Carl Froch and Shawn Porter provided some key insights into the Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford bout for the undisputed welterweight title on July 29th, 2023.
Both men have the opportunity to create history by becoming the first undisputed champion in the four-belt era.
While Crawford is the slight favorite with the bookies, it is a fight that could swing either way.
However, when it comes to activity, Crawford has been busier. Spence has fought twice since 2020 with victories over Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas.
Not only that, but the unified champion has had to overcome two car accidents.
Meanwhile, Crawford has been more active with three fights in three years. This has resulted in wins over Kell Brook, Shawn Porter and David Avanesyan.
And given those small margins, Froch has given Crawford the nod to come out on top.
“I like the older, wiser Terence Crawford. Errol Spence is a fantastic talent, a great fighter. Crawford is as well, but he’s just a bit older and a bit wiser – and when he needs to he can step it up a level.
“He’s a bit similar to Oleksandr Usyk in the heavyweights. If he has a bad round, he then just steps on the gas. I think Crawford has that slight extra gear and is that little bit more special. So I’d say Crawford beats Spence, but it really is a 51-49 percent fight, nothing in it,” Froch
Porter’s Insights
Porter has predicted that Spence’s size and work rate will give him an advantage over Crawford. Spence is the taller man, standing at 5 feet 9, compared to Crawford at 5 feet 8.
However, Crawford has a bigger reach at 74 inches, compared to Spence’s 72. And yet, Spence’s work rate is seen as the key component.
The Truth’s wins over Danny Garcia and most recently Yordenis Ugas showed that the unified champion is capable of breaking down fighters.
“The first thing that came to mind is Errol Spence’s work rate. He obviously has a big presence in the ring, and when he uses that presence and when he adds to it by working and staying in your face, double jabs & straight lefts and continually trying to work and apply intelligent pressure. To me, that’s where he has a huge advantage in this fight if you want to call it an advantage,” Porter
In contrast, Crawford is seen as a slow starter but with superior boxing skills. Bud’s win over Porter was indicative of that, as prior to the stoppage, Crawford was behind on the cards.
Despite Spence’s size advantage, Porter acknowledged that Crawford’s ring generalship is capable of neutralizing that.
“The other side of that is range & distance, for Terence Crawford, is almost invisible. It’s like you know where it is, and instantly, it’s done.
“He can take it from you and make it look like it’s there, and then he can pull it away from you that quickly. Terence has the ability to work from the outside and then the subtle movements that he makes. He’s not a predictable fighter. I think that’s another advantage or strong side,” Porter