Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford finally made their fight official with a press conference and pre-fight face-off at the Beverley Hills Hotel in Los Angeles yesterday afternoon.
The welterweight duo will likely decide who is the pound-for-pound No.1 in boxing with the winner of their Las Vegas showdown on July 29, with tickets expected to fly out the door despite a monster minimum charge likely over $500. They will compete on pay-per-view after years of negotiations, with many fearing the fight would never happen.
Crawford knocked out David Avanesyan to retain his WBO belt last December, while Spence hasn't defended his WBA, IBF and WBC titles in over a year since dethroning Yordenis Ugas. The pair had a number of dates leaked throughout the year, but are now set for a summer showdown next month at the T-Mobile Arena.
“We had to get on the phone and talk about it, and now it’s finally happening," Spence told the gathered media. This is going to prove not only who the best welterweight is, but who the best fighter in the world is. My mentality is to go all out and give everything. His mentality is the same.
“Terence hasn’t fought anybody. Even Shawn Porter said he didn’t train like he should against you. Kell Brook was already broken. I broke Kell Brook’s other eye, that’s how he got broke. Terence is a great fighter and I’m gonna break another great fighter’s will. Mentally and physically, I’m going to dominate and come out on top."
Crawford hit back in his speech, telling Spence that he would be defining the current era of boxing as his with a stunning victory. Bookies currently have the pair almost neck and neck, with some edging towards the more active Crawford, who hasn't faced the severe injury issues that Spence has.
Are you excited for Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr to finally fight? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
“Y’all are going to witness greatness," Crawford guaranteed We measure greatness by eras. July 29, I’m going to show everyone why this era is the Terence Crawford era. I’m so excited that we’re here today and that we got this fight done. I’m excited for the fans. I have a gift for each and every one of y’all, because I love the fans.
"Without the fans, there’s no us. I’m going to give you all a gift with the presence of the two of us on July 29. He calls himself the big fish. What happens when you take the fish out the water? You suffocate him. A win shows that I’m the greatest fighter of the era. No man has captured undisputed in two weight classes.
"That solidifies me as the greatest fighter of this era. I’m going to gut him and feed him to everyone that eats fish in here. If he’s a big fish, we’re going to have enough for everyone, with potatoes on the side. We don’t smoke over here, we go hunting for fish fillet. People after this fight are going to say that Bud Crawford is special. I can assure you that. He’ll give me my respect after the fight after I whoop that a**."
