Darren Barker previews Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford and makes prediction

If you could pray for a fight to happen, it would be Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford. It’s a contest which puts two extremely talented fighters at the top of their game against each other, and as boxing fans, that’s something we want to see more of.

With a little bit of back and forth at the press conference, and the two styles which both men will look to implement, it’s a fight which ticks all the necessary boxes and one which I have no doubt will deliver. 

But what makes Spence and Crawford such special fighters? 

First and foremost, their boxing ability, hand speed, reactions and footwork allow them to work out their opponents very quickly. They usually have that lightbulb moment quite early on in fights and then make their opponents pay. 

Both Spence and Crawford also don’t look to rush things inside the ring, they take their time and can sometimes be slow starters. But once they get into their groove, they are unbeatable as their respective records show. 

The ability to hit and not be hit is a fundamental part when it comes to the art of boxing, and the two welterweight champions do it with such ease, so it will be intriguing to see who gets the better in this particular battle in what will be a game of high-level chess. 

When it comes to the outcome of the fight itself, I see Spence vs. Crawford going the full 12-round distance and being decided by the scorecards. Therefore, I favour Crawford, I just feel like he’s got that extra string to his bow, and that’s no disrespect to Errol Spence, who is a tremendous fighter. 

If this fight was to end in stoppage, I would once again pick Crawford, but it would not be out of the question for Spence to win before the final bell. If Spence can catch Crawford on the chin, anything can happen, and regardless of how the contest plays out, it will be edge-of-your-seat stuff as we eagerly wait for something to happen. 

When the dust settles on Saturday, the debate of who will be pound-for-pound number one will once again rear its head. 

Right now, Naoya Inoue is the pound-for-pound number one following his win over Stephen Fulton on Tuesday, but I believe the winner of Spence vs. Crawford will leapfrog the multi-weight world champion into the top spot, the fight is that big. 

In addition to being considered the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, the winner of this undisputed clash will not only become a boxing superstar, but a sporting superstar which heightens the stakes on Saturday night for both Spence and Crawford.