Former two-division Paul Malignaggi champion believes that Terence Crawford has done everything he can for Bob Arum, and a fight against Errol Spence Jr is what he deserves.
Arum has often spoken out against Crawford for what he perceives to be his lack of marketing success, but Malignaggi believes the WBO welterweight champion’s responsibility is to keep winning, and noted it is not the first time Arum has fallen out with a fighter.
“I think Floyd Mayweather had the same problem with Bob Arum and eventually made him leave,” he told the DAZN Boxing Show.
“I understand from one perspective, a promoter wants to spend money on a fighter that he will be able to get back. It’s a business.
“At the same time the fighter wants the maximum amount of promotion towards him. If a fighter does his job and keeps winning, as Terence Crawford has done, then the promoter should not cut any corners in making him as marketable as possible.
“Terence Crawford has done everything asked of him. He’s won and he’s won impressively. So from that perspective the promoter has to understand: ‘I have a fighter who has done everything for me, have I done everything possible for him, made him as marketable as I can?’”
Malignaggi wondered if the Top Rank promoter was now too old to put in as much work as is needed for fighters who are yet to become superstars.
“Maybe Bob is a bit older and he’s tired of putting in all the work,” he mused.
“I’ve got a great fighter and I’m going to make money anyway. If I had a super marketable boxer like Oscar De La Hoya, the promotability sorts itself. There are guys who can fight their ass off and Terence Crawford is one of those guys. As a boxer you are signed for your ability not your marketability. If you win, your marketability comes around.”
The former champion then suggested that one resolution for Arum and Crawford would be to set him up with Spence, and wash his hands of him should he lose, or make the most of an impressive champion should he win, while another Top Rank fighter, Josh Taylor, is linked with Crawford as well as Mikey Garcia.
“The push for the Errol Spence fight should be drastic because if you don’t think he’s promotable enough, the Spence victory would get him there.
“If you don’t think he’s promotable enough, if he loses to Spence it takes it off your hands.”