Errol Spence and Terence Crawford made the welterweight limit on Friday for their long-anticipated undisputed welterweight championship bout that takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Spence, The Ring’s No. 1-rated welterweight and holder of the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles, weighed in at the division limit of 147 pounds. Crawford, The Ring’s No. 2-rated welterweight and holder of the WBO belt, weighed in at 146.8 pounds. Both pound-for-pound rated fighters looked ripped and ready on the scale.
The Ring’s welterweight championship, which has been vacant since Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired in 2015, will be on the line on Saturday. The bout will be televised live on Showtime PPV.
The fighters actually made weight more than three hours before they appeared before the public and the media, during the private official weigh-ins that were held in front of the Nevada State Athletic Commission inspectors and members of their camps, but the ceremonial weigh-in was held inside a packed T-Mobile Arena around 3:30 p.m. PT/6:30 p.m. ET and served as a media event to hype the fight and push the sales of the Showtime PPV.
A new name gets etched in boxing lore TOMORROW night🔥
Order #SpenceCrawford: https://t.co/32LwrbgAKD pic.twitter.com/ItAw7l4EzD
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) July 28, 2023
Spence: “It’s beautiful having people come out and support us,” Spence told the crowd after the customary staredown on stage.
When asked what he told Crawford during the staredown, Spence replied:
“I said he needs to thank me for making this s_t happen. It’s Spence-Crawford, not Crawford-Spence, so why I gotta do a coin toss. (Spence insinuated that he allowed that to happen, among other concessions, to make the fight.)”
When Crawford was asked what he said to Spence during their friendly staredown, the 35-year-old three-division world titleholder said:
“Nothin’, we about to make history. The better man going to win tomorrow. When I become undisputed in two weight divisions, it’s gonna be great.”
The fighters in the co-featured bout of the Showtime PPV show, lightweights Isaac Cruz and Giovanni Cabrera, also weighed in. Cruz, The Ring’s No. 3-rated lightweight who is angling for a rematch with Gervonta Davis, weighed in at 134.6 pounds.
Cabrera, who tipped the scales at 134.2 pounds, scoffed at Cruz’s future plans.
“It’s just wishful thinking,” he said. “Everybody has a dream and he’s allowed to dream too.”
Cruz said he’s also allowed to beat up the undefeated boxer. “I give the people what they want,” he said. “He’s going to eat so many punches, he’s gonna want to stop talking.”
Another featured bout on the broadcast is the return of future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire, who will fight Alejandro Santiago for the vacant WBC bantamweight title.
Donaire, The Ring’s No. 3-rated bantamweight, weighed in at 117.2 pounds. Santiago, The Ring’s No. 5-rated bantamweight, weighed 117.6 pounds.
If Donaire wins, he will not only break his own record for being the oldest bantamweight champ, but he will be the oldest world titleholder in boxing.
“Life is creation,” Donaire said, “in your mind, what you perceive, you become. In my mind, I’m the younger man and I’m going to go in there and win that belt.”
Said Santiago: “It’s a dream come true. I’m here to become a world champion and the world will get to know me.”
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The cover of the June-July 2023 Summer Special was painted by Richard Slone.