Terence Crawford’s KO of Errol Spence Jr Proved He’s One of the Greatest of All Time…but Here’s Why They SHOULD NOT Fight Again
It wasn’t the fight of the century they advertised – it was far too one-sided for that – but it was an all-ages performance.
Terence Crawford, 35, not only defeated Errol Spence, he destroyed Junior.
Destroying his 33-year-old arch-rival, American Bud became the first four-belt man of the era to become an undisputed world champion in two weight divisions.
And according to many – not least his own – the best pound-for-pound boxer of his generation.
The three knockdowns, along with losing just one round, en route to a devastating stoppage in the ninth round, backed up all the superlatives that flooded Crawford on the night of his life.
Terence Crawford lands an uppercut on his bloodied rival Errol Spence Jr in Las Vegas
‘Bud’ Crawford’s dominant performance proved his place at the top of the boxing world
Phenomenal, masterclass, genius, sensational, magnificent, superior, simply the best. So it went on until the dawn of Las Vegas.
“I told you so,” said the maestro, who had felt robbed of his rightful recognition over the years. “And yes, I have to say I feel like this cements me as the best fighter of this era.”
Thousands of miles away in Tokyo, that case was still being made for Naoya Inoue, The Monster who had become world champion in four divisions four nights earlier by adding previously undefeated superbantamweight king Stephen Fulton to his never-ending list of KO victims.
Right now, in the desert heat of the moment on the Strip, American boxing would rather forget the Japanese achievement.
And why not? At this time.
Crawford celebrates with the championship belts after winning the fight of the year in Vegas
Spence Jr takes a heavy blow from his American rival in the sixth round of their fight
But to bolster his claim for elevation to the prize ring’s all-time pantheon, Crawford went on to say, “Remember, Errol is an elite fighter.”
Therein lies the smallest caveat. Those of us who thought Spence could show off his size and power hedged the bet out of concern for his physical well-being.
That near-fatal car accident had caused severe head and facial damage. Then came eye surgery.
Most disturbing of all, for a fighter who has been in more wars than his nemesis, Spence was incoherent and somewhat disjointed in launching the New York media for this fight.
Crawford (left) is talking about a rematch, but the pair shouldn’t step into the ring together again
Crawford gets the applause of the Las Vegas crowd after beating his big rival in Las Vegas
That makes it alarming that he wants to invoke a rematch clause in their contract.
Crawford, looking at new fields to conquer and make more millions, is willing to oblige. Even moving up a division to super welter, a more natural weight for Spence now.
But in his self-professed respect for Spence, the greatest favor Bud can offer his friend is to turn down a return fight. One that threatens to inflict even more punishment with the possibility of permanent damage.
History will judge Crawford’s place in the annals of the hardest game. That rating is best improved by imposing his dazzling technique on more higher caliber opponents than many of those who bettered his pre-Spence career record.