Errol Spence Jr.: record, next fight and profile →
Errol Spence Jr. has always been the big bad bully of the welterweight division. That, in part, is one of the reasons why the boxing public was split on who would come out on top in his undisputed showdown against Terence Crawford.
There were a ton of different ways that Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford could have played out. Some viewed Spence’s strength, power, and ridiculous work rate as a clear indication that he would eventually overwhelm his man. Others were convinced that Crawford would simply stay on the outside and box his way to a unanimous decision. Regardless of how fans envisioned it, they normally came to one succinct conclusion...it was going to be one helluva fight.
Terence Crawford officially became the man to talk about. Heading into his undisputed showdown against Errol Spence Jr., opinions were split right down the middle. Jermell Charlo, however, was standing firmly on the side of his stablemate.
Whether he went 12 full rounds or got the job done before the sound of the final bell, Errol Spence Jr. seldom looked like he just got into a fistfight. More times than not, the 33-year-old was normally the one dishing out the beatings. Recently, however, Spence looked like a complete mess.
Terence Crawford disagrees with those that have suggested Errol Spence Jr. should retire. Crawford dropped Spence three times and dominated his rival on his way to a career-defining, ninth-round, technical-knockout victory July 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Factions of fans and media have since expressed concern for Spence’s long-term health because Crawford battered him for much of their welterweight title unification bout, but Crawford believes Spence can recover and become a formidable fighter again.
A ton of emotions began flowing through Errol Spence Jr., none more than pure rage. His boxing career has always been dedicated to not just winning a world title but to grabbing them all. Kell Brook allowed the Dallas native to get the ball rolling, stopping him for his IBF crown in 2017. Shawn Porter and Yordenis Ugas played their parts as well.
Paulie Malignaggi made sure to clear his schedule on the night of July 29th. With Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford finally agreeing to face off for all of the welterweight marbles, the former two-division champ didn’t want to miss a single second of the action.
One way to get on the bad side of Terence Crawford apparently is to behave inauthentically. The undisputed welterweight champion from Omaha, Nebraska, has not been shy about expressing his antipathy for Jermell Charlo, the undisputed 154-pound champion, and in a recent interview, Crawford explained that his animus for the Houston native stems from the latter’s “fake” demeanor.
The time to fight Terence Crawford as a welterweight was when he was just starting out as one, some five-odd years ago, according to his longtime trainer Brian McIntyre.
Terence Crawford is practically numb to the alibis and asterisks that he says typically follow his fights. That includes the latest justifications that have dribbled out in the wake of his rousing ninth-round technical knockout of Errol Spence Jr.