Terence Crawford Confirms Errol Spence Rematch, Blasts IBF For Stripping Title

Highlights

• Terence Crawford announces rematch against Errol Spence after defeating him and becoming undisputed welterweight champion.
• Crawford was stripped of his IBF title, leading to Jarone Ennis being elevated to champion status.
• Crawford criticizes the IBF for stripping his title and calls Ennis an "E-mail Champion," but still acknowledges Ennis's skills and potential in the welterweight division.

Terence Crawford has officially announced that his upcoming bout will be a rematch against Errol Spence, following his triumph over the former unified welterweight champion in July. Spence experienced his first loss through a ninth-round technical knockout in a lopsided match, leading to Crawford becoming the undisputed champion of the division.

A little more than two months after securing his victory, Crawford was stripped of his IBF welterweight title. Jarone Ennis was subsequently elevated to the champion status from interim champion. Boxing editor for TalkSport, Michael Benson, reported that Crawford has affirmed his intention to face Spence Jr. in the next match with the following statement: "We signed to do a rematch and that's what it is. I don't have a date, but I know that's next… It shows the championship mentality that he has - he lost a grueling fight, and he feels it just wasn't his night, and he wants to prove to the world that he can defeat me in a rematch. I take my hat off to him, it was always respect."

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Why The IBF Stripped Terence Crawford Of His World Title

IBF Have Different Rules From Other Major Boxing Organizations

The four sanctioning bodies –WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO – in boxing permit voluntary defenses and make exceptions to mandatory defenses for special circumstances such as unification fights. Following Crawford's victory over Spence, the IBF did not allow any voluntary defense. On August 25, the IBF directed Crawford to initiate negotiations with Ennis, with a deadline of September 24, according to Boxing Scene. However, a complication arose due to the two-way rematch clause in the Crawford-Spence bout. This clause stipulated that the loser could contractually opt for an immediate rematch.

Even though the IBF doesn't consider rematch clauses as exceptions to mandatory defenses, Crawford, bound by the rematch clause, had to face Spence again after he exercised his right to a rematch in August.

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Terence Crawford Blasts The IBF, Takes Aim At Jaron Ennis

Crawford Responds To Being Stripped Of His IBF Title

In an interview with Fight Hub, Bud put the IBF on blast when asked about the organization stripping his world title. “Man, f--- the IBF! That’s what I say,” Crawford told a group of reporters after the Shakur Stevenson-Edwin De Los Santos weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena. “You know what I mean? F--- the IBF and they organization. I don’t give a f--- about, you know what I mean, the IBF. They stripped me damn near 2½ months after my title, not knowing what was gonna happen next. But it’s cool, though. I’m not mad at ‘em, you know? I got what I needed, and that was, you know, undisputed. And the rest is history. You know, I don’t care about none of that.”

In the interview, Crawford expressed contentment with achieving the undisputed title and went on to highlight what he perceives as the organization's inconsistency in determining how long a champion can retain their title. The welterweight champion then directed criticism towards Ennis for accepting the IBF title without engaging in a title bout, suggesting that Ennis could be viewed as an 'E-mail Champion.' Despite his critique, Crawford empathized with Ennis's predicament, acknowledging the circumstances that prevented him from actively competing for the title. Crawford also portrayed Ennis as a potential future ruler in the welterweight division, recognizing his capabilities and foreseeing his ascent to the top at 147 pounds. Crawford remained elusive regarding the specific weight class for the anticipated rematch with Errol Spence.