Errol Spence Jr vs. Terence Crawford summary, round by round, undercards, stats
Errol Spence Jr dismantled by Terence Crawford
This was one of the most amazing fights you could ever hope to see. It will live in YouTube history alongside that Haggler Hearns bout, where they both came out like gamgbusters. This fight was more controlled than that one but every bit as clinical.
Coming into this fight, it was seen as a 50/50 and everybody had a favorite, the one that they edged it toward, and for me that was Errol Spence Jr.
I was wrong.
Perhaps like Errol and his team, I underestimated Terence Crawford. I am the first to admit when I made a mistake and the show that Crawford put on tonight is one of the best displays of pugilism and power that has ever been on show.
With this win, Crawford now becomes the only fighter ever to become undisputed in two weight divisions.
Errol Spence gave his congratulations to Crawford saying that he was the better man on the night. When asked about the rematch clause, Spence replied with no hesitation, "Hell, yeah, we gotta do this shit again!"
All heart.
Both of these fighters are quiet men. Men who don't trash talk, but let their fists do the talking for them. Errol Spence was a great champion, but Terence Crawford showed tonight that he is at another level entirely.
Undisputed.
Goodbye
That is going to do it for our live coverage of the Spence Crawford fight. We hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did. Remember to stay up to date with all boxing and sport news here at Diario AS. Until next time, take care and God bless.
WINNER BY TKO
Terence Crawford is now the undefeated, undisputed Welterweight world champion.
STOPPED!
Errol misses with a hook and Crawford has Spence wobbled badly. His face is a bloody mess and the referee has seen enough! He steps in and call a halt to the fight! Terence Crawford is now the undisputed welterweight champion!
The ninth starts more settled, but it can't remain that way long. Spence needs to go on the attack and soon enough he does just that. Nothing that he has done so far has troubled Crawford, and while is happy to let Spence work, the more accurate and hurtful shots are coming from Crawford.
Crawford would so much want to end this with a knockout, but he is still wary of Spence, and rightly so. For his part, Errol is aware that he needs a knockout to win, and he is not staying back on his heels, playing safe. He is all in on the attack.
Crawford lands a right hook and Spence is in trouble again. With 30 seconds left, Spence goes for broke and survives the round.
Crawford is a massive puncher and Errol has a better chin than I think anyone thought. But this is brutal. Crawford puts Spence down again just on the bell. He gets an eight count but my word! What a round for Terence Crawford!
Crawford comes out banging and Spence is in trouble. His eye is swollen nearly shut. Crawford lands a huge left and Spence is down again!
Crawford smells blood now and is going for the finish. He lands a HUGE left and Spence walks through it! What a fight!
Spence comes in close and tries to work inside, going after the body. Crawford seems happy with that, countering with big shots to the head.
The sixth starts with a reversal as Crawford goes on the attack and Spence is sitting back and trying to counter. It lasts less than a minute as both men revert to form and Crawford catches Errol with a huge left in the ear. Spence does well to stay on his feet.
One thing that you have to say about Errol Spence here is that you can never question his heart. This is the worst trouble that he has ever been iin in his career, and still he comes forward.
Perhaps that is stupid of him, but he is landing some punces of his own, and the longer he stays on his feet, the better you have to like his chances of working his way back into he fight.
The doctor says that all is good and the fight continues. Crawford is looking good. He has a style that is reminiscent of the great Michael Watson, keeping the gloves open as he covers and uses compact punches. Terence is quite literally doing whatever he wants to with Spence.
At the start of the round, the ref calls time and gets the doctor in the ring to look at Errol. That is premature, really. He is hurt, but not that badly.
Errol's left eye is starting to swell. Crawford is tearing him up. The action slows in the latter part of the round, but Terence won that one in a big way.
Once again, Spence is moving forward, but Crawford has found his range and is making him pay for it with each jab. Errol Spence has blood coming from the nose and mouth. Crawford throws a huge left that catches Errol flush. He is hurt!
This fight may not last long, Spence looks ready to go.
The round comes to an end with some good work by both men, but the big power of Crawford tips the round to him in my opinion.
Crawford has serious power and Spence eats one as he comes forward. He needs to be careful. Spence is used to being the aggressor but that counter punch is deadly.
Spence comes out in round three and stays on the front foot. He is showing that he isn't hurt and wants to take the fight to Crawford as soon as possible. Crawford is happy with this kind of fight, standing toe to toe with Spence.
Spence is trying to make this into a physical scrap, pushing inside, while Crawford is happy to let Errol work onto the counter.
Spence looks to be winning the round on aggression, but no! Spence is knocked down! That is huge!
