Terence Crawford on megafight with Errol Spence Jr.: ‘This fight sells itself’

The biggest fight in boxing is finally a done deal, and Terence Crawford couldn’t be happier.

Last week, news broke that the long-awaited showdown between Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. takes place on July 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with boxing’s undisputed welterweight championship on the line. The fight is one of the most anticipated in recent boxing history, and that anticipation has risen all the more because of the long road to get here. After originally being targeted for last November, a series of setbacks in negotiations led to the fight almost falling apart, but speaking on The MMA Hour, Crawford said both he and Spence were committed to finding a way, despite the many false starts.

“Oh, for sure, this time around felt completely different,” Crawford said. “Me and Errol, we actually got on the phone and we both agreed that we both were going to do our best to make sure that this fight happened, and we got it done. So we’re here now and we’re about to put on one of the best welterweight showdowns in a long time.

“I called him and I was like, ‘Hey, listen, let’s get it on.’ And he was all for it. We both had the same mission, the same goal, and that’s to become undisputed welterweight champion of the world and make history. So we both agreed that we were going to do what we can to get the fight done, and now we’re here.”

Crawford and Spence are two of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, making the matchup a boxing fan’s dream, but the question remains whether the broader audience will take notice. Despite being arguably the best fighter in the world for the past six years, Crawford has never been a major star, and Spence has only been moderately more successful in that regard. But given the magnitude of the matchup, Crawford believes this event will be must-see viewing.

“I think this fight sells itself,” Crawford said. “I don’t think that me nor Errol got to go out and do things that are not in our character just to sell the fight. When you look at the fight, you say, ‘OK, you’ve got two undefeated, top-five pound-for-pound fighters in their prime, going head to head for the undisputed welterweight championship of the world. Two action-packed fighters.’ What more do you need? You don’t need me going out there, acting all crazy. You don’t need him going out there, acting all crazy just to sell a fight. The fight’s going to sell itself because everybody knows what they’re getting come fight night.”

A former three-division champion, Crawford sports a perfect 39-0 record with 30 knockouts, most recently retaining his WBO welterweight title with sixth-round knockout of David Avanesyan in December. Spence, meanwhile, is currently the WBA, WBC, and IBF welterweight champion, with a record of 28 wins, 22 by knockout. He won the WBA title with a 10th-round TKO over Yordenis Ugas in April.

With all four belts on the line for their July matchup, not to mention their sterling records, Crawford believes that whoever wins this one will not only become the first undisputed welterweight champion ever, but also solidify himself as the best fighter in boxing.

“Some people have their preferences of who they feel is No. 1 pound-for-pound, and that’s cool, that’s their opinion,” Crawford said. “But after July 29, there will be no discussion, no conversation over who the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter is.”