Errol Spence Jr will put his three welterweight titles on the line against Terence Crawford’s one to crown an undisputed champion in the division.
The pair bypassed the business side of boxing and picked up the phone to finally make the long-awaited fight happen, delighting fans in the process and sparking debates worldwide about who will have their hand raised.
Both can claim power and skill, and whilst Crawford is set to enter the ring a slight favourite, there’s little doubt that his contest with Spence is one of the closest matched in the sport.
The latest fighter to make his prediction is Andy Ruiz Jr. Speaking to FightHype.com, the former unified world heavyweight champ said he was rooting for ‘Bud’ Crawford, and believes his style will cause problems for Spence.
“That’s gonna be a good one, man. I like both of them, but I kind of feel that Crawford has that style where it’s just difficult, you know? I think he can box around, he can move around, he can be leftie as well if he wants to.
I love his family man – his mom and his dad, they’re such good people. I’m rooting for Crawford.”
Like most picks for the fight, Ruiz’s is tentative. Such is the intrigue surrounding July 29, when either Spence or Crawford will emerge from the ring with a strong case as the best boxer on the planet.
There’s little guaranteed about how the contest will play out, but one thing fans agree on – as well as the fighters themselves – is that it will be a throwback-style bout that, given the styles and what’s on the line, can’t disappoint.