Many believe the undisputed welterweight matchup between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford is a 50/50 fight, but if you ask a series of sportsbooks, they have a slightly different opinion as to who’ll win the super fight.
The likes of FanDuel, BetMGM, William Hill, and Bet365 have Crawford listed as a betting favorite anywhere ranging from -135 to -188, and Spence listed as a betting underdog with odds ranging from +106 to +150.
Spence understands why he is pegged to lose by prognosticators ahead of the July 29 fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Showtime pay-per-view.
“I don’t really pay too much attention to that type of stuff. I know after I win this fight that I will be the best fighter in the world,” Spence said in an interview with Brian Custer on The Last Stand.
“I can see why he is the [betting] favorite, just common sense. I’m realistic with all of the stuff I’ve been through, just the stuff people know about that I have been through. I would pick him as the favorite, too. Stuff happens, but I keep defying the odds. Everybody thought I was going to be a shell of myself after I came back from the car crash. But I came back and have been doing my thing ever since, even with the eye injury. I keep defying the odds. People can talk negatively, but that’s just added motivation.”
Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) certainly has done well in recent years when the chips have been stacked against him – at least outside of the ring – but he’s been a betting favorite inside of the squared circle each time he’s laced up the gloves.
In 2019, Spence survived a near-fatal car crash when he lost control of his Ferrari at a high speed. The 33-year-old was ejected from the vehicle as it flipped several times. He later pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated.
In 2021, while preparing for a fight against Manny Pacquiao, Spence was forced to pull out of the fight 11 days prior due to a torn left retina.
Spence will be fighting for the first time in nearly 16 months once he squares off against Crawford.
“A 16-month layoff is cool. It was nothing that I was recovering from, so that was more rest anyway. It’ll be fine,” said Spence.
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.