What was supposed to be a super-fight turned out to be a beatdown. I knew Terence Crawford (40-0, 31KOs) was good and picked him to win via unanimous decision, but I never thought he would dominate Errol Spence (28-1, 22KOs) like that.
THE FIGHT. Both men exchange numerous jabs in the first round. Spence seems to be a bit more aggressive and edges the first round.
Round 2: In the second, Spence continues to apply pressure but Crawford showcases his counter punching ability. As the round is about to end, Spence lands with a body shot but in a flash, Crawford counters with a one-two combination that deposits Spence on the seat of his pants for the first time in his career.
It was a harbinger of more to come.
Spence comes out with some urgency, clearly aware that he is down on the cards. Unfortunately, the master craftsman that he is, Crawford picks his spots and patiently waits for openings.
In Round 4, Crawford starts to pick Spence apart and at the start of Round 5, the ring physician checks up on Spence.
Spence comes alive in Round 5 and lands a couple of right hands, but Crawford is right there with him landing a fair share of counters.
Round 6 is action-packed but Spence is warned again for a low blow. He seems desperate and wants to turn this fight into a brawl. On the other hand, Crawford keeps his composure and counterpunches beautifully.
In Round 7, Crawford knocks Spence down with a huge counter right and it all goes downhill for Spence from hereon.
He mounts a body attack but another right hook from Crawford knocks him down again. The crowd goes wild. Spence beats the count but everybody knows its just a matter of time.
Crawford starts to shut Spence down as the latter eats punch after punch in Round 8. In Round 9, Spence is totally dominated and the ref has seen enough and calls for the denouement of the fight with 30 seconds left in the round.
THOUGHTS. From a purely boxing perspective, that fight was a masterclass of technique and tactic. Trainers should show this fight to aspiring fighters so they can learn why boxing is called “The Sweet Science.”
On paper, both fighters appeared evenly matched. Both were undefeated champions who had beaten elite opponents. But at the highest level, little things add up.
Crawford had the edge in hand speed which allowed him to counter Spence beautifully while staying in the pocket. Spence also failed to make the proper adjustments, while Crawford took his time before taking out his wounded quarry.
LAST ROUND. It’s on Ellie A. Siu of Bright Academy who recently celebrated her birthday. Cheers!