The WBO welterweight world champion, Terence Crawford has been waiting for his whole career for a moment like this to face the IBF, WBC, and WBA welterweight world champion, Errol Spence Jr. on Saturday, July 29th, live on Showtime pay-per-view, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. As finally, Crawford will get his respect one way or another, as the world will stop to see both fighters compete on that fateful evening.
Crawford and Spence are both undefeated headlining into this bout, but despite being a three-division world champion, Terence Crawford always has to deal with ridicule. A narrative has come over his career, not unlike Larry Holmes in which snide observers will scoff at his resume and ask, ‘Who has he fought?’ For Crawford, to be on this stage, and be able to silence the doubters seemingly is bringing him out of his usual dry and very formulaic fight week responses.
Today at the New York City, New York press conference, Crawford took to the dais to elaborate on his fight with Spence Jr.
“[When I fought] Shawn Porter, they only [wanted to] gauge me for Errol,” furthered Crawford as he reference his previous pay-per-view fight from 2021. “I am ready, I am more than ready. So when that time comes [on] July 29th, and my hand gets [raised], and I am the new undisputed welterweight champion of the world, all I am going to say is ‘I told you so’.”
Crawford spoke like Michael Jordan, consumed with greatness, and striving for success. Crawford was being heartfelt, but his competitive nature to most is so foreign, yet for him it is all that drives him - to be the best. Crawford gave an impassioned speech about their greatness that very well could be a piece of literature we refer back to in history to define him in the sport of boxing.
“This is greatness,” stated Crawford. “I have been preparing my whole life for this moment right here. Moments like these, they don’t come often, and this is my time. I said before, this is my time, this is the Terence Crawford era. Ain’t no holding me back. Not Errol, Not Derrick [James, Spence’s coach], nobody [will stop me from] accomplishing what I want to accomplish on July 29th.”
