WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford says that despite the financial implications of the Covid-19 pandemic, he is not open to taking a reduced purse upon his return to the ring.
Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) may find himself in limbo as promoters look to cut costs due to a lack of gate revenue, but the 32-year-old insists that he will settle for nothing less than his contractual entitlement.
“My contract states I’m not taking any pay cuts,” Crawford said to ESPN. “If we have to fight for the minimum, so be it. With the fans unable to come see the fight, I don’t know how that’ll fare [for a fight] against any top welterweight in the division.
“When you look at the whole landscape of the whole thing, it’s going to come down to money. And if you can’t provide the proper money for each fighter, then how is that going to make the fight happen?
“But as far as a pay cut, it depends on who we’re fighting. Manny Pacquiao is a fight that we’re still currently looking forward to getting. Like I said, the pandemic has messed up a lot of things as far as money.”