Terence Crawford has summed up the punching power of Errol Spence Jr ahead of a potential comeback for ‘The Truth’.
The 37-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska handed Spence the first defeat of his professional career when they locked horns for the undisputed world welterweight championship in Las Vegas back in July of 2023.
In what is widely considered to be the best performance of his career, ‘Bud’ Crawford dominated proceedings from the opening bell before going on to stop his fellow countryman in the ninth round to become the first undisputed welterweight champion of the four belt era.
Spence is yet to make a return to the ring after suffering this defeat, although rumours have began to circulate about the 35-year-old from Long Island making a comeback to the sport before the end of 2025.
In an interview with Stephen A. Smith, Crawford shared an honest verdict on the punching power of his former rival.
“After the second round, when I hurt him, I felt as if he couldn’t handle my power like I could handle his. I remember him throwing an overhand looping left, and he caught me right on the button, I think it was the first or the second round, and I was just like, ‘This is it? Okay. This is gonna be a long night for him.’”
Spence is being tipped to make his first ring appearance in over two years before the end of the year, as he prepares to enter a new chapter of his career at 154lbs.
One man who would like to face the former champion next is current WBC ‘interim’ super-welterweight belt holder Vergil Ortiz Jr. His promoter Oscar De La Hoya suggested a showdown could take place at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium with Ortiz saying the fight would ‘mean a lot’ to him.
“It would mean a lot to me because I grew up with Spence. I think I first went to his gym when I was about 11 years old and we trained together for a good amount of time at Vivero Boxing Gym in Oakcliff. It would just be a cool full circle moment, I just can’t explain it because I was there. It’s just that feeling. It would mean a lot to me.
“Everyone always says Errol has a good body shot and he fights like a Mexican. People always say I fight like Errol. We came from the same gym. It’s crazy.”
As for Crawford, the pound-for-pound great is just one month away from challenging Mexican icon Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super-middleweight championship, with the fight set to take place on Saturday September 13 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
