Here's what I found when I was browsing Spence's request to the WBA to contest the fight at 154 pounds.
It’s highly unlikely Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) will bother come back down to 147 and get filleted by Boots & Crawford. Spence isn’t another General McArthur who once said, “I will return.”
Spence isn’t returning to 147 after he faces Thurman at 154 because there’s too much risk involved at welterweight, and he’s not about to want to deal with all the danger, especially if he’s drained.
SourceI think this is the most desperate move that I witnessed in the whole history of boxing industry. Errol Spence Jr. and Al Haymon was really too desperate to get themselves out of the welterweight just to maintain Spence's value and record. Also, the governing bodies shouldn't just agree with their request to make the Thurman-Spence fight at 154 lbs. because their image will be scathed as it looks to the public that they are eating their words that they said in the previous months.
quote author=Vaculin link=topic=5420331.msg61605581#msg61605581 date=1673894219]
If I were Thurman, I wouldn't take this fight because it's not what I wanted in the first place as there will be no belts on the line.
I think he (Thurman) can take the fight and give his own condition. Reading the article is just confusing. How could a mandatory title defense @ 147 lbs or welterweight division be done in 154 lbs or jr. middle weight division? Isn't that ruling a joke? It looks like Spence and his promoter is more influential and has more authority than the governing bodies.
I'm confused as well, if there's no belt involved, then we cannot call it a mandatory fight and Spence could say no if he wants to. Well, even if there's no belt involved, it will be okay for fans that are desperate to see some action as we will definitely see a real action of these two.
Yeah the current situation looks like a circus. Because Spence doesn't want to give Thurman a chance to fight in a title match he moves the fight to 154 lbs, while the governing bodies order a mandatory title defense. How ironic when the sports authority issue a mandatory title defense and the fight will be done on a different weight division, doesn't that makes the governing bodies a joke?