The most anticipated boxing match in the past few yeas is finally here! Two of the world’s best pound-for-found boxers, Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr., will square off for the undisputed welterweight championship title on July 29th in Las Vegas. The match is the biggest match in boxing since the 2015 fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. That fight left a lot of fans disappointed with the lack of action, but this one is expected to be an exciting and closely contested encounter between two of today’s top fighters.
Terence Crawford, also known as “Bud”, is the WBO champion and widely regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He has a perfect record, sitting at 38–0 with 29 knockouts. He is a versatile and skilled boxer who can box, adapt to different styles, and finish his opponents with power and precision. Crawford is a three-division world champion and was widely considered the best at lightweight, junior-welterweight, and welterweight (135, 140, and 147lbs.)
Errol Spence Jr., is the unified WBC and IBF champion and also considered one of the elite fighters in the sport. The Dallas-area native who sports an impressive record of 28 wins and no losses, with 21 knockouts. He is a strong and relentless southpaw who likes to pressure his opponents, work the body, and break them down with his high-volume punching. He has also defeated some of the top contenders in the division and has spent his whole career at welterweight.
Both fighters have a lot of strengths and few weaknesses, which makes this fight so intriguing and hard to predict. Although Crawford is older and should be near the end of his peak at 34 years old, he hasn’t had a lot of damage and breakdown to his body throughout his career. Although Spence is two years younger and has fewer professional fights, his body has probably been through more damage with his boxing style and a long recovery from a bad car wreck over four years ago.
It should be an interesting fight that will determine who will be the latest of the welterweight greats. Let’s break down what both fighters bring to the table and how the fight could play out:
Crawford’s Strengths:
Crawford has the advantage of speed, movement, and versatility. He can fight from both orthodox and southpaw stances, which gives him more options and angles to attack from. Depending on what suits him best, he can also box from the outside or brawl on the inside.
Terence has a high ring IQ and can adjust his game plan during the fight. He is also a very accurate and powerful puncher who can hurt his opponents with either hand. Crawford is also considered a sharpshooter; he has quick and accurate punches that can hurt his opponent both to the body and the head.
Spence’s Strengths:
Spence has the advantage of size, strength, and stamina. He is naturally bigger and stronger than Crawford, who started his career at lightweight and moved up to welterweight. He can use his physical attributes to impose his will on his opponents and wear them down with his relentless pressure.
He has a great jab and a devastating body attack that can sap his opponents’ energy and slow them down. He is also a very durable and resilient fighter who can take a punch and keep coming forward throughout the fight.
Crawfords Weaknesses:
Crawford doesn’t have too many weaknesses, but relative to Spence he is a bit shorter and not as naturally big as Errol. One can say that he has started fights too slow, but in the last few fights, he has started pretty quick and has some early and mid-round KOs that he has recently racked up.
In his thirty-eight fights, he has been stunned twice, in a fight with Yuriokis Gamboa nine years ago when he was a lightweight champion. Another against Egidijus Kavaliauskas four years ago. He recovered quickly and ended up dominating and stopping both fighters later in the match.
Some people might think that Crawford is weaker because he is the naturally smaller guy compared to Spence. However, he has filled into the 147 lb. weight throughout the last few years and has what is called boxing strength (there is no wasted muscle or strength, and is very fast and strong for his weight). Although Spence has fought the better competition at this weight, Crawford has been getting some nice stoppages and is fully grown into this weight limit.
Spence Weaknesses:
Spence is a sold-working Southpaw who can throw a lot of punches and comes forward often. Although he has gotten caught and buzzed by a couple of hard punchers, he recovers well and has come back to beat his opponents every time.
Spence has a high guard defense and tries to block and catch a lot of punches. With his style, he might linger in the pocket a little too long and can be hit at times. A sharpshooter like Crawford will try to split the guard and create openings with other shots in-between and around the guard.
Other Notes:
The fight will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is a neutral venue for both fighters. The fight will be broadcasted on pay-per-view by ESPN and Fox Sports, which are the networks that have contracts with Crawford and Spence respectively. The fight is expected to generate a lot of interest and revenue for both fighters and the sport of boxing.
Both fighters will be making upwards of eight figures once the the pay-per-view sales are split, making it by far the largest purse for the boxers. Crawford opened up as the favorite at around -120, and has since widened the gap and is favored at -150 over at Draftkings. Crawford is currently setting at +120.
On the undercard Isaac Cruz (24–2–1, 17 KOs) will be taking on undefeated Giovanni Cabrera (21–0, 7 KOs). Cruz has an aggressive fan friendly style that usually gets the crowd going. Cabrera is a good boxer that has swept most of his opponents, and is the classic boxer and mover who will want to stay away from Cruz and pick his exchanges. Cruz is the only fighter who has given Gervonta Davis problems recently, and is one of the up-and-coming Mexican fighters with a big fan base behding him.
Will the Fight Live Up to the Expectations?
This fight is not only important for the welterweight division but also for the legacy of both fighters. The winner will become the undisputed champion of one of the most prestigious and competitive divisions in boxing history, joining the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Tommy Hearns, Sugar Ray Robinson, Floyd Mayweather, Jose Napoles, and others who dominated the welterweight division.
This matchup is the most anticipated fight in the sport in the past few years. It’s not often that two undefeated champions agree to compete in a unification bout, making this a rare occasion in today’s boxing. It’s a test of both fighters’ abilities, intelligence, and determination. The winner will also cement his status as one of the best fighters of this era, and become the latest of the welterweight kings.
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