“We are waiting for the board approval for the Derek Chisoa fight. We wanted to announce it a few days ago, but we were calling the board, waiting for approval, and will likely announce it anyway, subject to board approval today or tomorrow. “Yes, the plan is to have Derek Chisora fight on the main card. No, it’s a much better fighter than Mariusz Wach and quite a tough fight,” said Hearn, sounding mysterious. “I’ll wait for it to be announced.”Eddie Hearn confirmed that the Chisora-Washington fight is still awaiting board approval but expressed that it would be a tougher challenge for Chisora than his previous opponent. Other fights on the Joshua-Whyte 2 card include Filip Hrgovic vs. Demsey McKean, Johnny Fisher vs. Harry Armstrong, George Liddard vs. Radek Rousal, Maisey Rose Courtney vs. Gemma Ruegg, and Campbell Hatton vs. Tom Ansell.
“The question is, is Floyd going to come out of retirement and fight Crawford? I remember a statement where he said that if Terence beat Spence, then he would come out of retirement.” “That’s a good one because you’ve got the old great against the new great. The pay-per-views would be stupid!”The potential matchup between the old legend and the new superstar is tantalizing, and pay-per-view numbers would likely be off the charts. Even two-division world champion, Carl Frampton, chimed in during the live broadcast of the Spence-Crawford fight, predicting that a prime Terence Crawford would have the upper hand against a prime Floyd Mayweather in a welterweight bout. Despite the rumors, Mayweather has been actively participating in exhibition bouts, having fought in seven of them since retiring from professional boxing. Four of those exhibitions took place in the last twelve months. Speculation will continue to swirl about whether the five-division world champion could handle Crawford, but the big question remains: would Mayweather be willing to risk his flawless 50-0 record at this stage of his career? It might all come down to whether the financial incentives are too appealing to resist.
“I didn’t know I had a retina tear. But I do remember when it happened. When the guy hit me, I felt like little I heard a little pop. “Then I went to the corner like man, my eye or whatever, they looked at my eye. Then I actually came back out there and sparred like four-five more rounds. Two days later, I had sparred again.”Some on social media speculate that Spence may have cashed in on the Crawford fight before his eye condition worsened, raising doubts about his future in boxing. During the fight, it appeared as if Spence had difficulty seeing punches coming from Crawford, and there are fears about his eyesight for the rest of his life, especially considering Crawford's targeted strikes to the affected eye. While Crawford's victory is acknowledged, some observers felt that Spence didn't perform at his best, leading to discussions about the severity of his eye injury. In a previous interview, Spence admitted to experiencing a pop in his eye during a sparring session but continued to train without knowing about the retina tear. Later, doctors informed him that his retina was partially detached, preventing him from fighting at that time.
“I got some good news. I got some bad news. The bad news is that there’s no way you can fight. Then the good news is that it’s partially detached so that they can put it back on. But you know there’s no way you can fight.”Spence eventually returned to the ring and defeated Yordenis Ugas, but his defeat against Crawford raised further doubts about the true extent of his eye injury. Given these concerns, the seriousness of Spence's eye condition has become a topic of scrutiny in the aftermath of Spence vs Crawford bout.
“He’s basic. Remember in Spence’s last interview where he said he’s good at fundamentals, ‘I’m fundamentally sound?’ You can break that s**t apart, and then after the first round, he was slow as s**t. He’s got that will and determination, but if you keep going upside his head. He was slow. The counters were as fast as s**t, though. He was basic. “Look at all of his fights. He starts with a jab, and he hardly brings his feet with him when he goes to the body. This is where he f***ked up. His legs were too far apart,” said BoMac about Spence. “So he would bring his height down, and when you bring your height down, you start reaching the fighter because your legs are too far apart. “His feet were slow, his movement was slow, and his hands were slow. So that just made work perfect. In the second round, I said, ‘This [guy] isn’t as fast as you. Any chance you get to counter over the top, make it happen,'”BoMac suggested that Spence should consider moving up to a higher weight class, as competing at 154 pounds might not be enough to prevent another draining experience. However, Crawford is not willing to fight Spence at a weight higher than 154 pounds, leaving the welterweight division as the only option for a potential rematch.
