Oftentimes boxing fails to deliver the big-time fights that moves the needle into the mainstream and into pop culture.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. was a master in his heyday at seemingly making everything stop on a Saturday night and having his fights take center stage.
But ever since Mayweather retired from professional boxing in 2017, only three fights have passed the one million pay-per-view purchase marker – the first two fights featuring Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin and the April bout between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia.
Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford will look to become the next great blockbuster when they meet in their much-anticipated undisputed welterweight matchup on July 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Showtime PPV.
The high-stakes, 50-50 matchup is the biggest welterweight boxing fight since Mayweather beat Manny Pacquiao via unanimous decision in 2015, breaking all-time revenue records and PPV buy records along the way.
“It’s going to be great for boxing. It’s going to be great for the fans,” Crawford told BoxingScene.com and other reporters. “This was the fight I wanted. This was the fight boxing needed. Two fighters putting everything on the line. Both in their primes and no blemishes on their record and letting it all go in one night.
“What made the fight get over the hump? I just let him know what’s up. Let’s fight and get it done. Let’s stop playing around and faulting everybody. I went to him man to man and told him let’s come together and make this fight happen.”
Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) and Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) are hoping the fight gets the support it needs from fans and exceeds financial projections so that future super fights can get made.
There is a rematch clause in their contract as well, and a sequel seems all but certain.
“This is it. This is the moment we’ve both been waiting for,” said Crawford. “I want to make a statement by beating Errol Spence in tremendous fashion and leaving no doubt who was the victor.
“There is no pressure. I have been in this situation many times before. I just have to go out there and do what I know what to do. And do what I have been doing all of my life.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.