Following the explosive fight between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence, veteran boxing trainer Jeff Mayweather shared his insights into what transpired in the ring.
The fight ended with Crawford emerging victorious in the ninth round. Mayweather admired Crawford’s stellar performance, considering it a one-sided show after the second round.
“I thought that it was going to be a much, much tougher fight, but you never know,” said Mayweather. “Basically, after the second round, when Terence dropped Errol, it was kind of a one-sided show with Terence doing whatever he wanted with Errol.”
Commenting on Spence’s struggle, Mayweather attributed it to Spence being taken out of his comfort zone.
“Errol Spence is used to being the bully and being able to back you up. But Bud had him backing up and having to think, so it was a little different for him,” Mayweather explained.
A Surprising Show of Power
The fight also had Mayweather pondering the dynamic between skill and power. He admitted being surprised at how Crawford handled Spence’s power.
“It seemed like Terence was a more skillful fighter, whereas Errol was the bigger, more powerful guy,” noted Mayweather. “I kind of was surprised, but at the same time, it was one of those type of fights that whoever got off first doing what they do best was actually going to win.”
Mayweather also wondered about Spence’s lack of adjustments during the fight. Once Crawford showed he could handle Spence’s power, Spence seemed unable to respond.
“Once he found out that Terence could handle what he had to offer, he just had nowhere to go,” Mayweather observed.
Despite the decisive outcome, talk of a rematch surfaced. Mayweather wasn’t dismissive of the idea, knowing that factors like weight categories can impact performance.
“You never know because Bud said he’s been struggling a little bit to make the weight,” he admitted. “You just never know…you may just see the best of them at a higher weight. Maybe, I don’t know.”
The Respect Debate
Another topic discussed was the respect Crawford deserves. According to Mayweather, while boxing aficionados appreciate Crawford’s talent, the casual fan might not, primarily due to Crawford’s marketing approach.
“I think the boxing people always respect Crawford. But the casual fan probably doesn’t because he’s not that great at marketing himself. That hurt him, and it might even hurt what happened tonight,” Mayweather opined.
With Spence’s plans to move up to the 154-pound category, Mayweather believes he could still be a formidable force.
“I think that he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with, but we got to see how he comes back,” he said, leaving room for potential future triumphs for Spence.
Mayweather’s Pound-for-Pound
As for his current pick for the pound-for-pound best, Mayweather kept his bets on Crawford.
“I would still say Crawford,” he stated decisively.
