Ever since his fight against Terence Crawford was announced, Errol Spence Jr. has been harking back to the era of the four kings of the 1980s.

The pair of welterweights will look to turn back the clock on July 29 and turn in a performance the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Roberto Duran would be proud of when they battle for undisputed welterweight supremacy. 

“This is an old-school fight. This is what my dad used to talk to me about when he used to watch fights 40 years ago with all of the greats, and the four kings. People adored them because they were competitive fighters. Blood and guts,” Spence said during the first episode of “All Access” on Showtime. 

“Terence Crawford has that dog mentality. I have that dog mentality. You're going to have an all-out war and action-packed fight. Old school, just like the greats.”  

The WBC, WBA, and IBF welterweight champion Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) and WBO titlist Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) are two of the best fighters of their generation, and currently in the world. 

The adage “styles make fights” couldn’t be more true for this mouthwatering matchup. The bout could even potentially unfold at a Hagler-Hearns-like, explosive pace. 

“This is what everybody clamors over. The best fighting the best,” said Spence. “Once the lights go on and the bell rings, it's war time. It's a legacy-defining fight … It's a match made in heaven. It's going to come down to determination and willpower and see who breaks first.” 

Spence and Crawford will clash in their years-in-the-making bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Showtime pay-per-view.

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.