“Because I Was Coming up To Fight Errol Spence Jr.”

Boxing thrives on rivalries, but some feuds go beyond competition. Gervonta Davis and Terence Crawford have been locked in one for quite some time now. Who started it? Well, that’s up for debate, but if you ask Crawford, he’s got a clear answer. In an exclusive interview with Rikki Soumpholphakdy of The Ring Magazine, Crawford pulled no punches. While discussing his bond with Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis, as well as his clashes with Teofimo Lopez and Davis, the gloves truly came off.

Crawford has long claimed that only Shakur Stevenson or Keyshawn Davis could be the ones to hand Tank his first “L”. But let’s not forget, Lamont Roach Jr. also gave Davis a tough fight recently.  As for Lopez, Crawford already put him in his place last month, settling their score in a heated battle on February 22nd in Riyadh. But what about Gervonta Davis? Despite their online jabs, the two haven’t come face-to-face this year.

When asked about Gervonta Davis calling him a ‘hater,’ Terence Crawford bluntly said, “What have I ever hated on Tank about?” He pointed out that when comparing their résumés, the gap is as stark as “night and day”. With an undefeated record of 41-0 (31 KOs), Crawford made it clear that his issue with Davis isn’t about boxing credentials.

In fact, considering they fight in different weight classes and that Crawford holds the edge in both age and experience, the idea of him “hating” on Davis simply doesn’t add up. “You can’t even tie my shoestrings. So, to call me a hater is crazy. I never hated on him,” he asserted. He even acknowledged Davis’ skill, saying, “I never said he couldn’t fight.” But if Crawford never disrespected Davis’ ability, then where did the animosity begin?

“When you go back to things like a person of being a hater, Tank came at me first,” Crawford stated. He recalled how Davis once said that he had a “glass chin” and would get knocked out if Davis ever landed a clean punch. Crawford believed this all began when “I was coming up to fight [Errol] Spence” in 2023, and Davis was the one bringing up his name, not the other way around.

Davis has been vocal about Spence Jr. not being the same fighter when he lost to Crawford. He attributes this decline to Spence’s 2019 car accident. In response, Crawford shrugged off the claim, saying, “It is what it is.” He reminded everyone that Spence convincingly defeated Danny Garcia in 2020 as the same fighter. On top of that, he didn’t forget to mention about The Truth’s 10th-round TKO victory against Yordenis Ugas. But after he lost to Crawford, people suddenly started questioning whether he was still the same.

Crawford saw that as an attempt to discredit his win over Spence. Keeping that in mind, he refused to engage with those still “butt hurt” about the outcome. Though he had no intention of crossing paths with or even discussing Gervonta Davis, the events of the March 1st fight pushed him to break his silence.

Did Gervonta Davis Get a Free Pass?

Facing a tough challenge in Lamont Roach Jr., Gervonta Davis shocked fans by unexpectedly taking a knee in the ninth round. His explanation? Hair product was dripping into his eye. Referee Steve Willis’s decision not to rule it a knockdown has left many outraged. As it could have altered the fight’s outcome. If the referee had ruled the knockdown correctly, Roach Jr. could have won, marking the first loss of Davis’s career. Terence Crawford jumped in the debate, with an example from the past.

Crawford took to X and said, “Some of yall need to watch Mayweather vs Hernandez and see Mayweather take a knee because he hurt his hand and it was called a knock down and not from a punch either.”

Here, Crawford is referencing Floyd Mayweather Jr.‘s fight against Carlos Hernandez in 2001. In the sixth round, Mayweather took a knee due to a sharp pain shot through his hand. Even though Hernandez didn’t knock him down, the referee ruled it as knockdown and gave Mayweather a standing eight-count. No doubt, Money Mayweather won the fight, but this incident stands out because history recorded it as his first-ever knockdown. Crawford’s argument? If referees counted Mayweather’s moment as a knockdown, why didn’t they give Davis a similar verdict?

A hair product mishap vs. a sharp pain in the hand—do you think the stakes are comparable? Does Terence Crawford have a point? Let us know your thoughts below!