WBO welterweight champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 38-0 (29) has sent a message to undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell ‘Iron Man’ Charlo 35-1-1 (19).
The message was simple: “I’m coming for you”.
Charlo added the WBO strap to his collection of hardware with a 10th round knockout win over Brian Castano in their rematch last weekend.
Their first fight last July was hotly contested, with man fans and pundits believing Castano deserved the nod. There was no such controversy in the rematch, with Charlo widely outclassing Castano before knocking him out.
Sitting at ringside was Errol Spence Jr 28-0 (22). The WBC, WBA and IBF 147-pound champion is currently in negotiations to face Crawford is a four-belt welterweight unification bout.
If that bout does take place, Crawford has revealed his plan to move up a division with the goal to face the newly crowned undisputed 154-pound champion.
Crawford won his first world title at lightweight before unifying all four major world titles at junior welterweight. He claimed the WBO strap from Jeff Horn in the Australian’s first title defence. Horn defeated Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao in his previous bout.
“I meant what I said. Once I beat Spence, if Charlo don’t move up, I’m coming for him,” Crawford said to The Porter Way Podcast.
“I didn’t see the [Jermell Charlo vs Brian Castano] fight, but I heard he won by a tenth-round knockout. Congratulations to Charlo, but he’s on my hit list. I got two people on my hit list. Jermell and Spence. Spence is first.
“Let me say this about people that keep saying Texas stuff. Spence is from New York City. Charlo and his brother are from Lafayette, Louisiana.
“Stop talking about y’all from Texas, and y’all Texas boys. Y’all Illinois boys, and you’re from New York, Spence. I’m tired of y’all, ‘Texas, Texas, Texas.’ That’s where you’re from [New York]. Rep your city.
“But has a lot of tools in his arsenal that would make that an interesting matchup,” said Carson Merk about a fight between Crawford and Jermell.”
Charlo has two mandatory defences due against Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora with different sanctioning bodies. Whether he chooses either of them or drops one of the belts remains to be seen.
“I’d like to see Castano get in the mix with Tim Tszyu and Fundora,” Crawford said. “I thought he won the first fight [with Charlo], but obviously not in the rematch. I still think Charlo knocks Fundora and Tim Tszyu’s blocks off. They’re both very, very worthy.
“Tony Harrison is one-one against Charlo. I think any of those options. You can line him up with Harrison again, Tim Tszyu, Fundora, or if he goes to 160 and Jermall goes up to 168, I’m fine with any of those.”