“He countered over the top with a left hand and then came back with his jab, a 2-1, and that’s when he dropped him.” “Look at him. He was done. Go look at his balance when he got up. He was done. When he got up, and the bell rang, he was still shaky. If Bud would have had another minute, he would have stopped him.”In his praise for Crawford, BoMac highlighted his speed and excellent counter-punching abilities, which played a crucial role in securing the victory over Spence. He firmly believed that if Spence had not been weight drained, the fight might have turned out much differently. Despite offering some constructive criticism, BoMac expressed unwavering confidence in Crawford's abilities. He credited their strategic planning, which allowed Crawford to capitalize on Spence's weaknesses in their historic bout.
"It was a beautiful fight. It seemed like Errol Spence was a little drained tonight, and he couldn’t really do what he needed to do. Bud definitely took advantage of that. He made it look easy. Hats off to Terence, man. He fought a magnificent fight tonight. That's what it's all about. He proved that he was the best of them all. The way he did it, he did it with ease and calmness. He looked like he was in another dimension … I really think Errol over dehydrated himself. You could see it in his skin. You can see it in his eyes, and the way he was moving as well. But he fought the fight, and that's what it's all about – being strong and going all the way to the end.”Spence has been open about the difficulties of making the welterweight limit in his Spence vs Crawford fight. After the one-sided defeat, he expressed his desire for a rematch with Crawford at the 154-pound weight class. Although Spence can activate the Spence vs Crawford rematch clause within 30 days, Crawford will have the authority to decide the weight for the potential sequel. Despite his defeat, Spence was gracious in his post-fight statements, giving full credit to Crawford for his exceptional performance. He acknowledged Crawford's excellent use of the jab and admitted that his own timing was slightly off during the bout. Spence expressed his eagerness for a Spence vs Crawford rematch, believing he would perform better next time, and hoped that it could take place at the 154-pound weight limit in December or at the end of the year. Both fighters showcased their skills in an exciting match, leaving fans eager to see them square off again in the future.
“He was just better tonight. He was using the jab. My timing was a little bit off. He was just the better man tonight. “He was just throwing the hard jab. He was timing with his jab. His timing was just on point. I wasn’t surprised by his speed or his accuracy. It was everything I thought. “We gotta do it again. I’m going to be a lot better. It’ll be a lot closer. It’ll probably be in December and the end of the year. I say we gotta do it again. Hopefully, it will happen 154.”
“I dominated tonight, even though I hold my opponents in high regard, and he proved his skills today,” stated Cruz. “His constant clinching did annoy me a bit, felt like he was treating me to a birthday hug fest. “Cabrera’s tall frame didn’t bother me as much as the fact that I was coming off a significant period of inactivity,” admitted Cruz. “Regardless, I don’t make excuses, and I triumphed.”Both fighters displayed mutual respect, and Cruz stated that he would be ready for any future opportunities, including a chance to prove himself against Gervonta Davis once more.
“I have immense respect for Gervonta, and I believe I will get a chance to prove myself again,” responded Cruz. “When the opportunity presents itself, rest assured, I’ll be ready.”Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz's hard-fought victory over Giovanni Cabrera adds another chapter to his boxing journey, and he looks forward to future challenges and opportunities to showcase his skills on the grand stage.
“It’s something I’ve got to talk to my management about, but hopefully it’s at 154. ... (The weight cut) is always difficult, but I don’t make any excuses. The better man won tonight.”Despite some swelling, Spence stated that he didn't experience any vision problems during the fight. He felt physically capable and believed he could do enough to win, but Crawford's superior performance proved otherwise. Looking ahead, Spence expressed determination and resilience. He stated that he wouldn't dwell on the loss and would move forward to improve and grow as a fighter. He remained open to a rematch with Crawford and found solace in delivering an exciting fight to the boxing public. Spence acknowledged that he didn't perform at his best and believes he is much better than what he showed in the ring that night. He credited Crawford for being sharp and prepared, acknowledging the champion's 100 percent readiness for the fight. When asked about his thoughts after the second-round knockdown, Spence humorously remarked that his mindset was simply to fight back and defend himself. He expressed respect for Crawford's sportsmanship, with the latter praising him after the fight.
