Colin Hart column: Terence Crawford and Errol Spence are not past their sell-by-date, this is not Mayweather vs Pacquiao
FOR THE last five years any knowledgeable boxing fans would tell you the fight they most wanted to see was Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford against Errol Spence Jr.
With the unbeaten super-stars contracted to rival promoters it seemed – once again – the sport was going to be robbed of yet another dream fight.
Fortunately Crawford decided to break away from Bob Arum’s Top Rank organisation to become a free agent and frustration rapidly turned to elation.
At least we didn’t have to wait until either was past their sell-by date like Manny Pacquiao was when he fought Floyd Mayweather Jr, eight years ago.
It certainly didn’t take Crawford long to agree to meet Spence and their mouthwatering match-up takes place on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Terence revealed he actually got on the phone to Errol to ensure the biggest fight in boxing got made.
Crawford was the undisputed world light-welterweight champion before moving up to win the WBO welterweight crown five years ago.
And if he should beat Spence, who holds the WBC, WBA and IBF 10ston 7lb championship belts he will become an unprecedented two-division unified champion.
These days many world championship confrontations are one-sided foregone conclusions long before the sound of the opening bell.
This kind of epic locking of horns with the best clashing with the best happens once in a generation.
But attempting to find the winner between Crawford and Spence has divided opinion on bother sides of the Atlantic.
Over in the States they call this a ‘pick-em fight’ and this is reflected in the betting odds. Crawford is the slightest of favourites at 8/13 with Spence an 11/8 chance.
Both have impeccable records. Crawford, 35 on paper has the more impressive of the two having KO’d 30 of his 39 victims while Spence, 33, has blasted out 22 of his 28 opponents.
Neither are in the first flush of youth and they haven’t been very active in the last couple of years – Crawford has been in action just twice in the last 20 months while Spence has been in the ring only twice in the last 2 yrs 8months.
Errol was sidelined for a long period after crashing his Ferrari at high speed. Not wearing a seatbelt, he was catapulted out of the car ending up in intensive care.
Miraculously he didn’t break a single bone in his body and though Dallas police charged him with being drunk in charge he avoided jail and was put on probation.
He said “Our fight will be the most anticipated and action-packed fight boxing has seen in the past 30-40 years. this definitely is a legacy fight.
“It will be a battle of wills and it will depend on who can break who down. I know he’s not as durable as me.”
Both men are are equally skilful, strong and powerful though Spence a natural welterweight is much the bigger- one of his few advantages – and he probably has the better defence.
But Crawford is the ultimate switch-hitter – he is just as devastating whether he’s fighting southpaw or orthodox and Kell Brook and Amir Khan who were both beaten inside the distance by him will testify to that.
Sugar Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran I in Montreal and Leonard-Tommy ‘Hit Man’ Hearns I in Las Vegas, at the beginning of the1980’s were the two greatest welterweight fights I covered for SunSport.
If Crawford-Spence turns out to be only three quarters as good as those two pulsating wars, fans will have the pleasure of seeing a a classic.
Crawford said “This fight puts a stamp on everything I’ve ever accomplished in the sport. This is the fight boxing needs.
“This fight boils down to who has prepared the best and on fight night who is on their A-plus game. Watch me fry this fish.”
Because I believe Terence is just that bit more versatile I take him to get a paper-thin points victory and return to Omaha laden with three more belts to add to his enormous collection.
Crawford-Spence can been seen in Britain on TNT Sports PPV in the early hours on Sunday for £19.95.