Who Are Bob Arum’s Other Picks To Fight Terence Crawford If Manny Pacquiao Isn’t An Option?

In the case boxing politics get in the way of a potential clash between Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford, Top Rank’s Bob Arum has several contingency plans in place.

Speaking with talkSPORT, Arum talked about options for the WBO Welterweight Champion in Crawford (36-0). Arum previously mentioned that a fight between the two could take place outside the United States, with Bahrain as an option. Crawford has been adamant he wants a fight with Pacquiao (62-7-7), the current WBA Welterweight Champion. If  Pacquiao wasn’t available to fight, however, Arum has other options.

“That’s the opponent that I would most like Terence to fight, and I think he would,” Arum stated regarding Pacquiao. “Now, that requires a lot of money and we’ve had proposals from the Mid-East. I don’t know if those proposals will be available for this year. That is the problem.

“Otherwise, we have to look for Terence Crawford to fight a major welterweight. There are a number that are possibilities. [Keith] Thurman, [Shawn] Porter or this kid [Yordenis] Ugas, the Cuban who’s a good, good welterweight. They’re with Al [Haymon’s] company PBC, but we’re working well together with that company, so I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

Thurman just lost the title to Pacquiao and is looking to stay active following another surgery. While he is not 100% yet, “One Time” believes he is a true contender and will be ready for his next opponent, whoever it may be. A fighter who has lost to Thurman and wants a bout with Crawford is Shawn Porter. The former WBC Welterweight Champion had a Fight of the Year contender against Errol Spence Jr. in September.

The loss ended a four-fight win streak, with Porter’s last win coming against Yordenis Ugas. Ugas has won two in a row since the Porter loss and is hoping to face some of the top fighters within the division. Another option for Arum is Kell Brook, who after two years away beat Mark DeLuca in February via TKO.

Arum’s quest to host a fight with fans all depends on if there is a vaccine for the coronavirus. As far as the pecking order of fights to make for Crawford, Arum kept it pretty simple.

“So the first possibility is Pacquiao, if that’s possible. Second possibility is a fight against one of Al’s guys,” Arum went on to say. “And the third possibility is Kell Brook if we can get him in the United States.”