The odds in boxing always seem to be AGAINST superfights happening – and for now we can add Terence Crawford vs Errol Spence Jr to the ever growing list.
Last month ESPN insider Mike Coppinger reported that a deal was pretty much done for these two welterweight greats to finally lock horns in Las Vegas on November 19. Not so fast though…
Now we know that the bout will not happen in 2022 at least with ‘Bud’ deciding to move on and fight another opponent – namely European welterweight champ David Avanesyan. That one is booked for December 10 in Omaha, Nebraska.
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Crawford vs Spence (or Spence vs Crawford, that is just one of the bargaining chips here) is one of the biggest fights out there in the whole of boxing – if and when it happens.
ESPN behemoth Stephen A Smith went even further, claiming that Crawford vs Spence is the biggest fight which can be made in combat sports right now. Forget Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua, Canelo Alvarez vs GGG 3 or anything the UFC can offer.
Two undefeated welterweight champions (147 pounds) who now hold all of the belts between them, both at the peak of their powers. Fights like this just don’t normally happen.
The reason this fight can now be made is that ‘Bud’ is out of contract after his Bob Arum/Top Rank deal expired with that stoppage defeat of Shawn Porter in Las Vegas in November 2021.
It’s a big ‘if’, but all he needs to do is sign up with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), which already has Spence under contract, and the coast in theory is clear for the biggest fight pro boxing has to offer.
The latest odds for Crawford vs Spence
Just because Crawford vs Spence isn’t a confirmed fight (yet), doesn’t mean you can’t bet on it.
Sportsbooks often offer odds on notional matchups which are likely to happen sometime in the near future, normally with a cutoff date for when the bout has to take place.
Crawford is now a slight betting favorite at -125 (bet $125 to win $100) while Spence is available at +100 (bet $100 to win $110). The draw – always a possibility given boxing’s history of crazy scorecards and politics – is +1800.
Making boxing picks is never easy of course, in this case the sportsbooks can hardly split the two men. Pretty much ‘pick em’ territory.
Crawford vs Spence date and time
Just when we thought we had a firm date, now we don’t. November 19, 2022 is out and it will be 2023 at the earliest.
Where can I watch Crawford vs Spence on TV?
The main stumbling block for Crawford vs Spence up to now has been the TV networks. A boxing tale as old as time.
With promoters (and by default fighters) often having exclusive deals with a specific network, the biggest fights are notoriously difficult to make.
Crawford until late 2021 had been promoted by Arum’s Top Rank, while Spence is promoted by Al Haymon and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC). Once you realize that Top Rank is contracted to ESPN, and PBC is contracted to Showtime and Fox – the issue was pretty clear.
If Crawford eventually agrees to a deal with Haymon, the bout will go down on Showtime PPV.
Terence Crawford profile & record
Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford is now 34 years old and has a stellar professional record of 37-0 (28). Thirty-seven victories, no defeats and 28 of those wins coming inside distance.
The tough southpaw is 5ft 8ins tall (1.73m) and has a reach of 74ins (1.88m).
Crawford, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, is now a promotional free agent after his contract with Arum expired with that win over Porter in late 2021.
He is the current World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion, having held the title since 2018 when he defeated Australian Jeff Horn in Las Vegas. Previous to that, Crawford held world titles at lightweight and super-lightweight.
Crawford’s last outing was an easy stoppage victory over Britain’s Kell Brook inside Top Rank’s Las Vegas ‘bubble’ last November.
After that Brook fight, tensions between ‘Bud’ and promoter Arum came firmly to the surface. Crawford said he needs the big fights, Arum countered by saying Crawford is not a great draw and that he loses money on his fights right now.
A showdown with Spence would appear to fix both of those issues – only time will tell.
Errol Spence Jr profile & record
Errol Spence Jr is now 32 years old and has a perfect professional record of 28-0 (22). Twenty-eight victories, no defeats and 22 of those wins coming inside distance.
‘The Truth’ – born in Long Island but now a resident of Texas – is the current World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion. He stands 5ft 9½ins tall (1.77m) and has a reach of 72ins (1.83m).
Spence claimed his first world title (IBF) when he defeated Britain’s Kell Brook in Sheffield, England in May 2017. He added the vacant WBC title in March 2019 with a unanimous decision over Mikey Garcia in Arlington, Texas.
Spence’s career – and indeed his life – suffered a major scare in Octboer 2019 – when he was involved in a horrific car crash in Dallas. Errol flipped his Ferrari in terrifying fashion, and was lucky to survive, never mind return to the ring.
Return he did though, with an impressive decision victory over Danny Garcia (again in Arlington) in December 2020. He then was forced to pull out of a proposed fight with Manny Pacquiao in August 2021 with a detached retina.
He once again returned from injury with that impressive stoppage of Ugas in April 2022 to add the WBA strap to his growing collection of titles.
This bout would be pretty much a pick em affair, hardly anything between the two men in the eyes of sportsbooks. Right now sportsbooks favor ‘Bud’, but only just.
We know he is not fighting Crawford in 2022. There is no confirmed date for Spence’s next fight.
Absolutely, but we haven’t seen him since that Top Rank deal ended with the win over Shawn Porter in November 2021.
Nope, he only holds the WBO welterweight title. Spence has the WBC, IBF and WBA straps.