Spence was winning that round until the knockdown. He is definitely buzzed, and makes it to the end of the round. What a turnaround!
Very little done by either man, and there is nothing in it. You could give that round to whichever one you like but it is likely a draw.
There is the bell and we are off!
Both fighters are left handed, so that awkward southpaw stance is negated by both using it.
The fight gets off to a slow start as both men feel each other out. They are both too experienced to just come out blasting. They both know that their opponent is deadly and give the utmost respect to him.
ERROL SPENCE JR vs TERENCE CRAWFORD
Here we go, the main event is ready to go and the Las Vegas crowd is on the edge of their seats. This is the best that boxing has to offer and we are a few minutes away from ringwalks.
Five years in the making and we are just about there.
Thomas Hearns is in the building as is Jermell Charlo and his twin brother Jermall. Zab Judah is in attendence as well and of course Iron Mike Tyson and Deontay Wilder are ringside.
CRUZ WINS BY SPLIT DECISION
The judges scored it:
114-113 to Cabrera
114-113 to Cruz
115-112 to Cruz
The judges were even more generous to Cabrera than I was, and the decision to give it to Cabrera seems bizarre.
I rather generously scored that 117-110 to Cruz. Generous not to Cruz but to Cabrera, since there was an argument to make for it being even wider. Let's see what the judges thought.
The final round is one that looks as if Cabrera is finally understanding that he needs to punch and not simply tippety tap his way through the fight. When you get to this contender level, you have to let your hands fly. When he has done it, although trepidatiously, you can see that he might have success if he could just pull that trigger. But throughout the evening, the theme has been Cabrera's caution against Cruz's aggression. And in that kind of fight, there is no contest.
Both fighters are trying to find that big shot. Cruz because it is his style, and Cabrera because he definitely needs it. Cruz slips and it is clearly a slip and not a knockdown. Both fighters are looking a little tired now but this is only going one way unless Cabrera can get a big shot in.
Cabrera needs to look for a knockout now, he is quickly running out of real estate in this bout. The problem is that he is cautious, which you can't blame him, but it is preventing him from letting his hands fly.
Cruz, on the other hand, is still going for that big knockout blow, exactly as he has since the opening bell of round one. If anything, he looks stunned that Cabrera is still standing.
Cabrera looks startled, he is still pawing at his opponent when he needs to score big shots. Cruz is still stalking his opponent, moving forward and pounding away.
Cabrera gets Cruz onto the ropes and tries to throw a few shots but they are ineffectual. Cruz steps out and bullies Cabrera backward with a well-placed left to the ribs.
Cruz gets a point deducted for using his head. He quite clearly knew what he was doing as he jumped up and down in the clinch to repeatedly make sure that his head pounded the face of Cabrera. That is big.
Cruz is enraged by the point deduction and comes out firing, catching Cabrera cleanly and finally showing that he has hurt his opponent. Cruz wins the round, but it is a 9-9 round with the point deduction.
Cruz is staying compact and letting Cabrera work outside. Even though he gets himself into position to land some shots, Cabrera is hesitant to let his hands go. And with good reason.
Cruz is quick on the counter and catches Cabrera with a left virtually every time he comes in.
Giovanni Cabrera is trying to move forward and throw shots, and he is having some success with that, but none of the shots that he lands are very hurtful. And worst of all is the fact that every time he goes in to throw those shots, he winds up eating a far more powerful shot on the way out.
Cruz lands a big left and Cabrera walks through it. That was a great shot, and it is impressive that Cabrera doesn't look to be fazed by it. But still, he can not change what is happening. He takes as much as he gives and what he takes is more hurtful.
Cabrera is now at sixes and sevens, Cruz is unloading a flurry of shots, and all of that movement that Cabrera showed early on has left his legs at the moment. Cruz lives up to his nickname, jumping on his man like a pitbull.
Cabrera comes out seemingly confident in his awkwardness, counting on being able to frustrate Cruz, and still not throwing spiteful punches. As the round wears on, Cruz begins to zero in and land that left hook several times, clearly hurting Cabrera.
So far Cabrera hasn't landed anything on Cruz that packs any power. Cruz has landed a few shots that are not quite flush, but even so they demonstrate more power than they carry. Cabrera needs to slow Cruz down somehow otherwise one of these haymakers will land eventually.
Cabrera is using his awkwardness to frustrate Cruz, but the more hurtful shots being landed are by the Mexican. Several times the referee has to warn both fighters about holding, but much of that comes from the natural awkwardness of an orthodox fighter trying to press a southpaw.
Manny Pacquiao is sat at ringside, drawing cheers from the crowd as the fight gets underway.
