Terence Crawford to return October 23rd on ESPN

Terence Crawford may not yet have an opponent for his next ring outing, but he does have a date. Bob Arum tells Dan Rafael that “Bud” will return to action on October 23rd on ESPN. The fight will presumably be his last under his current Top Rank contract, which expires that month.

Crawford (37-0, 28 KO) hasn’t seen action since thrashing Kell Brook last November, and hasn’t fought more than twice in a calendar year since 2016. He was linked to a potential clash with Manny Pacquiao in Dubai earlier this year, but the matchup collapsed when the promised site fee failed to materialize, and “Pac-Man” has since signed to fight Errol Spence Jr.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. is presently his #1 contender, though I’d imagine that Ortiz’s handlers would prefer at least one more outing before throwing their charge into the deep end. There’s also been talk of Ortiz facing former Crwaford victim Egidijus Kavaliauskas.

What are you all expecting? Will Crawford’s contentious relationship with Top Rank end on a damp fart or will we finally get to see him face a top Welterweight?