By Brian Webber: Errol Spence Jr says he intends on smoking Terence Crawford on July 29th and then moving up to 154 because he has a lot more guys he wants to beat.
Errol moving up to 154 is going to lead to a lot of boxing fans claiming that he’s ducking Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, a young talent that is the equivalent of Chicxulub, the six-mile-wide asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
It would be better for Spence to stay at 147 for at least one more fight after he deals with Crawford because he can’t be seen fleeing the welterweight division with Boots Ennis on a collision course with the winner of his July 29th encounter with Terence.
Boots Ennis and the aging Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman need to be dealt with by Spence if he successfully beats Crawford, as he’ll face a tremendous backlash if he moves up to 154 without fighting them.
Obviously, less so with the balding, shiftless Thurman, but definitely with Ennis because he’s seen as a killer and the guy that is ready to rip the baton away from him and the still largely untested Crawford.
Errol Spence on Instagram today… pic.twitter.com/192jFNAYya
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) July 13, 2023
Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) may need to hold off making the jump up to junior middleweight because there’s a rematch clause, which means even if he’s victorious against WBO welterweight champion Crawford, he’s on the hook for a time-consuming second fight against the Omaha, Nebraska.
The fact is, there’s nothing for Spence at 154, as it’s a barren, desolate division, empty of names, and just an empty, lifeless weight class. Jermell Charlo has left the junior middleweight division to face Canelo Alvarez on September 30th, and he probably won’t return.
“Crawford is a throwback. He reminds me of Thomas Hearns, and Spence is just different,” said trainer Calvin Ford to Millcity Boxing. “Me personally, an athlete is going to do what he’s going to do. I’m looking at the corners [trainers].
Is Crawford like Hearns? There’s huge diffidence in the power & height of Tommy Hearns and Crawford, so it’s hard to agree with Ford’s comparison. ‘Hitman’ Hearns had one-punch power, and Crawford isn’t that kind of guy.
“Can the corners give the information to the athletes to have a great night that night?” said Ford. “That’s what I’m looking at. How are the corners going to perform that night because you’ve got two sharp dudes?
“I don’t call Spence #1, and I don’t call Crawford #1. They’re both #1 in my book until they fight each other. May the best man win. I do, too,” said Ford when told by the interviewer that he sees the contest going the full twelve-round distance,” said Ford.
You can’t call Spence & Crawford the two best guys without including Boots Ennis’ name among thee. The three are all on the same plane right now.
“They’re two skillful guys, and I always makee this statement,” said Ford. “You’ve got two real killers, and you put them both in a cell. They’re going to figure out how to respect each other if they want to live. That’s the type of fight that’s going to be.
“They both get in that ring unless somebody gets crazy that night; f**k it. ‘I got something on my chest to prove,’ then we’re going to see a different type of fight.
“That’s what this fight is based on. Both of them have got skills, and both of them have definitely got will. It’s just who is going to bring it out that night. They’re both putting in terrific work against their opponents.
“Both of them have been hit, and both of them have been in situations. It’s just again, you’ve got two #1 guys going against each other. We’ve got to see how that’s going to unfold that night. Even bookies can’t get it right. They got to get it right. Nine times out of ten, they got to get it right because they ain’t trying to lose,” said Ford.
The one thing that Ford said that is right is the Spence vs. Crawford fight will likely end by a decision instead of a knockout. These guys are too skilled for it to end in a knockout.
