Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr.: A way-too-early look at a superfight 5 years in the making

When Errol Spence Jr. turned professional following the 2012 Olympic Games in London, I called a slew of highly regarded boxing people and asked about his potential and for a fighter comparison.

One name came up, over and over: Sugar Ray Leonard.

Spence is a southpaw and Leonard, who won gold at Montreal in 1976, was an orthodox fighter, but the point was that Spence had the ability to do the things that made Leonard one of the game's legends. He’s one of the 10 greatest boxers ever and proved it in an era teeming with elite talent.

More than a decade later, as Spence heads into the biggest fight of his career, those comparisons mostly remain intact. Spence is 28-0 with 22 KOs and is widely regarded as one of the top five or so pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He's held a welterweight title for six years and has never seriously been challenged.

That all changes, though, on July 29 when Spence will face WBO champion Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Crawford's entry into the professional ranks was as unheralded as Spence's was trumpeted. He won a lightweight belt six years after turning pro, and that's when things began to click for him. He quickly unified the super lightweight title and now has the opportunity to unify the welterweight crown.

Leonard was regarded as the so-called “pretty boy,” when he first met Duran, who by that point had been regarded by many as the best lightweight in history. Duran fought with a snarl that made him as intimidating as any boxer ever.

Leonard, though, proved his toughness in that bout with Duran. He showed the ability to stay outside and box, and could have won that bout by using his legs and his jab. But he wanted to make a point and so he stayed in the pocket and fought Duran’s fight.

When it was over, opinion on the verdict was mixed, but Duran left with a close unanimous decision. Leonard demanded an immediate rematch and outboxed Duran, forcing him to quit in the infamous “No Mas” bout five months later.

Going into Crawford-Spence, it seems like Crawford now is the best comparison for Leonard. Crawford is a brilliant boxer who has the legs, the jab and the uncanny combinations to win a fight that way. But there is no meaner, nor tougher, boxer in the game than Terence Allan Crawford.

Like Leonard, Crawford’s boxing IQ is sky high and is likely the best in the business at this point.

Like Leonard, he’s a finisher. When he hurts an opponent, rarely does he let him off the hook. Leonard fought Hearns 10 months after his rematch with Duran, and Hearns got out to a big lead in what was a compelling, dramatic bout.

The legendary trainer Angelo Dundee implored Leonard to step on the gas. After the 12th, Dundee famously said to Leonard, “You’re blowing it now, son. You’re blowing it.”

Leonard viciously attacked Hearns in the 13th and finished him with a brutal assault on the ropes in the 14th.

That’s the type of fighter Crawford is, and if he were ever faced with a situation where he found himself behind, it would be easy to see him reacting the same way Leonard did in the first Hearns fight.

Spence is an extraordinary talent and has few weaknesses in the ring. If he has one at all, it’s that he hasn’t always lived the life of a fighter and hasn’t in the past been shy about partying.

Crawford, though, is all about the fight life. Fighters have short careers, and he knows it. And he knows better than anyone what a decisive win over Spence would do for him, not only now but in the future.

There’s never been a fighter who has been undisputed champion in two weight classes. Crawford and Oleksandr Usyk both have the opportunity to do that. Crawford was the undisputed super lightweight champion, while Usyk was the undisputed cruiserweight champion. Crawford gets the chance to fight Spence for all four belts, while Usyk, who has three heavyweight belts, needs to get a deal with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury for his opportunity to do that.

It’s early and things may change as we see the fighters in training camp.

My take a little less than two months out from the first bell is that Crawford’s versatility is going to be the difference. He fights orthodox and southpaw equally as well and nobody has been able to solve that riddle.

I think he pulls away in the middle part of the fight and wouldn’t be surprised if he got a finish down the stretch to prove himself to be the greatest of his era.

And don’t be surprised afterward if there are plenty of comparisons between Leonard and Crawford rather than between Leonard and Spence.