Round 9: Crawford finishes Spence via TKO, becomes undisputed welterweight champion
Terence “Bud” Crawford saved his best performance for the biggest stage and delivered a virtuoso performance, knocking down Errol Spence Jr. three times en route to a dominant ninth-round technical knockout victory.
The monumental win made Crawford the undisputed welterweight champion of the world. The Nebraskan became the first male boxer in the four-belt era to win undisputed titles in two different weight classes.
The three-division champion Crawford also became the pound-for-pound king of boxing when the end of the fight came at the 2:32 mark of the ninth, as referee Harvey Dock saw enough one-way damage and stepped in to halt the action Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Crawford was confidently cruising the entire fight with devastating power and counter shots, eventually outlanding Spence 185 to 96 in a battle that was five years in the making.
Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) crushed Spence (28-1, 22 KOs) from stern to stem in his statement win, scoring a knockdown in the third round and two more in the seventh before stepping it up even further in the final frame.
Crawford connected with 50% of his shots compared to just 20% from Spence.
Spence was the busier fighter by throwing 111 more punches, but Crawford connected with the debilitating ones.
“It means everything because of who I took the belts from,” Crawford said. “They tried to blackball me. They kept me out. They talked bad about me. They said I wasn’t good enough and I couldn’t beat these welterweights. I just kept my head to the sky and kept praying to God that I would get the opportunity to show the world how great Terence Crawford is. Tonight, I believe I showed how great I am.”
Seemingly everything was working for Crawford, but his lightning-fast countershots proved to be the difference maker against the overaggressive and often overreaching Spence.
Spence had brief flashes of success with his body blows but was never in the fight.
“Errol Spence is a tremendous talent and he’s got a great jab. We were worried about the jab coming in because that’s how he sets up all of his shots,” Crawford said. “Our main focus was the jab. You take away his best attribute. The rest is history.”
The 147-pound fight was deemed as a 50-50 clash going in, and the slight betting favorite Crawford made it a complete blowout by delivering what could perhaps be deemed as a career-altering beating.
“It was a good stoppage,” Crawford said. “I was on the verge of coming back with some hard shots. Everybody knows I’m a great finisher. The ref did what he was supposed to do to protect the fighter.
“I am so mixed with so many emotions, I can cry right now.”
Spence valiantly recovered from a near-fatal car crash in 2019 and eye surgery in 2021 and agreed to many concessions in order to make the mouthwatering matchup a reality, but he had nothing serious to offer in the ring for his superior counterpart.
“He [came over] and said good fight. He was just better tonight. He was using the jab. My timing was a little bit off. He was just the better man tonight,” Spence said.
“He was just throwing the hard jab. He was timing with his jab. His timing was just on point. I wasn’t surprised by his speed or his accuracy. It was everything I thought.
“We gotta do it again. I’m going to be a lot better. It’ll be a lot closer. It’ll probably be in December and the end of the year. I say we gotta do it again. Hopefully, it will happen at 154.”
There is a rematch clause in the contract that called for the loser of the fight to make a decision about moving forward with a sequel.
Spence now has 30 days to make a decision, but Crawford can pick the weight the fight will be contested at.
Once the box office and pay-per-view statistics of the fight are tabulated, it will better allow both fighters to make more informed decisions about their future.
The 33-year-old Spence is a career-long welterweight who’s outgrown the division and has wanted to move up for years, but not before fighting Crawford to determine who’d be the best welterweight of his era, and the best 147-pounder since Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired.
The 35-year-old Crawford has competed at welterweight since 2017 and has previously expressed interest in moving up another division as well. He improved to 8-0, 8 KOs as a welterweight; he’s scored 11 straight stoppage wins and 14 of 15 stoppages overall.
After Crawford turned in a dominant performance, a rematch against Spence in a new weight class could follow the same script.
Round 8: Crawford continues to overwhelm Spence
Round 8: Everything is landing for Crawford, and it’s starting to look scary.
Spence is absorbing what could be a career-altering beating. The damage appears to be debilitating.
Spence is shot and seeking a Hail Mary. Crawford is not having any of it and is responding with relentless pressure.
Round 7: Crawford knocks Spence down two more times
Round 7: The one-way bludgeoning continues
Just as Spence was trying to land a hard left hook, Crawford delivered a lightning-fast right counter before eating the shot. But it was Spence who was hurt, and he’s dropped again.
Spence was dropped for a third time in the final seconds of the round with a right hook, and Spence was saved by the bell.
