Spence vs Crawford LIVE: ‘Bud’ produces masterclass before sealing stoppage win

Round one

Terence Crawford comes out as a southpaw, despite his adept ability to box as an orthodox fighter too. The initial exchanges are cautious and careful, both trying to set up their jab. They take it in turns to occupy the middle of the ring. Spence goes chasing Crawford into the corner but can’t land anything purposeful. Bud barely throws a punch, opting to scout out this fight with the first round.

The talk is over. Spence vs Crawford is under way...

Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford is introduced to the crowd first, but a fierce roar then goes up for his opponent, ‘The Truth’. It sounds like Spence will have the slightly better backing here in Las Vegas.

Jimmy Lennon Jr is poised with microphone in hand to introduce this epic fight. As he does so, Crawford paces in his corner like a caged animal while Spence stands calmly in his.

Terence Crawford is being walked out by Eminem as Lose Yourself plays over the loudspeaker. Eminem isn’t actually rapping but still, that’s 1-0 to Crawford. He looks incredibly focused. He’s also wearing a piece of fishing net.

“And now, from Dallas, Texas, making his way to the ring, The Truth, Errol Spence Jr!”

Spence potters in behind a rapper whose name I will endeavour to find out, head bobbing under a red hat. Spence looks very calm and very cool. Perhaps that is one advantage to having been through a near-death experience in that terrible car wreck in 2019: nothing can scare him.

Here we go then. Errol Spence Jr lost a coin toss and that means he will make the first ring entrance at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas...

Carl Frampton’s analysis: “Spence’s style, it’s nothing flash, his hands are always high and he throws a lot. Crawford will try and work the angles. If Terence Crawford loses round one, he’ll want to win round two and it will be like that within rounds, neither guy will want to give up anything.”

Amir Khan: “There are going to be fireworks. I really believe that, from the first bell.”

Speaking on TNT Sports, Amir Khan says Errol Spence Jr will change nothing for his illustrious opponent tonight:

“Spence is going to fight the way he’s always fought. He’s going to move forwards, he’s got the height, he’s got the jab. He’s a lot stronger than Terence Crawford – Crawford has come up the weight divisions through his career whereas Spence has always been here.”

Terence Crawford is the very slight favourite according to the bookies, but it couldn’t be much closer. Crawford did despatch their two mutual opponents – Kell Brook and Shawn Porter – more ruthlessly than Spence, but he also fought them later in their careers with more defeats on their CV so it is hard to read too much into those results.