In one of the most anticipated fights in boxing over the last decade, Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. and Terrence "Bud" Crawford will have a 147 pound undisputed southpaw showdown on Saturday, July 29, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Spence (28-0 22 KOs) will put his WBC, WBA, and IBF welterweight world title belts against Crawford (39-0 30 knockouts) who possesses the WBO welterweight title. The boxing world has been patiently waiting on this bout for nearly two years. The last time a fight of this magnitude took place was back in 2015 when Floyd Mayweather took on Manny Pacquiao. That fight happened years after it should have and both fighters were past their prime. This particular fight is so compelling because both are undefeated fighters in their prime.
These are the fights that boxing needs.
"Finally giving the fans what they want," Spence confirmed on Instagram.
"The wait is over, it's game time," announced Crawford. "Everybody come out, show support and watch me fry this fish."
The winner will be the new undisputed welterweight king and will take the place as the No. 1 fighter in the 147-pound division. Crawford and Spence will each earn eight figures guaranteed for the Showtime PPV fight, sources told ESPN, and there's a bidirectional rematch clause that the loser can trigger within 30 days after the fight. It's a two-fight deal for Crawford with PBC, sources said. After the probable return bout between Crawford and Spence, which must take place before the end of 2023, both boxers are expected to move up to 154 pounds and one of them could challenge the 154 pound undisputed world champion, Jermell Charlo, who will be moving up two weight classes September 30, in Las Vegas.
Is Terrence Crawford the Best Boxer In the World?
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ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and Bleacher Report, all have Crawford ranked as their No. 1 pick as the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing. Regardless of order, the three top spots are consistently awarded to Crawford, Canelo and new unified 122 pound champ, Nayoa "Monster" Inoue. Inoue is now a four-division world champion, but if you ask Crawford, he still believes he's #1 on all independent lists.
With the loser activating the rematch clause, this would set up another fight. If they win one apiece it would set up a trilogy between the two. The 147-pound division has plethora of talented boxers including Jarron "Boots" Ennis, Conor Benn, Alexis Rocha, Yordenis Ugas, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, as well as Gold medal Olympian from Kazakhstan, Daniyar Yeleussinov. Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Eimantas Stanionis are also on this list with their most recent fight being canceled for the third time due to a medical issue with Ortiz Jr.
The boxing gods have been incredibly kind to the fans in 2023 and it's just getting started. Boxing needs the best to fight the best and a fight like this will pave the way for other boxers to follow suit.
