PBC’s Al Haymon, who advises Spence, and CAA’s Ish Hinson, who won the boxing fight advises Crawford, negotiated and now will deliver the most anticipated boxing match since the mega fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in 2015.
Round Three: Spence comes right at Crawford and lands a big shot. Left hand from Spence. Big right hand from Spence and a firefight is breaking out. Spence banging on Crawford. Spence misses a combination. Crawford roars back with one of his own. Spence working the body. Spence to the body again and Crawford lands a hard one two. They are fighting fighting. Crawford with a big body head combination and Spence lands a left hook. Crawford with a hard jab.
Round 2: Donaire tracking the younger Santiago, but having difficulty getting past that jab. Counter left from Donaire connects. He advances with a combination. Good head movement from Donaire as he lands to the body. Santiago scores with a jab after a tight exchange. Glancing right by Donaire. Counter left by Donaire up top. Santiago throwing heavy hooks, he connects with a stiff one to the body.
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Spence, a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, was compared early in his professional career to the legendary Sugar Ray Leonard in terms of his ability to do everything in the ring. Spence is a southpaw and Leonard was orthodox, but Spence is a brilliant boxer who has a great chin, big pop in both hands and terrific lateral movement. He can fight well going forward and backward.
You can’t blame “Bud” for wanting to run it back. He made millions, picked up a career-defining win, and left the ring without a scratch on his face. But the oddsmakers will view this as shooting fish in a barrel for Crawford and a second fight would do considerably less business than the first.
Crawford, 35, has won titles at super lightweight and lightweight in addition to welterweight, capturing the latter after moving up in 2018. The Omaha, Nebraska, fighter became the first male boxer to become the undisputed champion in two divisions in the four-belt era.
Afterward, Crawford told ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith that after Spence connected with a looping overhand left in the first two rounds, he thought to himself, “This is it? … It’s going to be a long night for him.”
Fourteen months after the accident, Spence routed Danny Garcia via decision. And while many boxers have been forced to retire because of a detached retina, Spence returned from the surgery — just like Sugar Ray Leonard in the 1980s — to break Ugas’ orbital.
“I was getting kicked out of school for fighting. Midge kicked me out of the gym because we were getting into it. I didn’t care. I played football. I played basketball. I wrestled. In all those sports, I was getting into it with my teammates,” said Crawford, a talented, multi-sport athlete.
Round 4: Donaire opens with jab pressure. Santiago letting his right hand fly freely, but he’s falling just short of connecting with power. Great jab work from Santiago. Santiago advances into a counter left from Donaire. They trade jabs. Donaire with a quick left to the body. Both continue to connect with stiff jabs. Step in left from Santiago. Donaire ends the round with a right to the chin.
“The fans and I have both wanted this fight for years and now it is finally happening,” said Crawford. “This truly is a once in a generation fight, so come out to T-Mobile Arena or tune in to SHOWTIME PPV for the biggest fight in boxing. On July 29, I look forward to making history and becoming two-time undisputed champion of the world.”
His relatives climbed inside the ring, mom clad in a gold jumpsuit, jumping all over the place. The ring all but sagged from the number of bodies crammed inside. It seemed like all of Omaha managed to talk their way in.
Round 1: What’s up, y’all? We are rolling with this loaded pay-per-view main card. Cruz and Moran kicking us off for the IBF international lightweight title. This is Cruz’s fourth professional fight. Let’s do it. Moran comes out firing jabs to the head and body. Cruz sticks out a long jab onto Moran’s face in response. Cruz claiming the center of the ring early. Cruz connects solidly with a series of straight punches to the body. Three-punch combination for Cruz. He slips a right hand through the guard. MMA Fighting scores it 10-9 Cruz.
Round 2: Cruz tags Cabrera with a few punches to open Round 2. Cabrera using his left hand to keep Cruz at range. Lead left by Cruz. Cabrera pokes through Cruz’s defenses and avoids a couple of counters. Cabrera connects with an uppercut. Counter right from Cruz connects. Cabrera moving well to avoid being cornered.
Kavaliauskas (21-0-1, 17 KOs) hasn’t won a fight since November 2018, when he defeated Roberto Arriaza by third-round KO. In March, Kavaliauskas fought to a majority draw against Ray Robinson in a tough bout in Philadelphia.
