Winning and losing are a part of the game. Terence Crawford though, only knows the former. Come July 29th, however, that could change.
Errol Spence Jr. has been dying to get his hands on Crawford, and vice versa. With their showdown just a few days away, the time for trash talk is just about over with. But while Crawford vs. Spence is being considered a 50/50 matchup, Crawford’s intensity during his arduous closed-off training sessions picks up. The buckets of sweat that fall off his body, along with the aches and pains that he feels every morning, aid him in boosting his confidence.
“I train too hard to think about losing,” said Crawford on an episode of All-Access.
Pushing past those negative thoughts isn’t easy. It isn’t because Crawford is a nonbeliever in himself but more so because of what Spence brings to the table.
The Dallas native has fought some of the best fighters in the world. But, despite facing elite-level competition, Spence has barely broken a sweat.
Against Mikey Garcia in 2019, Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) pitched a shutout against a then undefeated four-division champion. One year later, Spence took care of business against Danny Garcia, despite coming off a horrific car wreck. In his latest showing, Yordenis Ugas stepped up to the plate.
For the rough and rugged Cuban, there was no sense of retreat or surrender. Spence though, forced a corner stoppage, breaking his right orbital bone in the process. Crawford isn’t shaking in his boots but he has taken notice of Spence’s deleterious handiwork.
Perfection has defined Crawford’s career up until this stage. At no point has he come close to coming out on the losing end but that doesn’t mean that very thought doesn’t consume him. Although he previously pontificated that losing isn’t even a thought, he recently backtracked. With that said, he’s still doing his best to keep those ideas in the back of his mind.
“Do it cross my mind? Yea, it always cross my mind. What if? But my mind is so strong that it keeps those negative thoughts out.”