Josh Taylor believes Terence Crawford is the favourite to beat Errol Spence.
The two rivals, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and after a long-term inability to agree terms, on Saturday finally contest the undisputed welterweight title.
There have been suggestions that, as with Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao, the delay in making the most sought-after of all fights has contributed to both fighters being past their collective peak.
Since 2019 Spence has been involved in two major car crashes and undergone surgery on a retina detachment – an injury that sufficiently threatened his career that he was forced to withdraw from a lucrative fight with Manny Pacquiao – and Crawford has turned 35.
Taylor, once the undisputed junior lightweight champion, had previously targeted a fight with Crawford at 147lbs. He is yet to determine his next move, following his first ever defeat – at 140lbs by the impressive Teofimo Lopez – but having long admired Crawford and followed his progress believes that both remain at the peak of their considerable powers.
“It’s a very good fight,” he told ProBox TV: “They’re the top dogs in the welterweight division.
“This fight has been spoken about for a couple of years. Maybe it could’ve happened before now, but having said that, it’s still a great fight. They’re still both at the very top of their games. So I think it’s happening at a great time, and I’ll be watching both as a fan, and maybe a potential future opponent for whoever wins.
“Even whoever doesn’t win, y’know, they could be a future opponent anyways because I’m gonna go up to 147 eventually at some point, and my goals are to become a two-weight world champion. So I’ll be very interested in watching the fight.
“It’s a real pick-‘em fight for me, y’know. I can see Spence is a real methodical southpaw. Sticks to the basics; great jab; great length in his shots, and he can break people down. Crawford, I think he’s got a little bit more to his – a little bit more of a repertoire in his arsenal. He’s got a little bit more sauce I would say. He can go southpaw, front foot, back foot and he can really put it together.”
Spence, 33, has already spoken of his desire to move up in weight. There regardless exists a rematch clause in both fighters’ contracts.
“Having said that, I think it’s gonna be a really interesting fight, a high-skill level fight, but I think I’m just edging towards Terrence Crawford,” Taylor continued.
“I think Terrence Crawford, right now, for me, is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet at the minute. So I’ll be edging just towards Crawford.”