Cabrera comes out moving to his right, and in that southpaw stance, he will be awkward for Cruz.
Cruz is trying to land shots and just missing as Cabrera moves out of the way. Cabrera lands a few pokey jabs, but nothing of consequence. Cruz manages to land a couple of stinging lefts.
ISAAC CRUZ vs GIOVANNI CABRERA
Next we will have a 12 round WBA lightweight title eliminator bout between Cruz and Cabrera.
Santiago Wins by Unanimous Decision
The judges scored it:
115-113
116-112
116-112
in a unified decision for Santiago. They were tighter than I was, giving one more round to Donaire than I did, but that is understandable with some of those early rounds where it was so tight. I felt that Santiago did just enough to pick Donaire's pocket, but you can understand how someone would see it differently.
I make it 117 - 111 to Santiago, a wide score that would make the Mexican a Bantamweight world champion. Donaire's experience gave him some early rounds, but slowly Santiago started to shoplift rounds, then spread that gap until it left no question.
Boxing is so subjective, but that was how I viewed the fight. Let's see how the judges saw it.
Donaire can not win without a knockout here, and he comes out on the front foot. Santiago is boxing clever and staying out of range, backing away, giving respect to Donaire's power.
As the round wears on, Donaire slows, allowing Santiago to get some jabs in, scoring and moving away.
Donaire keeps coming forward, looking for that one big shot, but simply unable to produce anything against his youthful opponent. The bell ends it.
Santiago comes out and lands a good overhand right, backing Donaire up, before he switches down low and gets a nice left to the body. Donaire is wobbled, and while he is not looking as if he might go down here, it is clear that he is the worse for the wear right now.
As the round ends, Santiago lands combo after combo and Donaire is clearly out of sorts.
Another round where Santiago's youth and fitness shows through. Both fighters throw good shots, both have their successes, but as the round wears on, Donaire visibly tires, while Santiago is able to continue throwing shots until the bell.
Donaire comes out in the ninth with a good overhand right that catches Santiago flush. Santiago is too tough to be cowed, and they stand to to toe, throwing good shots. Both men are clearly in a bit of bother, and both have clearly got the will and guts to go for it all here.
Donaire lands some good right hands and just misses with the left, but Santiago ends the round by swarming the Philippine fighter and leaves the round with eye catching shots.
Santiago is more aggressive, looking more confident, when he walks onto a left hook from Donaire. It slows but doesn't stop Santiago.
Halfway through the round and Santiago lands a nice three-punch combo, backing Donaire up.
In the last minute, Santiago begins to try and lean on Donaire, physically bully him, and push him onto the ropes. Donaire pushes back to get out of trouble, but he can't escape the quick hands that Santiago is throwing at him.
Santiago comes out and lands a marvelous seven-shot combo before an accidental headbutt stops the action. The doctor comes on to have a look at Santiago's eye which is bleeding pretty profusely now.
The doctor says it is just superficial so the round continues and Santiago is staying on the front foot. Donaire is looking slower and more pnderous than in the early rounds. Santiago is definitely the more busy of the two and he is now having some success in landing those shots that he could not find in the opening rounds.
The round ends and despite the cut on the eye, that was another round for Santiago, and I have it 66 - 67 in Santiago's favor at the moment.
For the first time, Donaire moves forward, leaving Santiago in the role of counter puncher. Donaire starts to throw more punches, which has the effect of him missing a few, lowering that efficiency that he has been using.
There is a clash of heads as Santiago moves forward, and Donaire covers up. Santiago lands more shots on the counter and for me, he takes that round as well. This fight is pretty even overall.
Santiago comes out still probing, as he has through the whole bout. He starts to find openings, however, and lands a nice left on Donaire before going to work low. Donaire is not shaken and comes back with his own punches, but Santiago stays composed and lands another nice combination. That round for me is a Santiago round. Not by much, but enough to just steal it.
Santiago comes out composed and still trying to find a way in, find a way through, to get Donaire and do something that will stop his relentless advance.
Donaire switches from attack to counter and catches Santiago with a nice uppercut. Something is certainly getting through, however, with some swelling showing on Donaire's eye.
They traded a lot in that round, and both had their good work done, but Santiago's work is largely ineffective.
Donaire catches Santiago with a peach of a left hook that wobbles him. It opens up a cut above Santiago's right eye and he is in trouble here with more than a minute to go.
Santiago looks like he is having trouble seeing with the blood streaming into his eye. Donaire comes foreward, but is not charging blindly, he is still showing respect for Santiago's right hand.
The round ends and Santiago gets out of his biggest challenge yet, but that was a hurtful round for his chances.
