Crawford: “I Feel Like Roy Jones Jr When They Said He Wasn’t Fighting Nobody”
Terence Crawford and Errol Spence have both been putting the work in in terms of promoting and hyping their upcoming July 29 showdown, the 147 pound unification clash between two unbeaten pound-for-pound stars really needing no additional hype. Everyone will show up for this fight, either live and in person or via the TV set. But both fighters have been keen to talk about the fight, predicting what they will do on fight night and what will come after.
WBO welterweight champ Crawford was a guest on Brian Custer’s podcast ‘The Last Stand,’ and the 35 year old with the 39-0(30) ledger spoke about a number of things – most interestingly perhaps being his comments on the critics who have questioned and are questioning Crawford’s quality of opposition. There are quite a few folks out there who go as far as to say “Bud” has fought “nobody.”
Crawford obviously disagrees. And Crawford says the same accusations were hurled at the great Roy Jones Jr, a man who looked all but untouchable back in the 1990s/early 2000s. Like “Superman,” Crawford “makes ’em look like nobody,” the Nebraskan said.
“I feel like Roy Jones Jr when they said he wasn’t fighting nobody, and he said I ain’t fighting nobody and he just said, ‘I just made ’em look like nobody.’ Because every time I fight somebody they got something negative to say after the fact,” Crawford said. “But prior to be fighting [them], it’s a whole lot of, ‘I don’t know if Crawford’s ready, this guy’s too big [for him], this guy’s fought this guy, he’s got the better resume.’ You hear a lot of things but after the fight you hear, ‘he wasn’t nothing, he was washed.’”
Crawford says he expects to hear “a lot of things” after he defeats Spence, with the critics saying Spence, 28-0(22) wasn’t all that.
“When I fought Shawn Porter, everyone was saying, ‘Oh, Bud too little, Shawn’s gonna rough him up, or Bud’s not on that level, he ain’t fought nobody.’ But now, after I fight Shawn, it’s ‘washed,’ his dad called the fight, he [Porter] was retired already.’ I hear a lot of things. So July 29th I’m gonna hear a lot of things as well.”
Hopefully, we will get such a great fight, with two great performances, there will be NO excuses from either fighter. Certainly, nobody can say Crawford is facing a nobody in this one, nor can anyone say Spence is fighting a nobody. This is a fight between the two best welterweights on the planet and the winner will, for many fans, reign supreme as the P-4-P best in the sport. No excuses.
There is a rematch clause in place, however, so we could see Crawford and Spence do it again after July 29: “I believe it’s at either or,” Crawford said when asked if the rematch clause stipulates the rematch would take place at 154 pounds. “But my mind ain’t even on that. I’m looking to be victorious in the first one.”
So too is Spence.