“Nothing really surprised me. He’s just like I thought. My timing wasn’t good today.
“I felt a little off physically, but most times I get through it. I thought it was going to be like the other times, but I couldn’t kick it up a notch.
“I got a feel for his power in probably the first or second round. He’s a strong dude, but everybody at the top level has some type of power. I think because my timing was off, he was catching me in between shots.
“No. I didn’t have any difficulty seeing at all.
“I felt cool. I felt I could do enough to win the fight. I felt good, like I said I’m not here to make any excuses. I’m a grown man. I agreed to the weight and to get down to it, and that’s what I did. No excuses. Hats off to the champion tonight.
“I’m not gonna stew over it at all. I did what I was supposed to do, regardless of the outcome. I promised everybody I was going to do it and I did it as a man. I’m not gonna sulk over this, I’ll get right back and get to it, hopefully at 154 lbs.
“Definitely. It was exciting. It’s something that I wouldn’t change for nothing. I’m definitely open to the rematch, and hopefully it’ll be at 154 lbs.
“I know I’m a lot better than what I showed tonight. I know that a lot of things were off with me. Even though Terence did what he was supposed to, he was sharp and he was on-point, and he made sure he was 100 percent ready in this fight.
“He just told me to keep my head up, I was off. He was trying to console me like he’s supposed to.
“Shit, uh, just fight back, I mean [laughing] — I mean, what you mean what was going through my mind? It’s a boxing match, so I was trying to block the shots he was throwing and come back with shots. Nothing really was going through my mind. Just the same stuff.
“He just said good fight, much respect, and that’s about it.”
“It was a good stoppage. I was on the verge. The referee did what he was supposed to do to protect the fighter. “If the fight happens again I am pretty sure the support will come out again for both of us.”Spence also expressed his openness to a rematch, believing he could perform better in a second encounter.
“We've got to do it again. I would be a lot better.”With the victory, Crawford not only added the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles to his existing WBO belt but also extended his knockout streak to 11 matches, making it the second-longest active stretch. At 35 years old, Crawford has already achieved success in multiple weight divisions, having won titles in super lightweight and lightweight before moving up to welterweight in 2018. He became the first male boxer to achieve undisputed champion status in two divisions during the four-belt era. Reflecting on his journey, Crawford shared that he had once only dreamed of becoming a world champion. He overcame skepticism during his rise but has since proven himself as a remarkable athlete.
“I only dreamed of being a world champion. I’m an over-achiever. Nobody believed in me when I was coming up, but I made everybody a believer. I want to thank Spence and his team because without him none of this would have been possible.”Spence admitted that Crawford was the better fighter that night, commending his opponent's powerful jab and impeccable timing.
“He was just better tonight,” Spence said. “I make no excuses. He was throwing a harder jab. He was timing with his jab, and he had his timing down on point.”The Spence vs Crawford event drew a star-studded crowd, with notable personalities like Cardi B, Andre 3000, Mark Walhberg, Damian Lillard, and Jerry Jones in attendance. Boxing legends such as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Manny Pacquiao also graced the occasion. As Crawford made his entrance to the ring, Eminem's song "Lose Yourself" played, setting the stage for an electrifying showdown in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,990 at T-Mobile Arena. Terence Crawford's victory in Las Vegas marks a historic moment in boxing, solidifying his place as one of the sport's great champions. The welterweight division now recognizes him as the undisputed king, and fans eagerly anticipate the next chapter in his illustrious career.
