Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford: B/R Staff Predictions
Boxing's biggest fight of the year will take place Saturday night in Las Vegas.
After all the chatter, trash talk and posturing, we'll finally have a true super fight featuring the best welterweights of their generation as Errol Spence and Terence Crawford put it all on the line to unify the welterweight titles.
Both men will enter the ring as undefeated champions and a win by either man will catapult them into a new stratosphere when it comes to all-time boxing greats.
So who's walking away with all the gold after all is said and done?
The B/R Combat Sports Team got together to provide their predictions for Saturday's epic encounter.
Got your prediction about the fight? Make sure to sound off in the comments section of the B/R app.
Crawford Gets It Done
1 of 3
Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure.
It should have come years earlier.
But that doesn't change that it's the sport's two best welterweights—and two of its top pound-for-pound fighters, according to both B/R and The Ring—getting together to settle a prolonged argument over who's better. And that's good. No matter what.
They've been dueling champions at 147 for better than five years and have combined for 12 defenses (six apiece), with Crawford keeping the WBO title while Spence added the WBC and WBA straps to the IBF bauble that he wrested from Kell Brook in 2017.
This means there's an excellent chance it'll be worth the wait.
Particularly because it's so hard to imagine how one guy will dominate the other.
Spence is subtly aggressive, punches well to the body and has stinging power that no less an authority than Shawn Porter, who's fought both men, suggests can wear a foe down over a series of rounds. Crawford, meanwhile, is a southpaw who shifts stances better than anyone in the game and is a master at managing range, which allows him to be effective while both leading and countering. So, with all that being even, the answer is in the intangibles.
And in this case, that means the question is "Who is the bigger dog?"
To me, with no other evidence than a pre-fight vibe, it's Crawford. His all-around skill is beyond question, but what's just as certain is the glee with which he delivers his brand of precision violence. When the fight is there to be taken down the stretch, it feels like he's the one who'll take it.
Prediction: Crawford by TKO, Round 11
- Lyle Fitzsimmons
Spence Leaves No Doubt
2 of 3
No disrespect to Gervonta Davis or Ryan Garcia, but this is by far, the Fight of the Year in terms of stakes and prestige.
A unified welterweight championship fight. That doesn't come around a lot these days. Considering all the delays and shenanigans that it took to book this contest, let's hope it's worth the wait.
As for the fight itself, this is legitimately one you could flip a coin and decide who's going to win. Crawford is the slightly more experienced fighter - 39 fights, 39 wins and 30 KOs with a 76.92 knockout percentage. The younger Spence has a slightly better KO percentage - 78.52 to be precise - and fewer miles on his legs.
In a fight this close, the small margins are going to matter. In this case, the age factor - Crawford being 35 and Spence 33 - along with the level of competition Crawford has faced recently swing me toward Spence's direction. Crawford's last "fight" was a glorified exhibition win over David Avanesyan and his last true competitive fight was back in November 2021.
Spence has been slightly more active in the last few years and that extra sharpness might be enough for him to see him through.
Prediction: Spence by unanimous decision.
- Lucky Ngamwajasat
It's a Close Fight, but Crawford Will Outlast Spence
3 of 3
Can we take a moment to appreciate the magnitude of this event? This is the fight of the decade. It's actually happening: Errol 'The Truth' Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) takes on Terence 'Bud' Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) for the undisputed welterweight crown.
Now, don't get me wrong, Naoya Inoue put on a show the other day, but the winner of Saturday's megafight becomes the pound-for-pound champ. Can Spence overcome his car-crash injuries? How will he handle Crawford's switch-hitting skills? Crawford's versatility gives him an advantage, but Spence's size and power can't be underestimated.
It's a 50-50 fight, but I'm leaning toward Crawford. Spence's desire to move up in weight may lead to exhaustion. Crawford might start slow, but he'll figure Spence out and claim victory. This showdown is the fight of the decade and could go down in history as one of the greatest battles. Brace yourself for the epic clash!
Prediction: Crawford by Majority Decision
- Douglas A. Brown
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
