Crawford, Spence Ready to Unify Boxing Belts
Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. are set to give the boxing world something it hardly ever sees this weekend. Two fighters at the top of the game will meet on July 29 in Las Vegas to determine the undisputed welterweight champion of the world. The collision between two highly-ranked fighters will surely excite boxing fans.
The battle between two undefeated fighters will give one man the bragging rights to be the best welterweight in the world. This is also a fight that may lead to one of these men wrestling the ‘pound-for-pound best fighter in the world’ designation away from Canelo Alvarez. While the pound-for-pound title is by assimilation only, both men would like to be viewed through that lens. But the main event won’t be the only bout worth watching. Here’s a quick look at the main event and the championship fights underneath it.
The fighters below the main event could build an entirely new fanbase by fighting on a card that will draw much attention.
Cruz hopes to keep climbing with an exciting style
Mexican lightweight Isaac Cruz isn’t seeking just to build his boxing reputation. Cruz wants to shoot things into the stratosphere. Sporting a 24-2 record, Cruz will want to leave a strong impression when he fights American Giovanni Cabrera for the vacant WBC Silver Lightweight championship.
Cruz has already talked about his desire to fight Ryan Garcia. During his next few fights, Cruz won’t have much margin for error. The 5-foot-4 fighter will be shorter than many competitors. What Cruz has done to help make up for that reach advantage has been his willingness to engage in the pocket.
Cruz has finished 17 of his 24 career fights by knockout. During his last loss, Cruz gave Gervonta Davis a stern test. Beating Cabrera would be a chance for Cruz to continue building momentum. Cruz has drawn some criticism for aggressively pursuing a rematch with Davis instead of taking on challenges from other top fighters.
Cabrera is undefeated and relatively unknown
Cabrera has compiled a 21-0 record in his career. The Seattle native is coming off the most respected performance of his boxing career as he won an easy decision against Gabe Flores last July. He is trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach and has learned a lot from the legendary coach.
Cabrera, however, doesn’t have the brand recognition or top-level fights that Cruz does. Cabrera enters the fight as a nearly five-to-one betting underdog and will need to try and be dragged into deep waters by Crauz.
Donaire Needs to Make a Quick Climb
There is a large question of what four-division world boxing champion Nonito Donaire has left. During his last appearance in the squared circle, Donaire took a second-round knockout loss to Naoyaa Inoue. The 40-year-old Donaire is 42-7 with 28 knockouts in his career and will fight Alexandro Santiago for the WBC Bantamweight belt vacated by Inoue.
Donaire will square up with Alexandro Santiago for the crowd. Donaire started his career as a professional boxer in 2001. Renowned for his nice guy personality, Donaire holds the record for the oldest man to win a bantamweight championship at 38. He is also one of the only boxers in history to hold titles in three different decades.
Donaire will have to make sure to let the attritional damage he’s taken throughout his career build up. At age 40, it is natural that he would be slowing down. Donaire is returning to the ring a little over a year after taking his second career knockout.
Santiago Must Show He Has the Power
Santiago is an experienced fighter. He has compiled a 27-3-5 record over his boxing career with 14 knockouts. Santiago has won three consecutive fights since losing to Gary Antonio Russel in 2021. Santiago has stayed active in the ring since the loss.
What Santiago hopes for is that Donaire doesn’t have the energy or discipline to keep up with him. There is also a chance that the number of fights Donaire has may have caught up to him. In order for Santiago to spring the upset, he may need to score a knockout over his veteran opponent.
Money Delayed Crawford and Spence Meeting
The preliminary fights almost didn’t have the chance to happen. Crawford attempted to help arrange the money part of the negotiation for this fight to happen by pointing out that both men had firesticks. Crawford said in a lengthy interview that both men had people lined up so each fighter would get $25 million a piece. However, Spence’s team was worried about making points on the backend of the deal.
What Crawford pointed out is that a lot of people pirate the fights illegally online these days. Crawford was hoping the money that they were paid up front would be enough so the men wouldn’t have to worry about pay-per-view sales. As the current contract stands, both fighters are set to make $10 million dollars.
There is a rematch clause in the contract that both men have the option to exercise within 30 days of the fight. If there is to be a second fight, it will have to take place before the end of 2023. There was a definite sense of urgency to get the deal done.
Can This Match supersede Previous Superfight
For a long time, it appeared Spence and Crawford would never fight until it was too late. That is what happened when Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather finally met up in 2015 after years of long, frustrating negotiations. The Pacquaio and Mayweather bout was a hit at the box office and generated $770 million in revenue, but the fight itself wasn’t particularly memorable.
Pacquaio had an injured shoulder and he couldn’t corner Mayweather, who deployed his trademark shoulder roll defense to help earn a decision. Each fighter in this case is fit and shouldn’t be immediately impacted by injuries. Both men are healthy and ready to go.
