Alexis Rocha wanted Terence Crawford, and unless “Bud” vs. “The Truth” rises from the grave, he’s getting Terence Crawford. The WBO has officially ordered the two to fight for Crawford’s welterweight title, giving them 20 days to come to terms.
Should they fail to do so, Crawford will be the beneficiary of a 75/25 split on a $200,000-minimum purse bid.
The 25-year-old Rocha (22-1, 14 KO) has won six straight since falling to Rashidi Ellis in 2020, most notably stopping Blair Cobbs last February. Though he never took part in a final eliminator and was until recently ranked behind Vergil Ortiz Jr and Keith Thurman, he got this opportunity thanks to Ortiz going the WBA route and Thurman pursuing a WBC title shot against Errol Spence Jr.
He was last seen crushing late replacement George Ashie, who’d stepped in for Anthony Young at the eleventh hour.
Though a solid young fighter, I imagine few will give him much of a shot against Crawford (39-0, 30 KO) despite the latter being 10 years his elder. If Father Time is catching up to “Bud,” he’s taking his sweet, well, him about it. Crawford looked like his classic self when he trucked David Avanesyan in December to extend his knockout streak to 10, which bodes ill for someone as willing to mix it up as “Lex.”
Now, let’s see how Golden Boy and BLK Prime handle these negotiations.