Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford are set to take part in a legacy-defining bout that will crown the first four-belt undisputed welterweight champion ever.
Both champions are undefeated and as elite as they come in the sport of boxing. As an insight into how they might match up, there are two men who have faced both.
Kell Brook stepped in against Spence in 2017 to defend his IBF welterweight title, and was relieved of it via eleventh round stoppage. The Brit had his eye socket broken during the action.
It was four years later he would step in with Crawford. This time the challenger, he had only fought three times since the Spence loss and was dispatched by a particularly vindictive ‘Bud’ in four rounds.
Having both experiences to draw from, it’s Crawford Brook leans towards. He told Boxing Social the man from Nebraska was ‘a surgeon’ with his work in the ring.
“They’re both great fighters, but I’d have to lean towards Crawford, he’s been more active than Spence, who has been in a big car crash, he’s not really been active like Crawford. There is only small percentages in it, but I do lean towards Crawford in that fight.
It’s hard to split them, yeah he is stronger is Spence, but Crawford is more of a surgeon. He’s more precise, he’s more cute, accurate, switch-hitting, but don’t get me wrong they’re both unbelievable, pound-for-pound greats.”
And then there was Shawn Porter, who dragged Spence to a split decision in 2019 and was stopped in the tenth round by Crawford two years later.
Like Brook, Porter’s pick – made on his own podcast – is tentative.
“Somebody text me the other day and I said ‘yeah I feel the same way.’ If I had to bet my life on it, if I had to put money on it, a lot of money on it… I’d put my money on Terence Crawford.”
Spence and Crawford will serve to prove or disprove all predictions on July 29 in Las Vegas.