"It's definitely gonna happen this year" - Errol Spence on fighting Terence Crawford

Spence (left) and Crawford (right) [Instagram: @errolspencejr and @tbudcrawford]

Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. are the top two fighters in the welterweight division by most accounts. Both Spence and Crawford have publicly expressed their desire to fight one another, but a bout between the two is yet to materialize.

On April 16th, Spence stopped Yordenis Ugas in the tenth round of their fight. It was his first time stepping into the ring since 2020, when he beat Danny Garcia in Arlington, Texas. Following the win, he announced that he wants a fight with Crawford.

In an interview with Dan Rafael on his podcast, Fight Freaks Unite, Errol Spence was asked about fighting Terence Crawford. He said:

"I think it's a guarantee to happen. We had talks about it before I even fought Yordenis Ugas, so it's definitely in the works and I think it's gonna happen. It's definitely gonna happen this year."

Errol Spence on the Terence Crawford undisputed fight: "I think it's a guarantee to happen. We had talks about it before I even fought Yordenis Ugas, so it's definitely in the works and I think it's gonna happen. It's definitely gonna happen this year." [@DanRafael1] https://t.co/xIk1nUj9ys

Errol Spence also spoke about his win over Ugas. Rafael asked Spence why he challenged such an elite boxer after a seventeen-month layoff. Spence said:

"That's just showing that, you know, I truly believe in myself, 100%, and that I believe in my abilities... even though I might not be at my best, I feel like I can still beat them."

When Rafael asked Spence if he felt like he was at his best against Ugas, the champ said that he was not as sharp as he wanted to be.

Errol Spence vs. Terence Crawford

Errol Spence Jr. has a record of 28-0-0 with 22 knockouts. He is the IBF and WBC Welterweight Champion. After defeating Ugas, he also claimed the WBA (Super) Welterweight Title.

The unified champ @ErrolSpenceJr put on for his city 🦈

#SpenceUgas re-airs Saturday 9PM ET/6PM PT on SHO. https://t.co/d04Jw4aKKC

Terence Crawford has a record of 38-0-0 with 29 knockouts. He holds the WBO Welterweight Title. His most recent fight was against Shawn Porter in 2021. He stopped Porter in the tenth round after dropping him twice. It was his only fight of the year, coming over twelve months after his 2020 victory over Kell Brook.

The two have fought many of the same opponents, including Brook, Porter, and Garcia. However, a match-up between the fighters has seemingly been difficult to make. Neither man has lost a fight, meaning that their undefeated records would be on the line were they to clash.