“After a hearing with the National Anti-Doping Panel and UKAD, I have now been vindicated for the second time. “Hopefully, the public and various media members can now understand why I have maintained my innocence so strongly all the way through. “The UKAD process has now formally ended. I remain free to fight. Naturally, I am pleased that I can now put this behind me once and for all.”In response to Benn's statement, UKAD released its own statement, acknowledging that Benn is no longer provisionally suspended under the UK Anti-Doping Rules. However, UKAD has decided to appeal the ruling, as it is allowed to do so within 21 days of receiving the decision.
“In April 2023, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) took the exceptional step of publicly disclosing details of Mr. Conor Benn’s provisional suspension and charge. This followed reports from the media and comments made by Mr. Benn himself. “UKAD’s statement also confirmed that the case would follow the Results Management process in accordance with the UK Anti-Doping Rules. “UKAD notes that Mr. Benn has made further public comments today regarding proceedings before the independent National Anti-Doping Panel. UKAD can confirm Mr. Benn is no longer provisionally suspended under the UK Anti-Doping Rules. “The UK Anti-Doping Rules detail limited circumstances in which UKAD is able to make public disclosures about ongoing cases. “They also set out a clear process within which cases can be heard, and decisions can be handed down by the independent National Anti-Doping Panel. “Where case decisions are handed down by a panel, the Rules provide all relevant parties with a right of appeal. “Under the Rules, UKAD has 21 days from the date of receipt of a decision to file any appeal. UKAD carefully reviews all decisions in its cases before deciding whether to exercise its right of appeal. “UKAD is not able to make any further public disclosures in accordance with the UK Anti-Doping Rules at this time.”It remains uncertain whether Benn will attempt to reapply for a British Boxing Board of Control license, given his past comments against the Board. The Board will likely wait until after any appeal to make any decisions related to Benn's licensing. Benn's promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, plans to stage a comeback event for Benn in September, hoping to feature him against significant opponents. A potential clash with Chris Eubank Jr. didn't materialize, as Eubank is set to face Liam Smith again in Manchester on September 2.
“Get right back here this second Sir, you’re going nowhere till we settle this dispute here and now. Wtf is going on there? Clean cracked and let’s him walk out? No. Nope. Nah. Not a fuckin’ hope”Plant's last fight was against David Benavidez in March, which he lost by unanimous decision. On the other hand, Charlo holds an undefeated record (32-0) and won his latest bout against Juan Macias Montiel in June 2021. Despite the attention garnered by Plant and Charlo's altercation, the main event Spence vs Crawford on Saturday remains the focal point in Las Vegas. Errol Spence Jr. reacted to the incident happened backstage during the Spence vs Crawford weigh-in on twitter:
"Caleb & Jermall promoting the #SpenceCrawford fight tomorrow in there own way .."Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. have the chance to solidify their legacy by becoming the undisputed welterweight boxing champion. Fans eagerly await the outcome of this highly-anticipated matchup between two top fighters.
“No because it’s not like in the Sugar Ray Leonard era yet, I don’t feel, but they are great fighters.”Roach then shared his breakdown of the Spence vs Crawford fight, favoring Crawford to come out victorious. He praised Crawford's boxing skills, mentioning how he adapts and switches stances in the early rounds to assess his opponent before employing an effective boxing strategy.
“Errol Spence is probably a little bit of a better puncher, but I like Crawford to win the fight. He’s a very, very good boxer, he knows what to do, and in the first, second and third round he’ll make a couple of switches, you know, southpaw, righty, just to get a feel for his opponent, then he’ll decide what he’s more comfortable with then from that point on he’ll box his a** off. He’s a great boxer.”Crawford playfully confronted Roach about calling him a "bum" at a recent boxing event, to which Roach jokingly responded that he sometimes forgets his name amidst so many great fighters.
