Tuto came from Guatemala to Omaha, used to be one of Bud’s sparring partners, and when he couldn’t get fights anymore, started holding the pads. Bernie was one of the most talented boxers in Omaha, and was one of the only people back in the day Lil’ T couldn’t whip. Bernie used to beat up on Bud so bad the kid yelled from a corner in the gym, “wait ’til I get older, wait ’til I get bigger. I’m going to kick your ass!” And, BoMac? He, like anyone else here, knew firsthand about the hellfire that raised them in north Omaha.
However, the 23-1 Rocha is the WBO’s No.1 challenger and if he keeps winning, then a title shot will eventually come. Realistically, he’s far down the pecking order and should just focus on staying busy and improving his game.
BoMac always thought a fight with Errol was coming, so much so that he misspoke at times in public forums when he thought it was on the way. Bud stayed ready for so many years, he thought maybe his chance would never come.
Crawford and Spence will each earn eight figures guaranteed for the Showtime PPV fight, sources told ESPN, and there’s a bidirectional rematch clause that the loser can trigger within 30 days after the fight. It’s a two-fight deal for Crawford with PBC, sources said. After the probable return bout between Crawford and Spence, which must take place before the end of 2023, both boxers are expected to move up to 154 pounds.
The warrior gene runs through the blood of terence crawford weight division Crawford. His grandfather, father and uncle had all trained at the C.W. Boxing Club in Omaha, Nebraska. The gym’s owner, Carl Washington, was also Crawford’s neighbor. Washington approached a then seven-year-old Terence about doing the same as a means of keeping the youngster out of trouble.
Crawford routinely rattled Spence with power shots and counters as the crowd roared at deafening levels throughout the fight. It only got worse as the rounds wore on for Spence. He tried to settle into his gameplan of applying pressure but Crawford was having none of it.
Crawford became a promotional free agent following a 10th-round TKO victory over Shawn Porter in November 2021, paving the way for a potential bout with Spence. The sides engaged in talks for much of last year and were on the verge of completing a deal in September, but talks collapsed at the 11th hour.
On July 22, 2021, the WBO ordered that Crawford defend his welterweight title against the #2 ranked WBO welterweight contender Shawn Porter. The former two-time welterweight title holder was seen as the biggest challenge in Crawford’s career up to that point, with ESPN describing Porter as “a quantum leap in competition”. As the two sides were unable to negotiate the terms of the fight, the WBO set a purse bid for September 2, 2021, which was later postponed until September 14. Crawford and Porter would adhere to a 60–40 purse split, rather than the usual 80–20 split for mandated matches, taking into account the earnings from their three previous fights. On September 14, it was announced that a deal had been agreed to stage the fight on November 20 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, airing on ESPN+ PPV.
The fighter of our generation, everybody would agree is Floyd Mayweather. I think Terence Crawford is now the fighter of our generation. That performance beats Floyd Mayweather at welterweight in his prime.
“I told them a lot of people were doubting them but they’re talented and they’ve got to believe in themselves, look to their neighbor and hold them accountable for everything they do, and hold each other to a high standard,” Crawford said. “I just told them they are the better team and they were going to win this game. Use them (the Buffs) as a steppingstone and go hit ’em in the mouth from the first play to the last play.”
Crawford likes 33-year-old Spence, but his steely resolve is clear. So often his brilliant spitefulness shines in the ring, but every now and then it also creeps out of him outside it. It came out in the news conference when he clashed with one of Spence’s team members who wouldn’t stop heckling him.
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), of Omaha, Nebraska, won by scorecards of 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113. He is now a four-division champion (lightweight, junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight). Crawford is also a two-division undisputed champ, a feat accomplished by only two other men’s boxers (Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk).
But what was expected to be a highly competitive, 50-50 matchup, turned into one of the finest performances fans had witnessed in recent years. Crawford emphatically stamped his place in the history books with a ninth-round TKO over Spence to become the first undisputed welterweight champion of the four-belt era.
Round 11: I just looked, and I have it 7-3 Cruz, so I guess I’m not sure I’m giving Valenzuela credit for his accuracy, as he’s getting hit by the power shots of Cruz. Valenzuela touching him well now this round, however. Cruz not landing clean so far halfway through the round. There’s a left by Cruz after Valenzuela touches him well. And a right. Uppercut by Valenzuela. Right by Valenzuela, one by Cruz. He flurries at the end and maybe steals the round at the buzzer.
