Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford will meet in Las Vegas on July 29 to crown the first undisputed welterweight champion of the four-belt era.
The fight – which has marinated for years now – was signed and sealed when the two champions bypassed the business side of things and got on the phone.
It means that the two undefeated, elite operators will battle it out to reveal the best of a generation. As a PBC event, the bout will appear on Showtime PPV in the United States at a price point of $84.95.
The UK broadcaster has now been announced as TNT Sports – formerly BT Sport – and it will also be a pay-per-view with the price yet to be revealed.
It represents a strong move from TNT, the new name of a joint venture between BT Group and Warner Bros Discovery, which also recently secured the broadcast of Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois on August 26.
Spence-Crawford is almost guaranteed to be a success worldwide as it’s a rare example of the best fighting the best.
Crawford – who holds the WBO belt – will enter the ring a slight favourite ahead of Spence, the WBC, WBA and IBF champion. There’s a two-way rematch clause present in the contract, meaning fans are likely to see it all over again, perhaps later this year.
There’s talk of a trilogy too, with the general feeling that both men may meet again one division up in the super welterweight ranks.
First up is the first fight though, and it promises to be one of, if not the, boxing event of the calendar year.