Errol Spence Jr explains why Terence Crawford fight may not live up to the hype

The unbeaten Americans will square off in July to crown an undisputed welterweight champion

Alex Pattle
Combat Sports Correspondent
Friday 26 May 2023 11:28 BST
Comments
Tyson Fury seen consoling boxer after first pro loss

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Errol Spence Jr has claimed that his bout with Terence Crawford, ‘one of the biggest fights of the century’, may simply be a ‘one-sided a**-whooping’.

Spence vs Crawford, a fight first discussed in 2018 and desired by boxing fans ever since, was finally confirmed on Thursday (25 May), with the unbeaten Americans due to clash in Las Vegas on 29 July.

Spence Jr, 33, will enter the T-Mobile Arena as unified welterweight champion, while Crawford, 35, holds the WBO title. As such, an undisputed champion will emerge from their contest, as long as it does not end as a draw.

“Finally giving the fans what they want!” Spence Jr wrote on Instagram on Thursday. “This one [is] a throwback fight on paper but it could be a one sided a** whooping. One of the biggest fights of the century.”

Meanwhile, fellow southpaw Crawford said in an Instagram video: “The wait is over, it’s game time [...] Everybody come out, show support, watch me fry this fish.”

Spence Jr and Crawford were in talks last autumn over a November bout, but negotiations fell through, leading the latter to box David Avanesyan in December.

Crawford stopped Avanesyan in Round 6, while Spence Jr last fought in April 2022, beating Yordenis Ugas in the 10th round.

Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in