This is looking way too easy for Crawford.
Round 6: Crawford continues to wear down Spence
Round 6: Crawford connects with yet another punishing and thudding shot-gun jab that bends the legs of Spence and nearly knocks him down. It was set-up with a feint.
He later connects with a sound body shot that further takes the air out of Spence.
Crawford is dictating the clash and dominating the high-stakes dance from stern-to-stem.
Things are starting to get really uncomfortable for Spence.
Round 5: Crawford brushes off punches Spence lands
Round 5: Spence keeps walking in. Crawford side-steps and slugs the Texan.
Spence is the bull. Crawfrod is the matador.
Spence landed scattered punches — nothing serious or significant.
It seems that the smaller Crawford can’t feel Spence’s punches. A scary thought as the second half of the fight approaches.
Round 4: Crawford piles on Spence, ref asks physician if fight should continue
Round 4: Crawford keeps connecting. This time with a series of left hands, left uppercuts and left hooks.
The first third of the fight is done, and Crawford is punishing his counterpart.
So much so that referee Harvey Dock asks the ringside physician to inspect Spence to deem if it is safe for him to continue the fight.
Round 3: Crawford remains in control
Round 3: The knockdown in the second round really woke up Spence. He comes out guns blazing in the third and picks up the pressure and brings the action to Crawford.
But Crawford masterfully picks apart Spence again with sharp counter shots.
Toward the end of the round, Spence slows down a notch and Crawford’s shots start landing more crisply.
Crawford is in complete control so far.
Round 2: Crawford knocks down Spence for the first time
Round 2: Neither fighter really let their hands go in the first frame, but the same can not be said for the second.
Both Spence and Crawford stand in the middle of the ring and engage in a fundamentally-sound fight, trading blows.
With 20 seconds left in the round, Crawford crushes Spence and knocks him down for the first time in his career.
A straight left jab and a right to the chin was the combination that dropped Spence.
Spence does not appear to be hurt.
Round 1: Crawford and Spence trade early punches
Round 1: Terence Crawford is accompanied by rapper Eminem during his ring walk to the hit anthem “Lose Yourself,” while Errol Spence Jr. comes out to BigXthaPlug’s song “Texas.”
As both fighters are introduced, reactions from the fans make it clear this is a pro-Spence crowd, a welcome sight for the betting underdog.
The first bell rings and the battle for undisputed welterweight supremacy has officially commenced.
The switch-hitting Crawford starts the fight as a southpaw and immediately lands the fight’s first punch with a right jab in the opening seconds.
Spence shows aggression by pressing forward, feinting, and he landed a looping left to the body of Crawford. Crawford connects with a counter on the overreaching Spence.
The first round is not the second coming of Hagler-Hearns like some predicted, but the nervous energy is palpable.
Isaac Cruz outlasts Giovanni Cabrera, scores split decision win
Isaac Cruz is billed as the “Mexican Mike Tyson” but the short and stocky slugger failed to score the statement knockout he was looking for in the showcase slot of his co-main event fight.
In fact, Cruz (25-2-1, 17 KOs) survived a near scare with eyebrow-raising scores from the judges that resulted in him sneaking by with a split decision victory against Giovani Cabrera (21-1, 7 KOs).
The diminutive 5-foot-4-inch Cruz overcame a five-inch height disadvantage and an eight-inch reach disadvantage to stalk and press his way forward throughout the fight.
Cruz outlanded Cabrera 164 to 105 — 152 were power shots. Fifty of Cabrera’s connected shots were jabs.
Judges turned in scores of 114-113 and 115-112 for Cruz, and a third judge had it 114-113 for Cabrera in the WBC and WBA lightweight title eliminator bout.
“We were superior tonight, but I respect all of my opponents. He was very good today,” said Cruz.
With promoter and former eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao sitting ringside, Cruz leaned on his power throughout the 12 rounds but never significantly hurt Pacquiao’s former sparring partner Cabrera.
Cruz was connecting with a series of lunging left and rights, but Cabrera showed a solid chin.
While the southpaw Cabrera was trying to keep Cruz at a distance with a peppering jab, Cruz slipped his long reach and started cutting off the ring as the fight progressed.
The Freddie Roach-trained Cabrera’s pitter-patter punches and elusiveness were met with relentless aggression from Cruz. Cabrera tried to control the pace by holding and was reprimanded by referee Thomas Taylor in the third round.
