By Craig Daly: Former trainer Abel Sanchez feels that Errol Spence Jr has too much size & youth on his side for the smaller, older shopworn Terence Crawford to beat him in their undisputed welterweight championship fight on July 29th on Showtime PPV.
Sanchez says he thinks Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) is more suited to fighting at 140. Crawford looks like a pumped-up light welterweight who ate his way to 147. His frame doesn’t remble a natural welterweight like Spence, Jaron Ennis, or Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Although Terence has enjoyed a lot of success at 147 since moving up to the weight class in 2018, he’s not been fighting elite-level fighters.
The guys Crawford has beaten at welterweight B & C+-level guys that would lose to other top 147-pounders like Jaron Ennis.
Abel feels that age will be a significant factor in this fight. Crawford is 36, and he looks his age. The receding hairline, the saggy skin around his face, and the pounds show that Crawford has aged in the last three years.
In his last two fights against David Avanesyan and Shawn Porter, he’s looked slower than he once was and took shots that he wouldn’t have five to ten years ago.
What Sanchez didn’t touch on about Crawford is his inactivity or his lackluster opposition. He fought only three times in the last three years, and that’s not enough to stay sharp.
For a fighter to be on top of their game, they need to fight at least twice a year and ideally three times. Crawford has fought annually, following the Gary Russell Jr routine of once a year.
Crawford’s activity:
- David Avanesyan – 2022
- Shawn Porter – 2021
- Kell Brook – 2020
Spence bigger, younger & fewer miles
“When he came out of the Olympics in 2012, I felt that Errol Spence and Marcus Browne were the two belt candidates to win a world championship to be a world champion for a little while,” said Abel Sanchez to K.O. Artist Sports.
“Errol Spence has done everything that I thought he was going to do, but unfortunately, he got derailed by that auto accident, but I don’t think he’s even peaked yet. I think there’s more to see from Errol Spence.
“Fighting guys like Terence and top guys in the welterweight division is going to make him even better. I think they’re both very talented, but I think the bigger guy, the younger guy, the less miles he has than Terence,” said Sanchez.
Does Spence have less ring wear than Crawford? That’s a debatable point because Spence took more punishment in his fights with Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Kell Brook, and Yordenis Ugas than Crawford has in any of his bouts during his long 15-year career.
Still, Crawford’s advanced age and the fact that he’s a true 140-pounder puts him at a severe disadvantage against Spence.
When you’re small & old, it’s tough when you get in there with a younger guy with size & power like Spence, and we could see Crawford made to look decrepit on July 29th.
Crawford’s ideal weight = 140
“I think Terence is a good fighter, but 140 lbs is his weight with great welterweights that I think Errol is,” said Sanchez. “I think half the fight will be very tactical, with both guys having each other try to make a mistake, but I just see Errol pulling away because of his size, his youth, and because of his skills.”
Terence obviously moved up to 147 in 2018 in search of bigger paydays because there was no money to be made for him fighting at 140.
Again, Crawford has gotten away with fighting at welterweight because the division was weak until recently with the emergence of Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, who he’s not shown interest in fighting.
“Crawford will try switching back & forth to try and confuse Errol, but I don’t think that’s going to help him,” said Sanchez.
It would be a good idea for Crawford not to waste too much time switching stances during the Spence fight because that isn’t going to help him. Against lesser opposition, switching nonstop would help Crawford but not against Spence.
“I think a decision. Neither of the guys will take a chance to make themselves vulnerable,” said Sanchez. “Both guys will be very tactical, but I think Errol will win by the second part of the fight and will start winning rounds and put rounds in the bank.
“I think it’ll be an 8-4 or 7-5 type of fight. I don’t think so because neither of the guys has shown that they want to be in a drag-out kind of fight,” said Abel when asked if Spence vs. Crawford could be a similar type of war as the Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns clash in April 1985, a fight that ended with a third-round knockout for the ‘Marvelous’ one.
“Terence had a difficult time with [Jose] Benavidez until the last part of the fight. He was being hit, and I think Errol is a little better fighter than Benavidez, and I think the miles on the odometer is going to make the difference,” said Sanchez., picking Spence to beat Crawford.
