Top Rank chief Bob Arum refused to back down over his comments on Terence Crawford’s financial performance.
Crawford comfortably beat Kell Brook on Saturday to retain the WBO welterweight championship, but in the aftermath of the fight Arum quickly questioned whether it was worth extending his contract with the 33-year-old fighter.
Crawford is signed to Top Rank for another two fights, but Arum said: “He’s got to promote like [Teofimo] Lopez does. He’s got to promote like Shakur [Stevenson] does. Like [Floyd] Mayweather did. Like [Manny] Pacquiao did.
“If he doesn’t, then who the f— needs him? He may be the greatest fighter in the world, but, hey, I ain’t going bankrupt promoting him.
“The question is, ‘Do we want to keep him?’ I could build a house in Beverly Hills on the money I’ve lost on him in the last three fights. A beautiful home.”
UFC head Dana White and Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn both spoke out against the severity of Arum’s criticism, but the 88-year-old refused to back down.
“I don’t give a s— if [Team Crawford] got mad at me,” he told The Athletic.
“This business is not about getting mad. This business is about facts and the reality of the situation. What’d I say that was wrong? I’ll show him how much we’ve lost on his fights.
Arum questioned if a proposed fight with Errol Spence Jr. would give him value for his money in light of Crawford's financial performance.
“Again, if we did this fight with Spence and put our money in for half of the risk, and Crawford wins and Haymon wants to sign him … be my guest, for Christ’s sake! In other words, I am not going to go in my pocket anymore for Terence Crawford.
“I don’t have to make a lot of money with him on this, but I know I’ll break even or make a couple of dollars. I’m no longer in the business of losing money on Terence Crawford.”