As Cruz connected with a right uppercut and left hooks, he was frustrated with Cabrera’s excessive holding — Cruz was warned for leaping with his head under the chin of Cabrera.
Cruz carried newfound confidence and kept tagging and connecting to the head of Cabrera in the sixth with leaping left and right hooks that were landing flush.
In the eighth round, as Cabrera was holding, Taylor deducted a point from Cruz for another leaping head butt. After getting docked a point, an annoyed Cruz connected with another series of overhand left and right hands.
“I was frustrated. I thought it was my birthday he was hugging me so much,” said Cruz.
In the ninth round, a rhythmic four-punch combination of rights from Cruz was capped off with a crushing uppercut. Blood started to flow from the nose of Cabrera.
As Cruz was getting into an offensive groove in the second half of the fight, a cautious Cabrera was throwing one punch at a time, measured and calculated rate – seemingly enough to keep the judges satisfied, as proven by the scores that were turned in.
Cruz has been angling to fight Gervonta Davis in a rematch after dropping a competitive unanimous decision to the knockout artist in 2021, but he said after the fight that he would be open to fighting Ryan Garcia as well.
Alexandro Santiago stuns future HOF fighter Nonito Donaire, wins via unanimous decision
Four-division world champion Nonito Donaire has credentials that will make him a clear-cut Hall of Fame inductee once he retires, but his 22-year professional career couldn’t carry him to a victory Saturday night against the rough and rugged Alexandro Santiago.
Santiago stood his ground and held his own against a fighter he idolized, as he pushed and dictated the pace during the second half of the fight to win his first world title, a vacant WBC bantamweight belt.
The judges awarded Santiago the win for his superior performance, with scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 115-113.
The fighters landed 130 shots each in the fight, but the punch stats were not an indicator of how Santiago (28-3-5, 14 KOs) controlled the fight in the latter stages to dominate Donaire (42-8, 28 KOs) throughout their 12-round tilt.
“It’s so hard to explain this moment right now,” an emotional Santiago said during an interview with Showtime. “It’s been an honor to fight a legend like Nonito Donaire. We tried to focus on the errors Nonito was showing and we capitalized on that.”
The fight was close in the opening frames, but as the bout wore on, Santiago separated himself with his sharper skills and seized control with a double jab and a series of combinations. The 40-year-old Donaire tried to connect with his dynamic and devastating left hook to mostly no avail against the opponent 13 years his junior.
Donaire’s left hook was on display early, however, as the Filipino cut the right brow of the Mexican fighter with a counter shot in the third round. Santiago was stunned and retreated backward due to the blow, but he didn’t retract.
He returned fire by splitting the guard of Donaire with combinations.
A significant body of success was few and far between for Donaire thereafter.
By the fifth round, a mouse started developing under the eye of Donaire.
Santiago was the busier fighter throughout the bout, throwing 114 more punches.
A clash of heads opened another cut across the eyebrow of Santagio’s left eye in the seventh round, but Santiago kept contending well and cashing in with thudding punches to stop Donaire in his tracks.
After the fight, Donaire said he would reevaluate his career with his wife Rachel to see if he will continue fighting or not.
“I say hell no to [retirement]. I love the sport so much,” said Donaire. “I’ll see where we go from here. I couldn’t pull the trigger at some moments. I was trying to counter too much with too much power. I was trying to fight like a warrior.”
Donaire was trying to become the tenth 40-year-old-plus fighter in boxing history to win a world championship, the oldest active world champion in boxing, and the oldest champion ever at 118 pounds in an attempt to break his own record set in 2021.
Yoenis Tellez kicks off Spence-Crawford card with victory over Sergio Garcia
After two mostly even and competitive rounds, upstart Cuban contender Yoenis Tellez exploded in the third and stopped Spaniard Sergio Garcia with a crushing assortment of punches.
A two-punch combination featuring a left hook and overhand right hand from Tellez (6-0, 5 KOs) rattled Garcia (34-3, 14 KOs) and had him on unsteady legs before another telegraphed right hand sent him to the canvas.
Garcia was clearly hurt and petitioned to referee Robert Hoyle, seemingly saying nothing significant had just transpired.
But it certainly had.
Tellez picked up where he left off by delivering a barrage of unanswered blows, forcing Hoyle to step in and stop the action at the 2:02 mark of the third round.
Tellez landed a total of 55 punches compared to 26 from Garcia in the 156-pound catchweight bout.
