Errol Spence Jr versus Terence Crawford for all of the belts in the welterweight division has been one of the most sought-after fights by hardcore boxing fans for some years now.
After numerous false alarms, the two champions finally put pen to paper, the breakthrough coming when they bypassed the formalities and simply got on the phone to make it happen.
Spence has collected three belts – WBA, WBC and IBF – over the last six years, a stoppage victory over Kell Brook being his first taste of championship glory followed by Shawn Porter and then Yordenis Ugas.
Crawford only brings one belt to the table, the WBO which he won against Jeff Horn in 2018. He has however held a world title at lightweight and been undisputed at 140lbs.
All of the above plus the fact both men are undefeated and have a penchant for ending fights early make the event one not to be missed.
Fans not lucky enough to be in Sin City on the night of July 29 will be able to watch the bout on Showtime PPV (UK broadcaster not yet announced) for the sum of $84.99.
Outrage at box office prices is all too common in the sport, and all too justified on most occasions, but such is the intrigue on display here that the response was generally accepting.
One fan responded to the news saying the would be willing to fork out $100 for the privilege, and another followed up saying it was worth that even without an undercard. There were plenty of confirmations that the fight would be purchased and choruses of ‘no complaints.’
Someone said that it was a once in a generation fight which justified the price, and another said that Spence and Crawford deserved the fans’ support for putting their records and legacies on the line.
Of course, there were some who still feel the PPV model is outdated and over-inflated.
The price point is the same as Showtime’s showing of Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia, and $25 more expensive than the ESPN broadcast Devin Haney vs Vasily Lomachenko.
$74.99 has become a bit of a standard for US boxing fans in recent times, although there are exceptions that fall above and below. Floyd Mayweather’s crossover contest with Conor McGregor were just shy of a cool $100, whilst Tyson Fury’s trilogy with Deontay Wilder snuck over the average at $79.99.
This is one of the few times that fans have largely accepted a premium price tag – and it’s because they’re about to witness a premium product, perhaps the best the sport can offer.