As Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford traded verbal jabs at a press conference in New York City, technicians live-streamed the event on a billboard outside. This promotional spectacle followed a similar conference held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. Showtime Sports executives recognized the importance of reaching the largest media markets in the United States to promote this highly anticipated boxing match, which appeals to both boxing enthusiasts and casual fans. After years of build-up and setbacks, Spence and Crawford, two of the world’s best boxers, will finally face off in a 147-pound unification bout in Las Vegas on July 29. Crawford holds the World Boxing Organization belt, while Spence is the champion of the other major sanctioning bodies, making this match a significant opportunity for both fighters to become the undisputed champion of their weight class for the first time in over three decades.
The demand for this fight has grown as both fighters have achieved remarkable success in their careers. Negotiations for the bout nearly came to fruition last fall but fell apart. Crawford, meanwhile, agreed to a fight against lesser opponent David Avanesyan on the streaming service BLK Prime. The rift between their respective promoters, Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions, further delayed the match until 2021. However, negotiations became smoother after Crawford became a free agent earlier this year. The disappointment from the previous failed negotiations motivated all parties to work towards an agreement with a renewed sense of urgency.
The process of finalizing the fight involved occasional video calls between Spence and Crawford. These conversations allowed the fighters to develop a personal connection and explore compromises regarding pay splits and revenue control beyond pay-per-view sales. While it is not uncommon for boxers to engage in political gamesmanship when it comes to high-stakes fights, Espinoza, the president of Showtime Sports, hopes that cultural events like this one will become more frequent in the boxing world.
In a sport where elite matchups often take years to materialize due to issues such as promoter conflicts and financial disputes, this year’s boxing calendar has filled up with exciting fights. The success of Gervonta Davis’s knockout against Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney’s victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko has shown that these matchups can captivate audiences. Espinoza believes that fights of this caliber are necessary to determine undisputed champions, and he hopes that more boxers will see the value in these cultural events.
On July 29, the winner of the Spence vs. Crawford fight will be regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. Although it took time to finalize, Spence expresses confidence that fans will be satisfied with the outcome. The anticipation for this match has been building for years, with both fighters acknowledging that they were destined to face each other eventually.
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