The fight was the opening attraction of the pay-per-view card headlined by Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford.
Fighting words from Terence “Bud” Crawford and Errol Spence Jr.
The buildup of the bout between Terence “Bud” Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. has been mostly respectful and cordial, but both fighters have promised mean intentions and fireworks once the first bell rings.
Here’s what both fighters have had to say leading up to their undisputed welterweight title fight.
Terence “Bud” Crawford
“This fight means everything. This puts the cherry on top of my career. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time and I can’t wait to get it on.
“We’re here in Las Vegas early to get used to the atmosphere and the heat. Come fight night, we’re gonna be 110% prepared. We’re adjusting well.
“The welterweight division has had a lot of great fights in the past and this will be another one next Saturday. There’s a bright future for the division as well with a lot of great talent coming up. It’s still a hotbed for the sport.
“I’m just here to win the fight. We’re both prizefighters and I don’t worry about any plans he’s making for after this fight. I don’t think about a knockout, I just think about getting the victory and that’s what I’m gonna do next Saturday.
“I think I could beat anybody at any sport. That’s just my nature. I play to win. If I’m gonna challenge you, I’m coming to win and I believe that wholeheartedly. That could be anybody. Even if I’m playing Michael Jordan one-on-one.
“He thinks he’s gonna bulldoze me and break me, but he’s gonna have to show me. All of that talk is fuel to the fire that’s already burning. He’s gonna have to prove everything that he’s saying come fight night.
“This fight is happening at the right time. All the belts are on the line, so there’s even more to fight for. What better way to have this fight than to have it for the undisputed welterweight title?”
Errol Spence Jr.
“This is what I’ve worked for my whole career. I want to be that undisputed welterweight champion of the world and I’m excited to go up against a great opponent like Terence Crawford to accomplish that.
“I’ve been fighting the best for a long time. When you see all the legends of the sport, they fought each other and made historic fights. That’s what I want to do. Terence is one of the best fighters in the world and I’m one of the best fighters in the world, so we had to make this happen.
“It’s definitely business as usual, but we’ve still amped up the training because of the opponent I’m facing. Terence can really fight and I believe that we’re gonna put on a great show and a great performance.
“I’m not worried about being the underdog. People can say what they say and have their opinions. I just have to go prove them wrong.
“I’ve been feeling the buzz for this fight. Anywhere I go they’ve been asking me about this fight. I knew I had to make it happen. This is what everyone wanted. We have to prove who the man is in the welterweight division and in boxing. The winner of this fight is the best fighter in boxing – period.
“Every belt I’ve gotten I’ve taken from somebody. I beat champion after champion. I’m going through the ringer fighting the best guys in my division. There’s a big difference between facing a champion and someone without a belt. The guys with the belts have a lot more to fight for.
“I don’t know how much the size will factor into the fight until we get into the ring. They say he’s a strong guy and we’ll see next week.
“Everybody, make sure you tune into this fight. It’s gonna be an amazing fight. This fight is gonna be a war of attrition. It’s a guts and glory type of fight.
“I don’t think there’s anyone I’ve fought who’s similar to Terence Crawford. His style is different from anybody else. I don’t think Sugar Ray Leonard fought anyone like Tommy Hearns until he fought Tommy, and vice versa. That’s what happens in these historic fights.”
Terence “Bud” Crawford versus Errol Spence Jr. betting odds
The fight between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. is a true 50-50 coin flip fight in many regards, but the three-division champion Crawford is the slight sportsbook favorite.
Crawford is a -150 betting favorite to win, and Spence is a +120 betting underdog, according to DraftKings.
The over/under for the fight is set at 10.5 rounds.
A full breakdown of bets and methods of victory can be seen here, as offered by DraftKings.
Isaac Cruz, Nonito Donaire featured on Terence “Bud” Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. undercard
The pay-per-view card headlined by Terence “Bud” Crawford versus Errol Spence Jr. will begin at 5 p.m. PDT and will be complemented by three other fights.
In the co-main event, rising Mexican fan favorite Isaac Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) will take on former Manny Pacquiao sparring partner Giovanni Cabrera (21-0, 7 KOs) in a lightweight fight.
Cruz has scored two crushing knockouts in back-to-back fights since dropping a competitive decision loss to Gervonta Davis in 2021. Cruz is trying to catapult himself into a rematch with Tank.
“I’m totally focused on staying at 135 pounds because it’s where I feel strongest and most comfortable,” Cruz said. “I just want to give everyone watching a great show. I’ve made a connection with the fans because I showed that I’m not afraid to fight the best. I have no fear, just resolve.”
