Mythical sparring session with Michigan boxing legend sets stage for Spence-Crawford legacy fight

LAS VEGAS – A mythical sparring session with Michigan boxing legend Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. has set the stage for the Errol “Big Fish” Spence Jr., Terence “Bud” Crawford legacy fight in Las Vegas.

In 2013, while training for his WBC welterweight title defense against Robert Guerrero, Mayweather invited a then 23-year-old Spence to be one of his sparring partners inside “The Dog House.”

“I ain’t gone lie to you because I’m like that,” said Spence. “I was just chilling in the gym, but once I got in there, everybody started hitting on the mats of what they call The Dog House. It just triggered something in my head like the competitive instincts like, ‘Oh, it’s on now.’”

Mayweather and Spence sparred for five to seven minutes; Spence said he left the ring when it was over, only for Mayweather to tell him that he was alright for a little expletive (female dog).

“I didn’t hear him at first, so I said, ‘What, man, you got me messed up,’” Spence said. “Put your (expletive) gloves back on and, as a matter of fact, turn off the clock. We can get in there and spar until somebody drops. We went back inside the ring for another sparring session, and then they said that was enough.”

“Errol was pushing me in the ring and giving me that good work,” said Mayweather. “That was the kind of work that I needed. A young guy that’s going to push me. At first, he kind of caught me off guard, and I said, ‘OK, I see you.’ He made me tighten my game up in training camp and made me want to work harder, which is what I needed.”

The sparring session has been talked about for a decade, but everyone has their own conclusion on what occurred. There is no video footage of the bout.

Still, that brief encounter a decade ago earned not only the respect of who many believe is the greatest boxer of all time but it put a battery in the back of Spence, who is the current unified welterweight world champion.

Terence “Bud” Crawford

But there is one belt left for the 33-year-old Texas native, and it’s in the hands of his Nebraska bredrin Crawford, whose been the WBO welterweight champion since 2018.

Bud has come a long way, as he back in 2008 was shot in the back of the head while shooting dice under a street light in Omaha.

He used his spider senses and decided to exit the game early, which was smart. The not-so-smart thing was for the then-21-year-old to stop and count the wad of cash before exiting the premises, leading to him being shot through the rear window of his car.

That incident shaped the now 36-year-old’s life into becoming who most consider the more accomplished fighter between him and Spence, as Bud is the undisputed champion who has won titles in three different divisions.

With a 39-0 record and 30 knockouts, Crawford will face Spence, 28-0, with 22 knockouts Saturday (July 29) for the undisputed welterweight crown in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena.

Spence-Crawford matchup

Spence is the more experienced fighter of the two. If you talk to boxing aficionados that were in The Dog House back in 2013, they would say he got the best of Mayweather.

He also beat Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, Yordenis Ugas (who took his place and defeated Manny Pacquiao), Mikey Garcia, Lamont Peterson, and Kell Brook, to name a few.

Bud also faced and defeated Brook and Porter, but here’s the caveat. Brook was undefeated at welterweight, and it occurred inside his hometown in England when Spence not only took his title but left him a lovely parting gift: a broken left eye socket.

When Crawford defeated Brook, Brook, before getting stopped in the fourth round, gave Bud a swollen eye that had his corner applying pressure.

Brook was a washed fighter as he only fought one more time after Bud before officially hanging up his boxing gloves.

When Spence dethroned Porter, it was in a unification fight which was in the running for fight of the year in 2019. When Porter stepped in the ring with Crawford, he already had one foot out of the ring as he retired after being on the other end of a 10th-round technical knockout.

Crawford hadn’t won a world title or dethroned a current world champion fighter since 2018 when beat substitute teacher Jeff Horn.

Come to think of it, Crawford got sent to the mat in the third round against Egidijus Kavaliauskas.

The referee didn’t count the knockdown, but if you go and look at the tape or ask International Boxing Hall of Famer Andre Ward, who was calling the fight, it was clear that he had tasted the mat.

Fight of the decade

The top-tier matchup between Spence and Crawford took forever to get finalized, but some are already calling it the fight of the decade and or of the last 50 years.

Some of the fights that were of that magnitude included Detroit native Tommy “Hitman” Hearns vs. Roberto “No Mas” Duran, Hearns against “Sugar” Ray Leonard, or Hearns against Pepino Cuevas.

“It’s been very difficult to make this fight happen,” said Crawford. “It’s been frustrating, but it’s here. The fans are happy. I’m happy. Now I’m going to show the world why I’m the best fighter on the planet. Everybody needs to tune in July 29 to watch me and Spence go out there and put on a tremendous show.”

Many people look at Crawford as the smaller fighter because he initially came up through the junior welterweight division compared to Spence, who is a natural welterweight with the body of a middleweight.

“People thought during my career that I was going to move up in weight in years past, but I told Crawford in Oklahoma that I was going to get the belts on my side, then I was going to come to take his (belt), and that’s where I’m at now,” Spence said.

Yes, Crawford can throw great body shots and has tremendous potential, plus the ability to switch to southpaw while also changing his throwing angles, but the will of Spence makes him the better fighter.

The big fish has been talking about taking the will of Crawford, and it’s clear, especially if you ask his previous opponents, Spence has the power to do so.

“He took the easier route by achieving what he achieved, but now he has to live up to his word and take this belt from me,” Crawford said. “They always say that the last one (Championship belt) is always the hardest one, and I assure you that it wouldn’t be like any of his previous fights.”

Boxing legend “Sugar” Shane Mosley spoke on the matchup and said he heard Spence got the best of Crawford in the past when they sparred.

Suppose Spence got the best of Mayweather 10 years ago in the mythical sparring session, and he also got the best of Crawford when they sparred years ago. If so, my money is on Spence Saturday night in Las Vegas inside T-Mobile Arena.

Boxing’s world titles have been split for the last 60 years. But, on July 29 (My birthday), I predict Spence will win by split decision and dethrone Bud of his title to become the first undisputed welterweight champion of the world in the four-belt era in what could be an all-time classic bout.

Spence-Crawford weigh-in