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Boxing

Fight Pack: Errol Spence Jr Vs Terence Crawford

There’s no disputing that Saturday’s battle to crown an undisputed welterweight champion between WBC, WBA, and IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. and WBO champ Terence Crawford is a massive fight by any standard. What remains to be seen is whether the battle will be remembered not just as significant, but also as epic. Spence and Crawford appear to disagree on this aim.

It doesn’t come much larger than this in boxing, with two recognised pound-for-pound greats and powerful, undefeated world champions competing for all of the 147-pound titles. ‘Bud’ Crawford, 35, is a three-division world champion who is 39-0 with 30 knockouts and has held the WBO welterweight belt since stopping Manny Pacquiao’s conqueror Jeff Horn in 2018. But facing Spence, 33, is quite the other story. ‘The Truth’ is 28-0 with 22 knockouts and is the undisputed WBA, WBC, and IBF champion.

While Crawford is the more experienced fighter in the ring, Errol is a phenomenal talent who does not hold back. Spence has only been into the ring twice since 2019, due to a string of health difficulties. Terence Crawford’s most recent fight occurred in December, when he defeated David Avanesyan via TKO in the sixth round. But, as with Mayweather and Pacquiao before them, it doesn’t change the reality that it’s still the world’s two finest welterweights — and two of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters — meeting to resolve a long-running rivalry.

Many people have likened this battle to so many other famous welterweight fights, including two between Robert Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980, Leonard and Thomas Hearns the following year, Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez in 1993, and Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya in 2000. The fighters are aware of the buildup to the match, with each stating that victory would be a career highlight.

“This is going to be legendary,” Spence explained. “This is going to be iconic. People are going to talk about this fight 30, 40 years from now when they talk about legendary fights. When they talk about Leonard and Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler … they’re going to talk about this fight the same way.”

The fight immediately sold out, and the cheapest tickets on the secondary market are well over INR 25,000, especially if someone wants to sit instead of standing for three hours. Much of the enthusiasm around the bout stemmed from how long it took to put together, with boxing fans anticipating this match for several years.

“It’s all about the money at the end of the day,” Crawford stated when asked about the importance of building a legacy. “We as fighters, we start by fighting for recognition and fighting to become champion and have belts. Then you become bigger than the belts and start learning the business and what really matters in life. Once you figure that out, you realize that it’s always been about the money. No matter what, it’s always about the money. After boxing what would you have to offer, what would you have to show and what would you have to fall back on because you didn’t work a job for 20 years? So, if you’re at the pinnacle of your sport and then you’re going to retire and work at Wal-Mart or a job as a janitor because you don’t have no degrees or anything because you gave your whole life to boxing? Yes, it all boils down to money at the end of the day.”

Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who is manning the corner for Giovanni Cabrera in the co-main fight, says Crawford has a little edge.

“I have wanted to see this fight for a long time,” Roach said. “I can tell Spence and Crawford have wanted it, too, which is another reason I have wanted to see this fight. They want to know, and prove, which one is the best. It will be a close fight. While on paper, it has the look of Leonard-Hearns, I think it could end up being better.”

Whatever the outcome, one boxer will emerge as not just the welterweight division’s king, but also as the best pound-for-pound fighter.

 

 

Priyadarshan G

Priyadarshan G

priyadarshan

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