at 154 pounds, is older, and only fights once a year. Crawford had a hard time beating Shawn Porter and David Avanesyan. Madrimov is on a different level and might expose Crawford as the old hype man fans thought he was.
WBC decision: “Retired champion” rather than stripped
The obvious question is why the World Boxing Council hasn't just stripped Crawford of his WBC welterweight belt rather than giving him the title of “retired champion.” In the past, governing bodies have stripped champions of their belts, especially if they have moved up a weight class and have no intention of returning to that weight class.
In Crawford's case, the WBC has guaranteed him an opportunity by giving him the “retired champion” tag at 147 pounds, allowing him to return and face the champion at any time.
Mario Barrios is the WBC interim welterweight champion and will be notified of his official champion status via email or will fight for the belt. I believe the WBC will promote Barrios to official champion via email.
Crawford's possible welterweight return: The Haney factor
The only way Crawford could return to welterweight and fight for the WBC belt is if Devin Haney moves up a weight class and wins the title. Haney is an easy target and an easy target, but he's popular enough that Crawford could make a decent buck fighting Haney on PPV.
Barrios isn't popular enough to lure Crawford back to 147 pounds, and there's no way the Nebraska native would come back to fight Jaron “Boots” Ennis if he were the only one to take the WBC welterweight belt. Boots is like a younger, stronger and better version of Crawford and would dominate the soon-to-be 37-year-old once-a-year fighter.
