On paper, Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr was supposed to be a competitive matchup. Boxing fans and journalists alike had clamored for it for five years, debating who would come out on top, because it was expected to be a 50/50 fight.
Instead, it was an annihilation.
Crawford, the WBO welterweight champion, had made history by claiming the WBC, WBA, and IBF welterweight titles and becoming the first male to be a two-time undisputed champion in the four-belt era after previously accomplishing the feat at light welterweight. (Claressa Shields has also achieved that mark.)
Traditionally a slow starter, Crawford dropped Spence for the first time in his career in the second round and dropped him two more times in the seventh, before referee Harvey Dock mercifully stopped the fight in the ninth round in a shocking outcome.
“Errol Spence is a tremendous talent and he’s got a great jab,” said the 35-year-old Crawford after what was arguably one of the most remarkable performances in boxing history. “We were worried about the jab coming in because that’s how he sets up all of his shots. Our main focus was the jab. You take away his best attribute, the rest is history.”
Crawford’s words at the final press conference two days before the matchup turned out to be prescient.
“Everything about me is better than Errol,” Crawford boasted. “When you look at what I do in the ring, it’s better than what he does. Come fight night, I’m going to prove every doubter wrong. I’m going to show that I’m the best fighter in the world.”
Crawford referenced his past performances as evidence of his claimed brilliance. “I’ve never had a close fight,” he recalled. ”I’ve never had a fight where people thought I lost. I’ve looked spectacular every time.”
Crawford was ahead 79-70 on all three scorecards, with each judge giving Spence only the first round.
Spence credited his opponent for the win and stated his intentions for the future. “He was just the better man tonight,” Spence conceded, before saying they need to fight again, this time at super-welterweight.
“I’m going to be a lot better,” Spence predicted. ‘It’ll be a lot closer. It’ll probably be in December and the end of the year. I say we gotta do it again.”
From a financial standpoint, Spence has to trigger the rematch clause. But will a move up to super welterweight change the outcome? That doesn’t seem likely.
Coming up
Jake Paul battles UFC legend in a boxing contest Saturday in Dallas.
Emanuel Navarrete will defend his WBO junior lightweight title against Oscar Valdez, in Glendale, Arizona, on August 12.
Aljamain Sterling, who defeated Henry Cejudo to retain his UFC bantamweight title at UFC 288 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., will defend his title against Sean O’Malley at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday, August 19, at UFC 292.