Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford lock horns for the undisputed welterweight championship on July 29th, 2023, live from the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
Much has been said in the build-up with Crawford vowing to ‘suffocate’ the ‘big fish’ that Spence is known for being, while the latter has vowed to ‘smoke’ Crawford.
In a fight that has been billed as a genuine 50-50, boxing experts have been divided over who will come out victorious.
Spence and Crawford are undefeated, as one will come up short with many answered questions.
Spence will have to silence doubters over his form and condition, having had two car crashes, as well as a 15-month lay-off since his victory over Yordenis Ugas last year.
Meanwhile, Crawford will face the toughest welterweight of his career with question marks over the nature of his wins.
Despite beating Shawn Porter, the 35-year-old was behind on the cards prior to the stoppage.
With that being said, let us take a look at who the experts picked.
Crawford
Eddie Hearn: “I favor Terence Crawford just by points or maybe a late stoppage.”
Zhilei Zhang: “I go with the older dog. Crawford by decision.”
Tim Tszyu: “I’m slightly towards Crawford, but it could end either way.”
Jonathan Banks: “I think Crawford has a better chance of winning…because Crawford goes for the stoppage every single time. If he hurts you, he is going to try and finish you.”
Manny Pacquiao: “The style advantage – Crawford has that advantage against Spence: “It depends how they prepare for the fight. I don’t think [it ends in a knockout] – it’s gonna be a twelve round decision.”
Mike Tyson: “Look what [Crawford] did to Porter and look what [Spence] did to Porter. That’s all I’m saying.”
James Tony: “Crawford by a knockout too.”
Mikey Garcia: “I think Crawford make adjustments.”
Oscar De La Hoya: “I strongly feel Crawford and Spence are both great fighters, but in my humble opinion is that Crawford has the better ability. He has the better arsenal inside the ring.”
Timothy Bradley: “Crawford’s counterpunching, he’s fast, quick, switches right and left.”
Kell Brook: “[I pick Bud because of] the way Crawford dealt with Porter and Spence’s car crash.”
Robert Garcia: “He is stronger physically and mentally he might be the stronger man.”
Spence
Paulie Malignaggi: “I think Errol is too big, and I think the natural size is going to be a bit too much to deal with.”
Stanionis Backing Errol Spence In Terence Crawford Clash https://t.co/rXBw24H9ti pic.twitter.com/kJj4tDRt3N
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) June 22, 2023
Eimantas Stanionis: “I’m leaning toward Spence. He’s the bigger guy, he has big amateur background. I just go towards him.”
Deontay Wilder: “I’m gonna have to go with Spence.”
Teofimo Lopez: “Part of me sides with Spence – only reason being he’s good at body shots. Accurate with them. He knows when to throw them. Southpaw.
“He’s a little bit more tall, lanky. I think that he’ll read Crawford a bit more. And also, on top of that, he has the ring generalship, he has the experience. He’s faced top-calibrated fighters. He’s collected each belt from each one.”
On The Fence
Badou Jack: “That’s a 50-50 fight. I don’t know. It’s a toss up. I like both guys.”
Sugar Hill Steward: “It’s one of those chess match things. [It’s] whoever would make the moves fastest. I don’t know who that would be.”
Chris Algeri: “I can see so many different ways. It’s one of those fights where it’s a true 50-50 fight, which is so hard to say in any kind of era in terms of boxing matchups.
“I could see Crawford stopping Spence. I could also see Spence beating up and stopping Crawford. That’s how crazy the fight is. It’s that kind of matchup.”
Further Predictions
Teddy Atlas states Crawford’s fighting instinct and style set him apart from other fighters, making him the potential victor against Spence.
Oleksandr Usyk favors Crawford’s excellent boxing, as his skills give him the upper hand.
Canelo Alvarez expects an excellent match but favors Crawford due to his impressive combination of skill and power.
Dmitry Bivol favors Crawford to win due to his ability to switch positions and exceptional ring intelligence.
Andy Ruiz Jr. believes Crawford’s ability to box and move around the ring can be an advantage.
Sean Zittel (FIGHTHYPE) gives credit to Crawford for his exceptional boxing skills and flexibility.
Kenny Porter expects Crawford to be overpowered by Spence.
Abel Sanchez predicts Spence will utilize his jab to win.
Floyd Mayweather Sr. favors Spence over Crawford.