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

Isaac Cruz ups the tempo in rounds four and five, getting inside Cabrera’s rangey jab to land some solid blows. Cabrera’s nose is seeping with blood and he’s struggling to hand this change in pace.

The first two rounds of this one have been pretty cagey, with the taller Giovanni Cabrera – who looks more like a model than a boxer – dancing on tip toes around the edge of the ring, escaping the Pitbull’s dangerous hooks.

Cabrera has probably edged what we’ve seen so far, which isn’t much, and his trainer Freddie Roach is telling him as much.

The final fight tonight before the main event is Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz vs Giovanni Cabrera.

The Mexican 25-year-old Cruz took Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis 12 rounds before defeat and victory here is likely to get another shot at Davis.

The build-up to this fight has been relatively good natured – the match-up does its own talking – and Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford left their press-conference crowd in laughter when they bickered over a ‘fishing’ analogy.

Spence Jr has a ‘big fish’ tattoo and has referred to himself as a shark throughout his career, something that Crawford tapped into during the second press conference for their long-awaited 29 July bout.

Crawford, 35, said on Wednesday (14 June): “I like to go fishing, everybody knows those are my hobbies. They’ve all been caught before, every last [opponent], and 29 July he’s gonna be caught, too. I’ve got a big enough hook for him, and I’m already reeling him in. I’m gonna put him on the bank, I’m gonna gut him, and I’m gonna filet him.”

Spence Jr, 33, replied: “Man, that’s [nonsense], he’s not catching me with no fishing pole. I’m the biggest. What would it look like catching Moby Dick with a fishing pole? Your a** better have a submarine.”

Terence Crawford’s confidence in beating Errol Spence Jr will be conveyed in his ring gear tonight when the Americans clash to crown an undisputed welterweight champion.

Crawford, 35, and Spence, 33, are both unbeaten ahead of their bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Crawford’s WBO belt will be up for grabs, along with Spence’s WBC, WBA and IBF titles.

At the first press conference for this contest, deemed by many as the biggest fight in a decade, Crawford joked that he had already caught the ‘Big Fish’, as Spence refers to himself, and that all that was left was to ‘reel him in’. That concept has been carried across to Crawford’s ring gear, The Independent can confirm after getting an exclusive look at the outfit.

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At last. It has taken over five years to get Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr in the same ring for their wonderful fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The old neon city has waited patiently for a fight like this, a fight without gimmicks, a fight with undefeated boxers and a fight that just had to happen. It might lack some of the stardust associated with the strip in Las Vegas, but it remains a fight for the ages.

Spence is unbeaten in 28, he holds the IBF, WBC and WBA welterweight titles; Crawford is unbeaten in 39 and he holds the WBO version. Crawford has also held world titles at lightweight and light-welterweight. Spence is 33, Crawford is 35, and they are the most perfect rivals in an imperfect sport. Spence crashed his car, suffered injuries, had a potential career-ending eye problem and Crawford was shot in the neck and left for dead before he took boxing seriously. They have a backstory or two, don’t worry.

The great Steve Bunce previews a fight for the ages:

How have these two approached the biggest fight of their careers?

Errol Spence Jr: “Just because it’s a big fight, that doesn’t mean it isn’t just another day in the ring for me. I’ve been treating it as that, as far as my emotions and how I feel, but I’ve definitely been training hard and focused a lot more on my craft, my abilities, and my training. But when I wake up on the day of the fight, it’s gonna be another day in the office. [My first thought] will probably be what I’m gonna eat!”

Terence Crawford: “This fight week feels the same. It definitely feels bigger, but at the same time, in my mind it’s no different. I’m already pound-for-pound No 1, I feel. In my eyes, a win over Errol Spence Jr would just put me as undisputed, pound-for-pound No 1 in everybody’s eyes. There would be no debate.”

The boxing landscape is arguably as intriguing as it has ever been.

The past few years have seen heavyweight epics for the ages between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, they have seen Saul “Canelo” Alvarez establish himself as the face of the sport in the eyes of many fans, and they have seen frequent displays of technical brilliance from champions in lighter weight classes.

There have been upsets, title unifications, and there has been no shortage of drama – Anthony Joshua’s defeats by Andy Ruiz Jr and Oleksandr Usyk standing out as prime examples.

All of these fights and results have factored into The Independent’s own top 10, pound-for-pound rankings for men’s boxers, to be updated monthly.

While there is no exact science to putting together lists such as this, a number of factors have been considered in making the rankings, including each fighter’s overall record, recent record, level of activity and calibre of opposition.

By our reckoning, Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr couldn’t be more closely matched:

How to watch fight online and on TV tonight – All you need to know ahead of one of the most-anticipated fights in years:

Terence Crawford won a coin toss with Errol Spence Jr on Thursday, allowing “Bud” to make a key decision for tonight’s fight.

Crawford will carry the WBO welterweight title into the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, while Spence holds the WBC, WBA and IBF belts.

Both Americans are unbeaten and are among boxing’s biggest names, thus there was much debate around who would make their ring walk second and be introduced second in the ring. It was ultimately put to a coin toss at Thursday’s press conference, with Crawford, 35, winning out.