Terence “Bud” Crawford is the most enigmatic boxer in the last few years. Quietly confident, competitive, and playful, his career has taken more scrutiny than most, even though he is a consistent and proven winner. Crawford will face Errol Spence, Jr. on Saturday, July 29, in Las Vegas for his WBO welterweight strap and Spence’s IBF, WBA, and WBC titles.
The man who wins takes all to become undisputed at 147 pounds, but this is nothing new to Crawford, who is already a former undisputed champion at junior welterweight. The fight is about respect that has been fleeting for Crawford amid the hot lights that follow Spence.
“This fight puts a stamp on everything that I’ve accomplished in this sport,” Spence said during a virtual press conference. “People have tried to discredit me for this and that and have been calling for this fight. This solidifies everything. This is the fight that boxing needs.”
The People’s Underdog. The Bettors’ Favorite.
Crawford fought his whole career under the Top Rank banner until leaving them in 2021. He has been accused of fighting lesser-talented competitors, but the reality is that they were just lesser known. However, with Spence having benefitted from the deep roster of Premier Boxing Champions, his unique boxing brilliance shone brighter, even though he has yet to be a champion in multiple weight classes like Crawford.
Spence is a larger, natural welterweight that will also be very capable at 154 pounds, and he is a workhorse that destroys the body of his opponents and then targets the KO. For many, that is enough to write Crawford’s career obituary over, but not for the ever-competitive “Bud.”
“This fight boils down to who prepared the best and then on fight night, who’s on their A+ game,” Crawford continued. “That’s what it comes down to. I’m not worried about any size difference. Look at Jeff Horn and Shawn Porter. Even Jose Benavidez Jr. was a big welterweight. This is nothing new. I was always the smaller guy, even when I was fighting at 140 pounds. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”
Per DraftKings, Crawford is the betting favorite at a -155, with Spence +120. They know that Crawford is a mean throwback fighter who has always found a way to win, even when punching above his natural weight. In 39 fights, Crawford has delivered 39 wins and 30 KOs and is a three-weight class world champion. He feels that and more will contribute to his success on fight night.
The “Bud” Factor
“Everyone Errol faced had a loss and had something already taken from them. He faced guys who already knew how to lose. I take a fighter’s belt and their ‘0’. Those fighters are never the same after that face me.”
For Crawford, the perpetual underdog status has motivated him to prove his doubters wrong. In this case, popular opinion might favor Spence, but oddsmakers see this differently. For Crawford, a win is about having that extra accomplishment atop an already successful career.
“With the magnitude and the stage and just everything that’s surrounding this fight, yes, I needed Errol. But legacy-wise, I had already accomplished a lot and was already a Hall of Famer. This win is the cherry on top for me.”