Cabrera is coming off a strong 2022 campaign that featured three wins against credible contenders Rene Tellez Giron and Gabriel Flores Jr.
“This is a hard fight, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I want to earn my status as world champion,” Cabrera said. “I respect Cruz and I expect a war. May the best fighter win.”
Preceding the Cruz-Cabrera clash will be a contest featuring former four-division champion Nonito Donaire (42-7, 28 KOs), trying to win another crown at 118 pounds when the Filipino fighter takes on Alexandro Santiago (27-3-5, 14 KOs) for the vacant WBC bantamweight title.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to become a world champion once again on an already historic night for boxing,” Donaire said. “I’m thankful to my team for this opportunity and I’m going to do everything I can to make the most of it. We’re working really hard on defense and being as fast as possible. It’s been an amazing camp and I can’t wait to get in the ring.”
Santiago came away with a draw in his only other world title shot in 2018. The upset-minded Mexican is looking to score the win against the 40-year-old sure-fire future Hall of Famer.
“I have been waiting five years to get another world title opportunity,” said Santiago. “I’m still focused and working hard. The objective and target are still the same.”
Yoenis Tellez (5-0, 4 KOs) and Sergio Garcia (34-2, 14 KOs) will kick off the PPV card with a 10-round super welterweight scrap.
“I’m super excited to be a part of this huge event,” the 23-year-old Tellez said. “Spence vs. Crawford is the best fight in boxing and it is a blessing to be part of this big night and facing a legit top-10 contender in Sergio Garcia. I look forward to boxing fans seeing a new star of the super welterweight division. I can’t wait to shine under the bright lights.”
The 30-year-old Spaniard Garcia will be looking to pump the brakes on the touted Cuban prospect Tellez.
“He’s a great fighter and I’m going to give it my all to beat him,” said Garcia. “I know that a good performance on a big card in the U.S. will put me right on the doorstep of a world title.”
The night of fights kicked off on the Showtime Sports YouTube channel, with a pair of bouts starting at 3 p.m. PDT.
Crawford stablemate and undefeated 168-pound contender Steven Nelson (18-0, 15 KOs) was slated to take on Rowdy Montgomery (10-4-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round bout, and super bantamweight prospect Jose Salas Reyes (12-0, 9 KOs) was set to challenge Aston Palicte (28-5-1, 23 KOs) in a 10-round contest.
Other non-televised undercard action included:
- Jabín Chollet (7-0, 6 KOs) vs. Michael Portales (3-1-1, 1 KO); six-round lightweight bout
- Justin Viloria (2-0, 2 KO) vs. Pedro Borgaro (5-0, 3 KOs); six-round super featherweight fight
- Demler Zamora (11-0, 9 KOs) vs. Nikolai Buzolin (9-4-1, 5 KOs); eight-round lightweight match
- Kevin Ventura (11-0, 8 KOs) vs. DeShawn Prather (15-1, 2 KOs); six-round welterweight fight
Terence “Bud” Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr.: By the numbers
1: Winner will become boxing’s first fully unified welterweight champion of the four-belt era, which began in 1988
12: Number of title unification fights in welterweight history, with this being just the fourth between unbeaten fighters
67: Combined wins between both undefeated fighters
52: Combined knockouts between both fighters
23: Combined wins in world title fights between both fighters
3: Divisions that Crawford has won world titles — 135 pounds, 140 pounds (undisputed) and 147 pounds
10: Straight stoppage wins for Crawford dating back to 2016
142: Total rounds boxed by Spence
224: Total rounds boxed by Crawford
15: Months layoff for Spence, who last fought in April 2022 and defeated Yordenis Ugas
30: Days after the fight in which a rematch can be activated by the loser
Experts predict the winner of Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford
We reached out to boxing experts far and wide and asked them to share their predictions for the fight between Terence “Bud” Crawford and Errol Spence Jr.
I’m still torn. My heart says Crawford. I think he’s the better fighter. I think many narratives constructed around his career are, at minimum, misleading; at worst, just false. But my head says Spence. It’s hard to look at the size disparity, the reach advantage and the options available to him and see Crawford doing what Crawford always does. Yes, he has beaten bigger, longer fighters before. But he hasn’t beaten one like Spence. So I see this as 1) a sensational Crawford knockout that cements a generational legacy or 2) a Spence win by decision that speaks to the reach advantage.
