Undefeated boxing superstars and pound-for-pound greats Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and Terence “Bud” Crawford verbally sparred and provoked the other with sharp and sometimes comical one-liners during a lively press conference Wednesday in New York to preview their clash for the undisputed welterweight championship on Saturday, July 29 in a SHOWTIME PPV (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.
“I’m the biggest (fish). He’s not catching me with no damn fishing pole,” Spence said, continuing the war of metaphors with Crawford, who promised to “gut” Spence in the ring. “He better come with a submarine. I’m the biggest shark. You ain’t catching Moby Dick with a fishing pole.”
“Fish fillet,” Crawford responded. “I like to go fishing,” he said at another point. “Everyone knows that’s my hobby.”
The unified WBC, WBA and IBF Champion Spence and WBO champion Crawford completed back-to-back, coast-to-coast press conferences in Times Square as they near their long anticipated clash to crown the first undisputed welterweight world champion in the four-belt era.
The press conferences in Beverly Hills and New York City can be watched on Wednesday streamed live on two giant outdoor LED video displays on billboards overlooking Times Square, the first time that SHOWTIME® has ever live-streamed a boxing press event atop a billboard in Midtown Manhattan.
Spence vs. Crawford will be highlighted by three episodes of the Emmy® Award-winning series ALLACCESS from SHOWTIME Sports with ALLACCESS: SPENCE VS. CRAWFORD Episode One premiering on Saturday, July 8 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and Episode Two debuting on Saturday, July 15 at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT with an Epilogue days after the fight.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TBC Promotions and TGB Promotions, are available through AXS.com.
Here is what the press conference participants had to say Wednesday from the Palladium Times Square:
ERROL SPENCE JR. “This is the biggest fight in boxing. When you look at your styles, and know our mentalities, you know neither of us are gonna want to break. I feel like someone is gonna break on fight night.
“I’m ready to show people that I’m one of the best welterweights of all time. Don’t miss this fight. Because I’m gonna show everyone why I’m breaking people.
“I’ve done everything that I said I was gonna do. The last thing left to do is beat Terence Crawford. He’s a great fighter, but I’m gonna break him and show everyone why I’m the best fighter in boxing, period.
“All the titles I took; I took them from the champions. You line ‘em up, I’m gonna knock ‘em down. It doesn’t matter what happens, I get the job done.
“He can show what he wants to show. He might go on and do his thing after I beat him and prove he’s an all-time great. But he can stop that nonsense because I’m winning on July 29.
“We have to show these other fighters that there are rewards in taking risks. The best have to fight the best.”
TERENCE CRAWFORD: “This is a fight that’s been marinating. This is greatness that you’re going to see on July 29. I’ve been preparing my whole life for this moment. Moments like these don’t come often, and this is my time.
“July 29 I can assure you, you’re gonna walk away and say, ‘Terence Crawford is special.’ You’re gonna mark me down as one of the greatest of all time.
“I rise to the occasion when I have the odds stacked against me. I’m a fan of Errol, but this is business. I see myself beating him. I’ve visualized it numerous times before.
“I like to go fishing. Everyone knows that’s my hobby. They’ve all been caught before. Every last one of them. I got a big enough hook for Errol. We actually already caught him, and we’re reeling him in right now.
“Being undisputed is gonna mean everything to me. July 29 you’re gonna see a Terence Crawford that you’ve never seen before. Errol may bring the best out of me.”
DERRICK JAMES, Spence’s Trainer: “I can’t wait. Everyone has been hoping to see this. I know that Crawford is coming with his ‘A game’ and Errol will be on his ‘A game.’ You’re gonna see a phenomenal competition. Now, it’s work time. We’re gonna be who we are. Put the pressure on, break him down and win the fight.”
BRIAN “BO MAC” MCINTYRE, Crawford’s Trainer: “This is how the fight is gonna go. It’s gonna be tough. Real tough. I tip my hat to what Errol has accomplished. The first couple of rounds will be tough, but then we’re gonna start walking away with the fight, like we always do. We’ve stopped the last 10 opponents, and Errol might be number 11.”
TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions: “This fight is really as big as it gets. We have the best two fighters in the world, unbeaten and in their prime. We haven’t seen fighters with skills like this since Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns.”
STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President of SHOWTIME Sports:“I’ve described this as the perfect fight, and that’s no exaggeration. It has every element that boxing fans would want. Everything is at stake on July 29.”
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