Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford are set to finally face off to determine the best welterweight – and fighter full stop in many eyes – on the planet.
The two champions – Spence the WBA, IBF and WBC, Crawford the WBO – have been on a long and frustrating collision course that some fans felt would never end up in a fight.
That all changed when the pair bypassed the businessmen and hopped on a private phone call. The fight was signed not long after for July 29 in Las Vegas.
It adds to a stellar year for boxing, which has already seen one of the most financially successful bouts of recent times in Gervonta Davis versus Ryan Garcia.
In a resurfaced clip, ‘Tank’ sides with Spence in no uncertain terms, and said, in a roundabout way, that he has better defence than Crawford. He also seems convinced that it could end in a stoppage for the 33-year-old.
“Errol. I know for sure.”
“Imagine we in a gun fight, right? And I got a metal shield, and the opposite person got a glass shield. Who gonna come out on top?”
“[It doesn’t matter] how much he run around, once them hands get on him it’s gonna slow him down … Ain’t no ‘if’ – he gonna touch him.”
The pair clearly back each other, with Spence having revealed earlier in the year that he put down $20,000 on ‘Tank’ to beat Garcia.
In contrast to Davis’ pick, Spence will step through the ropes as a very slight underdog to Crawford – but few boxing fans on the planet can be convinced that it will be one-sided.
Having completed their early media obligations, the two 147lbs champions are now deep in training camp for the fight of their lives.