Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford’s verbal jabs during a recent press conference foreshadowed their impending welterweight title showdown. A particular point of contention was Crawford’s 10th-round knockout win against Shawn Porter, a victory seen as Crawford’s best since moving to welterweight. However, Spence, who fought Porter in 2019, stated that Crawford beat a less formidable version of Porter.
The exchange heated up when Crawford claimed that defeating Spence in their July 29th bout would cement him as the era’s best fighter. Spence hit back, undermining Crawford’s past victories and stating that Top Rank, Crawford’s former promoter, had the best matchmakers in the business. Crawford, in turn, questioned why Spence couldn't achieve the same results against Porter that he did.
The two then discussed Crawford’s win over former welterweight champion Kell Brook. Spence claimed Brook was already “broken” when Crawford faced him, due to a previous injury sustained in a bout with Gennadiy Golovkin. Crawford retorted that Brook was also injured when Spence fought him. The exchange ended with Spence suggesting that Crawford was also about to fight an injured opponent - a reference to himself and his recent surgeries.
Crawford concluded their verbal spar by predicting that Spence would be “broken” in their upcoming bout. The highly-anticipated fight, scheduled for July 29th, will determine who will hold the WBO, IBF, WBA, and WBC welterweight titles.
Image Credit: DAZN