“It’s funny, I sat with him at the Hall of Fame dinner recently and he said to me, why do you call me a bum sometimes? He said, I’m the greatest fighter out there, and I said, ’cause sometimes I forget your name! “It really depends on is it the right time or the wrong time, because he has to make that move when it’s available then he can take advantage of it. If he does that correctly, like he usually does, he will have success. But if he doesn’t Spence will be all over him with big punches. He can knock you out with one punch also. The best thing about this fight is it’s two of the best fighters in the world fighting each other. This is what will keep boxing going”Regarding Crawford's edge, Roach highlighted his versatility and ability to capitalize on the right opportunities. However, he also warned that Spence's power could be dangerous if not handled correctly. The Spence vs Crawford fight has generated immense excitement due to the matchup of two top-tier fighters, and Roach believes it will be a bout that keeps the sport of boxing alive. With both fighters having strong support, it's evident that the Spence vs Crawford matchup is evenly matched. Even Spence himself believes this fight will be talked about for decades to come.
“I’m a free agent, and everything is aligned for me to become a two-division champion against arguably the #1 guy [Regis Prograis] at 140 for me to showcase my skills at a much stronger weight. “Weight won’t be my focus in camp. I’ll be able to be comfortable and go into the fight 100%. God willing, that I’ll be able to hold onto my 135 belts while I’m at 140 and come back and defend my undisputed belts. “I’m just that kind of guy, that kind of fighter. I want to fight the best. I fought a future Hall of Famer [Vasily Lomachenko] in my last fight, and now I’m going up to fight another champion. Champion vs. champion. It’ll be a good fight for boxing, and I’ll showcase my arsenal.”This decision doesn't sit well with Stevenson, who deserves a title shot regardless of who holds the belt. He expressed his frustration on Twitter, feeling that it wouldn't make sense for Haney to move up and still keep the belts.
“I respect the WBC and Mauricio but come on now y’all can’t allow him not to fight me move up in weight and hold the belts.. That don’t even make sense!”The WBC has faced criticism for allowing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to take a break from boxing and face an MMA star, Francis Ngannou, which some fans feel is holding up the division. If Haney is allowed to keep his belt while pursuing titles in a higher weight class, it might face similar criticism. The outcome of Haney's petition to retain the belt is uncertain, as the board of governors will need to vote on it. We'll have to wait and see how the situation unfolds in the coming days.
“Every fighter, every person has an opinion. I remember after the fight with Usyk I heard nothing but good things from boxing people. Everyone calling me like ‘you know what, he looked better than the first time, he was a little more aggressive, he landed some good body shots.’ So I know that I did my job. I know that he did look better than the first time.”Garcia also revealed that there were issues with the training camp's setup from the start, and he nearly left before even starting. Despite these challenges, he decided to stay after discussions with Joshua's team. Garcia expressed that fighters may change their opinions, and if there were indeed communication issues between Joshua and his management team during their time together, it could have affected their collaboration. Garcia also hinted at other people involved in the camp who contributed to the challenges he faced.
“Fighters come from saying one thing to another. If we really had that situation, then the problem is he doesn’t have a communication with his management team, because when I first got to camp, I wasn’t very happy with what I seen going on in his training camp. I told his team ‘fly me home, I don’t want to be part of this’ and they convinced me to stay. So, if that was the case, I think Anthony should have said ‘let him go, cause I don’t wanna work with him.'” “I knew it’s not gonna work out because the way camp was going with other people that were involved, I don’t need to say any names.”Since parting ways with Garcia, Joshua has had one fight under Derrick James, securing a win. Garcia wishes Joshua the best with his new trainer and looks forward to seeing him in action against Dillian Whyte on August 12.
“He got it wrong, cause he not God. And he backed himself to beat [Dmitry] Bivol and he got his ass whooped.”For Spence, this fight represents the biggest challenge of his career. While he has faced tough opponents like Kell Brook and Shawn Porter in his division, taking on Crawford will be a significant test. Both fighters have had periods of inactivity recently. Spence's last fight was in April 2022 against Yordenis Ugas, and before that, he had an 18-month hiatus following his win over Danny Garcia in December 2020, during which he was recovering from a severe car accident that jeopardized his fighting future. Crawford's last fight was in December of the previous year, a sixth-round knockout of David Avanesyan, which followed his knockout victory over Shawn Porter in November 2021. As the Spence vs Crawford fight night approaches, fans and experts await eagerly to see whose predictions will be proven right or wrong. The Spence vs Crawford fight will be broadcasted on TNT Sports in the UK, with undercard action expected to start around 1 AM and the main event ring walks around 4 AM. In the US, the fight will be a Showtime PPV event.
