The long-awaited welterweight debut of Terence Crawford has been reportedly delayed due to a hand injury Crawford suffered.
According to ESPN's Dan Rafael, Crawford injured his right hand during a sparring session and his upcoming fight against WBO welterweight world champion Jeff Horn has been postponed. The report said Crawford's injury is not serious and that the fight will take place either on May 19, May 26 or in early June.
The original fight date was supposed to be April 14 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, previously reported by Fightful when Bob Bennett, the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, confirmed the location. The fight will remain in Las Vegas, according to the report.
The fight card was supposed to headline a Top Rank Boxing card on ESPN. There were two other world title fights scheduled for the April 14 card, an IBF super flyweight title fight between Jerwin Ancajas and Jonas Sultan, and a WBO super bantamweight title fight between Jessie Magdaleno and Isaac Dogboe. The Magdaleno vs. Dogboe fight has now been moved to the April 28 Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card in Philadelphia.
Top Rank's Bob Arum said Ancajas vs. Sultan will still likely be paired with the Carwford vs. Horn fight whenever that fight takes place or be put on the recently-signed May 12 ESPN boxing card at Madison Square Garden. The May 12 card will feature Vasyl Lomachenko challenging for Jorge Linares' WBA lightweight title in the main event.
Crawford, the former undisputed junior welterweight champion, made the move up to welterweight last year and was tabbed by the WBO as Horn's mandatory challenger. Crawford has not fought since last August when he defeated Julius Indongo in the main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card to unify the WBA, WBO, WBC and IBF 140-pound titles for the first time in boxing history.
Horn, who won the WBO title fight last summer when he defeated Manny Pacquiao, last fought back in December, stopping Gary Corcoran late in their fight. Both of those fights were televised on ESPN, which took place in Horn's home country of Australia.