Boxing Social predicts the super-fight between Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford, Nonito Donaire’s potentially record-breaking world title bout and the return of Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, with the picks forming an 11/1 treble.
Errol Spence Jr vs Terence Crawford (Undisputed Welterweight Title)
Spence and Crawford star in one of the most anticipated – and hard to predict – fights in recent memory. The two welterweight champions are undefeated, fond of a knockout and widely featured on best pound-for-pound lists.
Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) is a career-long welterweight with excellent fundamentals and an economic and powerful style out of the southpaw stance. Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) is a switch-hitter who has worked his way up from lightweight – a true master of range and a punishing finisher once he finds his flow.
Some are focusing on the size of Spence and how it could deter Crawford from getting off his best work, but he’s been at the weight now for five years and should be comfortable enough.
Others believe Spence’s horror car crash in 2019 and long periods of inactivity since could play the biggest part in how the action unfolds.
With that in mind, along with the suspicion that he was hurt by Yordenis Ugas in his last outing and may be ready for a move up to 154 pounds, I’m backing Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford to get the stoppage in the second half of the fight.
These are two generational greats, there’s no doubt about it, and the result of this fight will surprise some people somewhere. Crawford just seems to have that little bit more magic to come out of a super-fight like this with his hand raised.
Isaac Cruz vs Giovanni Cabrera
Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) returns to the ring for the first time this year against undefeated lightweight, Giovanni Cabrera (21-0, 7 KOs).
Cruz is only one of two men able to claim to have taken Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis the distance, and since that loss has scored stoppage victories over Yuriorkis Gamboa and Eduardo Ramirez.
Cabrera has notched up some impressive wins in his seven-year pro career, but his first twelve-rounder here is set to be a different task entirely.
His 5’9″ frame is almost tailor-made for ‘Pitbull’ to get on the inside and unleash his hooks, and nothing says he has the power to temper that onslaught. I’m going for the Cruz stoppage that will perhaps set up the rematch with ‘Tank’ later this year.
Nonito Donaire vs Alexandro Santiago (WBC Bantamweight World Title)
At 40-years-old, Nonito Donaire (42-7, 28 KOs) looks to break his own record of the oldest boxer in history to win a bantamweight world title, previously set when he was 38.
In the other corner is Alexandro Santiago (23-3-5, 14 KOs) – a 27-year-old Mexican who made his pro debut in 2012, eleven years after Donaire’s. He has bounced back from a loss to Gary Antonio Russell in 2021 with three straight wins.
The question here is how much does ‘The Filipino Flash’ have left after an already hall of fame worthy career and his most recent loss – a punishing knockout at the hands of ‘The Monster’, Naoya Inoue.
Donaire fought fire with fire in that fight. It was the wrong opponent to do it with, and the youth of Santiago may have convinced him to use his considerable skills here instead. He has everything in his locker to outbox the Mexican, who has never been stopped.
Without knowing how much the Inoue defeat took out of him, and considering the 13 month lay-off, I’m backing the fight to go the distance here. Nobody should put it past Donaire to get the job done comfortably, though.
Boxing Social’s Enhanced Odds treble via betting partner William Hill is 11/1.