It appears to be on.
Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. will meet in one of the biggest-possible matchups in boxing July 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, according to ESPN. The outlet cited “sources” in its report.
A formal announcement on the 147-pound title-unification showdown is expected to be made soon.
Crawford and Spence reportedly had agreed to a fight last November. However, talks broke down before the contracts were signed and the fighters moved on.
Breaking: Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. have agreed to a deal to fight for the undisputed welterweight championship on July 29 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, sources tell ESPN.
Al Haymon, who advises Spence, and CAA’s Ish Hinson (Crawford’s advisor) will deliver the… pic.twitter.com/JiXvGhm6Ms
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 23, 2023
Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) ended up defending against tough, but overmatched David Avanesyan in December. He stopped the challenger in the sixth round.
The WBO later ordered Crawford, it’s champion, to defend against No. 1 contender Alexis Rocha but that fight never materialized.
Spence (28-0, 22 KOs), who hasn’t fought since he knocked out Yordenis Ugas in a title-unification bout last April, was in talks to defend his titles against former beltholder Keith Thurman in April but no deal was reached.
Then ESPN reported that Crawford and Spence communicated directly by telephone in early March — without the involvement of promoters, managers and networks — and agreed on an undisclosed purse split.
Crawford then sent what was called a “memorandum of understanding” to Premier Boxing Champions, which manages Spence.
And the Dallas Morning News reported on March 29 that the talks had “restarted.”
The matchup has been compared to other great welterweight clashes because of the status of the fighters. Crawford tops Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list, Spence is No. 4.
It has been difficult to make the fight in part because the principals have been affiliated with competing handlers, Crawford with Top Rank and Spence with PBC.
Crawford split from Top Rank late last year, which opened a wider path to an agreement.
Like boxing? Be sure to visit Boxing Junkie for all your coverage of the sweet science and follow @BoxingJunkie2 on Twitter.