The pick: Spence, by close unanimous decision, in the neighborhood of 115-113.
— Greg Bishop, Sports Illustrated senior writer
This is a magnificent fight pitting the two best welterweights in the world. The good news is, they’re in their primes, too. I have both guys in my pound-for-pound top-five list, but I feel Crawford is the more versatile fighter. His ability to switch stances creates doubt sometimes in his opponent’s mind and at least fills it with things to be aware of. Crawford is able to use his feet very well to create punching angles, and he’s got a highly underrated chin. It’s going to be a back-and-forth fight that I see Crawford winning by being busier, defending better, and punching more accurately. Crawford by decision.
— Kevin Iole, Yahoo Sports boxing and MMA columnist
Tale of the tape between Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford
Errol Spence Jr.
Age: 33
Hometown: DeSoto, Texas
Record: 28-0, 22 KOs
Nickname: “The Truth”
Total rounds fought: 142
Knockout Ratio: 78.5%
Height: 5-foot-9 and 1/2
Reach: 72 inches
Weight: 147 pounds
Stance: Southpaw
Trainer: Derrick James
Turned Professional: 2012
Notable wins: Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Yordenis Ugas, Carlos Ocampo, Lamont Peterson, Kell Brook, Chris Algieri and Samuel Vargas
Terence Crawford
Age: 35
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Record: 39-0, 30 KOs
Nickname: “Bud”
Total rounds fought: 224
Knockout Ratio: 76.9%
Height: 5 -foot-8
Reach: 74 inches
Weight: 146.8 pounds
Stance: Switch hitter
Trainer: Brian McIntyre
Turned Professional: 2008
Notable wins: Shawn Porter, Jeff Horn, Jose Benavidez Jr., Amir Khan, Egidijus, Kavaliauskas, David Avanesyan, Viktor Postol, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Ricky Burns and Julius Indongo
Watch: Exclusive interviews with Errol Spence Jr. and Terence “Bud” Crawford
I sat down with Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford for one-on-one interviews ahead of their undisputed welterweight title fight. Here’s what they had to say:
Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford finally gets to face Errol Spence Jr. and prove he’s no B-side
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Deep in the eastern shoe of the Rockies, at the foot of Pikes Peak about 70 miles from Denver, the champion descended the stairs of his heartland-inspired camp house — ambling past fitted hats from decades ago, tiptoeing through exoskeletons of go-karts he’d been tinkering with and old Everlast gear hugging pounds of dog food. His eyes were barely open, yawns still sticking to the scruff of his swollen beard, but he knew there was work to do. Even if it required his father, “Big T,” to bang on the champ’s door — in scarlet and cream ‘Huskers pajamas no less — to get him going.
It’d been a few years since Bud and the boys got crackin’ from the base of the Cheyenne Mountain in this humble home. But it was something about the being in the elevation that soothed the champ whenever a fight drew near. Ever since his bronze in the nationals 16 years ago as an amateur: working in that crisp and colorful Colorado air, sweating in the gym and shadowboxing in the Garden of the Gods proved to be a key asset in making Terence “Bud” Crawford bulletproof.
Though, it wasn’t like Bud needed any convincing for this fight.
All he could do was smile — that playful, elegant gap-toothed grin of his — when he thought about what was at stake, what he fought for the last five years to attain; past broken promises from promoters and punches to his resume, no matter how many opponents he plowed through.
What he and every other fan of boxing around the world wanted to see was finally happening. He no longer had to lie to his kids about when there would be a date to something impossible; his trainers didn’t need to reign themselves in when folk asked when the dance was on. The pound-for-pound, undefeated, baddest man in the land believed he would walk out of Vegas on Saturday victorious, not just the king of the sport and first man ever to be an undisputed champ at two divisions in the four-belt era; but also a proud piscator after he guts the “Big Fish” Errol Spence Jr. in a title fight some of us merely dream of witnessing.
How to watch Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford fight
The fight between WBC, WBA, and IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. and WBO titlist Terence Crawford will be produced by Showtime and can be purchased for $84.99 from the premium cable provider.
The event can also be ordered digitally via PPV.com for the same price.
The PPV portion of the fight card begins at 5 p.m. PDT.
If you’re in Las Vegas and want to be ringside at the T-Mobile Arena, tickets can be purchased through AXS.com, the event’s official ticket distribution service.
Tickets for closed-circuit viewing at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas are also available starting at $124.