Rumours that WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford will face leading 140lbs contender Jose Zepeda next in October have been shot down by Top Rank’s Vice President Carl Moretti.
With talk of an underwhelming Crawford-Zepeda bout sweeping the internet like wildfire, Moretti dispelled the internet chatter with a cutting tweet. “Rumour is total [horse shit],” insisted the highly-respected Top Rank VP.
The WBC No.2 and WBO No.5 contender at 140lbs, Zepeda (34-2, 26 KOs & 2 NC) is angling for a fight against undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor, but is well placed to contest a vacant title should the Scot move up in weight, as is expected.
Pound-for-pound star Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) is in the last fight of his contract with Top Rank, having brushed aside former IBF king Kell Brook in four rounds last November.
Despite his brilliance, the three-weight champion from Omaha is still seeking a career-defining fight at 147lbs, with rival WBC and IBF title holder Errol Spence facing Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao on August 21 in Las Vegas. Crawford’s next date has been reported as October 23 in his home state of Nebraska.