The Knockdown: Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford

Sports Illustrated

Senior writer Chris Mannix sat down with Errol Spence Jr. and Terrance Crawford ahead of their welterweight megafight in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Transcript

00:00 - Carol Spence and Terrence Crawford are getting ready

00:02 for their welterweight super fight

00:04 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

00:06 They speak to me exclusively next on The Knockdown.

00:09 (upbeat music)

00:11 Are you starting to feel some of the juice

00:14 that's around this fight?

00:16 - I've been feeling, felt the juice around this fight.

00:19 This is a big fight.

00:20 Everywhere I go, people's talking about it

00:23 prior to the fight even being made.

00:25 So I know what's at stake.

00:27 I know the significance.

00:28 The buildup is great.

00:31 - This is now five years for you

00:33 as a full-fledged welterweight.

00:36 What's different with you from the guy

00:38 that moved up in 2018 to fight Jeff Horn?

00:42 - I'm more experienced.

00:43 I'm stronger.

00:46 I'm more filled out.

00:47 I'm just a better overall welterweight.

00:49 - Back in 2020, you know, when this fight

00:52 was being talked about a lot,

00:54 Spence was recovering from that car accident.

00:57 When you were asked about fighting him back then,

01:00 and I think I asked you as well,

01:01 you said you wanted to see him get back in the ring first

01:04 before you did fight him.

01:06 He's had a couple of fights since then.

01:08 What do you see in the post-accident version of Errol Spence?

01:12 - He did everything he had to do to keep a perfect record.

01:15 He looked sharp in his last fight.

01:17 He did real good against Ugas.

01:19 And he's not coming off of an accident.

01:22 He's not coming off of an injury.

01:25 So what better time to fight than right now?

01:28 - What would you say is the most dangerous thing

01:31 about Errol Spence?

01:32 - I don't know.

01:33 Really can't say, 'cause I've never been in a ring with him.

01:36 So probably his relentlessness

01:40 and his ability to wear fighters down.

01:42 - In your mind, is the winner of this fight

01:45 unquestionably number one pound for pound?

01:47 - 100%.

01:48 Everybody in the world knows that the winner of this fight

01:52 is number one pound for pound fighter in the world.

01:54 Undisputed.

01:55 Not to take anything away from him in a way,

01:58 he's a talented fighter.

02:00 He's great at what he do.

02:02 And he looked spectacular in his recent fight.

02:07 But everybody in the world know this is a fight

02:10 where you got the number one pound for pound fighter

02:12 fighting the number four pound for pound fighter

02:14 in the world.

02:15 No disrespect to Stefan Fulgenberg,

02:17 but he wasn't nowhere near the pound for pound list.

02:21 So that tells you something right there.

02:24 How close were you to saying,

02:25 you know what, screw it, I'm going to 154?

02:28 - I wasn't close at all.

02:30 No, even my handlers was telling me

02:33 to either move up or move on.

02:35 Like, you know, it's too hard of a negotiation,

02:38 but I stood to negotiate.

02:40 I said, no, we can make this fight happen.

02:42 You know, eventually it happened.

02:44 It definitely took a while, but it happened now.

02:48 And I feel like this fight is the biggest fight,

02:51 not only a decade, but probably the last 20 years.

02:54 A guy like him, he's undefeated.

02:56 I'm undefeated.

02:58 We're the best fighters in our weight class.

03:01 And we're the top pound for pound, number five guys.

03:04 So, I mean, you ready to get that, you know,

03:06 two top five pound for pound guys fighting each other

03:10 for all the marbles that day.

03:12 Both undefeated.

03:12 So it's going to be huge.

03:14 I can't wait for it.

03:16 I'm super excited for this fight.

03:18 Finally get to show everybody why I am the best

03:21 westerner in the world, but not only the best westerner,

03:24 I am the best fighter in the world.

03:26 - Why was it important to you

03:28 to get this fight over the finish line?

03:30 - This is just a great fight period.

03:34 And I feel like I would have had his name over my head

03:38 if I would have moved up and fought other people.

03:41 Everybody would have still put my name with his name

03:44 and the same thing with him.

03:46 They would have put my name with his name.

03:48 So I would rather put that to rest come July 29th

03:53 on Showtime for every view.

03:54 And I'm willing to put everything on the line,

03:57 do everything it takes to win this fight.

04:00 So everybody, you got to make sure they tune in.

04:02 It's going to be one for the books.

04:04 - Does it feel strange being the underdog again?

04:07 - It definitely don't feel strange.

04:09 It's motivation.

04:10 I use everything as added motivation.

04:13 So, you know, it's just motivation.

04:15 People have me the underdog,

04:18 people saying he has more tools than me

04:20 or he's more versatile than me.

04:22 All that sounds good, but I relate to it

04:25 just like how I said in basketball

04:27 I was the San Antonio Spurs.

04:29 You know, they're not really that appealing.

04:31 People, younger guys would choose Kevin Garnett

04:34 over Tim Duncan because, you know,

04:37 Kevin Garnett is more flashy,

04:39 he's more easy on the eyes,

04:40 but the Spurs are more, you know,

04:42 just getting the job done.

04:44 He was called Mr. Fundamentals.

04:46 And that's who I am.

04:47 I am fundamental sound.

04:48 I do everything, you know, by the book

04:51 and I still look good.

04:54 - Is Errol Spence the same fighter he was

04:57 before all this, before the accident,

04:59 before the eye injury?

05:00 How would you answer that question?

05:02 - My answer is by just looking at my body at work

05:05 after the car accident, after the eye injury,

05:08 after everything that happens, you know,

05:11 my body works for itself.

05:13 So you can speculate or, you know, say what they want.

05:17 But come July 29th on Showtime,

05:19 Purple Beauty, I'm gonna put on another spectacular showing

05:23 and show everybody why I am the best fighter in the world.

05:26 I'm the best fighter, 147 pounds.

05:29 And why I will go down as a great,

05:32 especially in the Westwood division.

05:34 (upbeat music)

05:37 (upbeat music)

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