Newly minted Hall-of-Famer Tim Bradley and top trainer Robert Garcia are both leaning toward Terence Crawford to emerge victorious in his eagerly anticipated undisputed welterweight clash with Errol Spence on July 29, but both also see the contest as close to a 50-50 matchup.
“It's very difficult to pick a winner,” Garcia told ProBox TV during the International Boxing Hall of Fame induction ceremonies last week. “And honestly, I really don't know why, but I lean towards Crawford. If you asked me why, I don't have an answer. It’s just such a close fight. It’s like, 'Oh, I think Crawford's got a little more of that dog in him.’ But then I've seen Spence, and he also has it. Yeah, so it's a 50-50 fight. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised whoever wins. It’s a fight that needed to happen. I'm glad it's happening. And hopefully, we get to see the rematch right away because if they wait a couple of years, it might be too late. But I think from what I understand, it's under contract, where they can do it right away if they want to, so I think we will see two fights, which is great for boxing.”
Bradley, who has known Crawford for many years, agrees.
“This is one of the biggest fights of this generation,” he told ProBox TV. “You have two undefeated fighters in their prime. You have two pound-for-pound top guys - Americans - and they're gonna put it all on the line, man. It's an interesting fight, style-matchup-wise. Interesting.
“Again, I favor - and I and I've said this on the record many times - I favor Terence Crawford because of his versatility. But something tells me that Spence can win, too. Spence is not an easy fighter to fight. He's undefeated for a reason. He's a three-time world champion at welterweight. And Crawford’s going to have his hands full. And so, I expect both these guys to be at their very best on the night of the fight and may the best man win. But if I had to bet, I'm betting on Terence Crawford. I just think that he's a once in a lifetime, once in a generation, talent.”