Donaire comes out a little more loose, letting his hands fly more than in the first, and it is the turn of Santiago to look pensive, hesitant. More shots are landing on both sides, but Donaire looks to be in control here.
As they come out, Donaire is sizing his opponent up, not throwing much, but landing what he throws. By contrast, Santiago is far more active, throwing punches and jabs, looking for an entry to Donaire's defense. He misses with most of his shots, but is far more active.
As the round ends, Donaire is landing a few more, and you have to respect his economy. Hit and don't get hit is the name of the game and I think Donaire did enough impressive work to take that round.
Donaire is looking to become the oldest Bantamweight champion at the age of 40, and he is 13 years older than his opponent.
NONITO DONAIRE vs ALEXANDRO SANTIAGO
Next up we will have a 12-round contest for the WBC Bantamweight world title between Donaire and Santiago.
YOENIS TELLEZ WINS BY TKO
Sergio Garcia is not at all happy about it, complaining that he was still in the fight, but no matter what he thinks, the referee saw it differently. Yoenis Tellez clearly had the upper hand in terms of power right from the first bell, and at no point was Garcia giving him any real trouble. As it stands, he gets the win by TKO in the third round.
Garcia is looking to do more work and is landing some nice shots, particularly that uppercut, but the more eye-catching shots are coming from Tellez.
With 1:30 in the round, Tellez lands a HUGE right hand and Garcia goes down! Garcia complains that it wasn't a knockdown but rather a slip, but the referee is having none of it.
Tellez swarms Garcia and just bombards him! Garcia can't gather himself and after another few seconds of it, the referee steps in to stop it. That is it!
The close work that Garcia is trying to do is sometimes ending in a little tug of war, and the referee has to warn them both about grappling. Overall, he is trying to allow both fighters to work their way out of these situations and it is leading to some decent work by Garcia.
It isn't enough, however, since Tellez is catching him from the outside and always controlling the pace with that jab. For me, that round also goes to the Cuban.
Both fighters come out and meet in the middle of the ring. Tellez is the stronger of the two and has a very good right hand. Garcia is trying to crowd Tellez, walking him down, but the activity is coming from the Cuban.
As the round wears on, a few decent shots come from Garcia, but that round was all about Tellez and his power. He landed some seriously spiteful combinations.
SERGIO GARCIA vs YOENIS TELLEZ
We kick off with a ten-round match between light middleweights Garcia and Tellez. Both fighters are in the ring and are ready to get started.
In that same gym in Dallas, under trainer Derrick James, also trains Jermell Charlo and now Anthony Joshua. Both of those fighters have upcoming bouts, Joshua will fight Dillian Whyte on August 12 in London, while Jermell Charlo will face Canelo Alvarez on September 30 in Las Vegas.
I had the privelege of spending time with Errol Spence Jr in his training camp a few years ago, and what struck me is that he doesn't spar in rounds. Rather he does one long 30 minute spar and that is it. It is the most unique way to train that I have ever seen and given his success, it is somewhat surprising that other gyms haven't begun working that way.
I'm sure that it doesn't work for everyone but if it works for Spence, it could work for other fighters.
Full card
Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford (Undisputed welterweight title)
Isaac Cruz vs Giovanni Cabrera (WBA lightweight title eliminator)
Nonito Donaire vs Alexandro Santiago (Vacant WBC bantamweight title)
Sergio Garcia vs Yoenis Tellez (Junior middleweights)
Spence is a sublime pugilist, who has taken apart some world-class opponents, while Crawford is the more experienced puncher, who brings power to the table. Both men are at the top of their game and this fight should be the very best of what boxing can bring.
Welcome to our live coverage of the long anticipated Errol Spence Jr vs. Terence Crawford fight. Las Vegas has been at boiling point all week, with temperatures hitting 110º F, and the action inside the T-Mobile Arena is guaranteed to sizzle.
This fight is the absolute best that boxing can offer, and sees two sublime welterweights meet in what is sure to be a hard-fought 12 rounds.
Errol Spence Jr will be putting all of his titles on the line. The IBF which he so masterfully took off of Kell Brook in 2017, the WBC that he had to pry out of Shawn Porter’s hands in a split decision in 2019, and the WBA that he pounded out of Yordenis Ugas last year in a brutal match that was halted by physicians.
Terence Crawford, for his part, will be bringing the last remaining title to the table, the WBO which he has held since 2021 when he dismantled a game but thoroughly outclassed Jeff Horn.
Spence stands at height 5′ 9½″ and has a 72″ reach while Crawford stands at 5′ 8″ and has a 74″ reach. Spence weighed in right at the limit of 147 lbs, while Crawford was just a few ounces lighter at 146.8.