Stevenson asked Crawford: “Who’ve you got walking you out though?” Crawford replied: “S***, I don’t know man. “You know what I was thinking would be crazy s***? I think it would be dope to have Eminem walk me out or something like that. “He’s never walked nobody out, huh?” Stevenson said: “I ain’t gonna lie, Eminem’s a GOAT. I ain’t never seen him walking nobody out in a boxing ring.” Crawford admitted: “Yeah, I ain’t neither, that’d be dope.” “Stevenson added: “That’d be fire, that’d be different levels, next level. Two GOATs.” Remarkably, the pipe dream has taken a step closer to reality. On Thursday night, Eminem left a comment on the video which said: “This is too crazy!!! You are one of my favourite boxers right now!” Crawford replied: “Pull up Em! Lets do some legendary s***.”Fans will have to tune in on Saturday night to find out if it comes to fruition.
“He’s never fought anyone at my level. It’s definitely getting to him. He’s ready to jump on the fans and fight.”The face-off between the two fighters showed a focused and mentally prepared Crawford, but Spence still believes he can unsettle him during the bout. He expects a tactical match in the early rounds, but his relentless approach may force Crawford to fight more aggressively than he is used to. Spence points out that Crawford's recent opponents has been relatively weak compared to the level of competition he will face in the Spence vs Crawford fight. He also mentions Crawford's age and physical changes as potential factors that might affect his performance. Shawn Porter, who has fought both Spence and Crawford, shares his own insights into Crawford's strategic brilliance in the ring. Porter admits that he couldn't decipher Crawford's tactics during their fight, and his retirement indicates that facing rising stars like Jaron 'Boots' Ennis would have been a challenging prospect for him. Porter said:
“I saw him today on the podium when they did their face-off, and when he turned to look at the crowd, he was swaying back & forth. He’s mentally checked in for the fight. “His energy is at fight level already. Both of them mean hurt, but Terence shows how much he means. Errol is very poised in the ring and has that poker face. He’ll show small signs of frustration, but they’ll come & go by the snap of a finger. “I do think we’re going to get a very strategic fight up to four or five rounds. That’s if somebody doesn’t land something clean that upsets the other. Both guys will still remain poised. “If anybody is going to get upset & heated, I think it’s going to be Terence. He’s going to be the one that is going to try and push those buttons. But for five or six rounds, this could be that chess match.”However, Spence remains confident that Crawford will struggle to handle the pressure and high-level competition in the upcoming Spence vs Crawford showdown. He sees the fight as a significant test for Crawford, who will need to showcase his best skills and adapt quickly to Spence's aggressive approach. Porter's perspective further emphasizes the challenges posed by Crawford in the ring and highlights his strategic brilliance as a fighter.
“I would say Crawford is the favourite because of his speed, movement, and reflexes. Spence is the bigger guy in the ring and also has great ring IQ but in my opinion Crawford is the most complete fighter of all right now.”The build-up to the Spence vs Crawford fight has focused on the size difference, as Spence has been a welterweight throughout his career, while Crawford has found success in two lower weight divisions before moving up. Both champions have a preference for knockouts rather than going the distance, boasting a combined total of 52 knockout wins in 67 bouts. Additionally, they have faced common opponents in Kell Brook and Shawn Porter, providing fans with opportunities to draw comparisons. Crawford enters the ring as a slight favorite, but many experts and pundits are backing Spence as well. This bout promises to be one of the most intriguing contests in recent memory. The winner of Spence vs Crawford will be crowned the four-belt champion and recognized as the best welterweight of their generation. Moreover, a two-way rematch clause in the contract hints at the possibility of a rematch in the near future.