The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Boxing with Chris Mannix - Spence vs. Crawford: Fight Day

Episode Date: July 29, 2023

Chris sits down with the great Showtime broadcaster, Al Bernstein, Errol Spence, and Terrence Crawford ahead of what could be the fight of the year. #Volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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That was my moment. Now with interviews, analysis, and everything going on in the world of boxing. When you have talent, you are given another chance. Here's Chris Mannix. All right, it is Fight Day in Las Vegas. Terence Crawford versus Errol Spence, the fight for welterweight supremacy, maybe even the fight for pound-for-pound supremacy. So we've got a great bonus episode for you this week.

begin with Al Bernstein, the boxing hall of famer. He will be on the call on Showtime pay-per-view on Saturday from Team Mobile Arena. He joins me to talk all things Spence versus Crawford from the weight to the car accident that Spence suffered and what he looks like after that to some of the things that Terrence Crawford can do to win. Great conversation with Al Bernstein. Later on, you are going to hear from both combatants live exclusively here on the podcast. Errol Spence will join me.

Terrence Crawford will join me. We'll talk about this matchup and what it means for both men. So stick around. We have a tremendous bonus fight date episode for you. And it all begins right now with the great Al Bernstein. All right, Al Bernstein, long time boxing broadcaster, inductee to the boxing Hall of Fame. He will be ringside on Saturday for the biggest fight of the year, probably the biggest

fight we've seen in many years when Terrence Crawford and Errol Spence. off for welterweight supremacy. That's a fight you can watch live on Showtime pay-per-view. Al also, an accomplished recording artist, accomplished singer, spent his Thursday night during Fight Week, entertaining Manny, including some boxing media, Al, because I was scrolling through my timeline on Thursday, and I see pictures of you at the Tuscany Hotel entertaining the crowd. I mean, just, I know you've talked about it many times.

in the past. But how did that become a passion of yours? You know, I always liked music and enjoyed performing. And then when I came out to Vegas in the late 80s, I would sit in with a lot of different people and perform. And then one night three months before the Hagler-Lenard fight, I was having dinner with some executives from Caesar's Palace. And Barry McGuigan's dad was a pub singer, had performed at the Seasers Palace Lounge, three nights leading up to one of Barry's fights. And one of the executive said, don't you sing? And I said, yeah, yeah, I enjoyed doing music.

He said, okay, you're going to do three nights leading it up to the Hagler-Lennard fight. And I'm like, okay, I didn't have an act or a band, but I said, okay, I figured it out. We did it. And then ever since I've been doing music. Are there any similarities between performing on stage to calling a fight? almost none really because it's really weird you know you're when you are in front of an audience you're there with however and whether it's 300 or 400 or 200 and you're and you're interacting live with them and it's of the moment for tv you don't see the people right chris you know you're i don't know how you're approaches but for me it's just that one camera i'm talking to one person and or one entity and And so it's very different. I mean, the only thing that makes it similar is that you've got kind of an organized approach,

which you hope you do in terms of presenting the material. But yeah, it's a whole different trip. And I think maybe that's part of what makes it fascinating to do both those things. There's a lot of energy right now in Las Vegas for this fight. Yeah. Do you, as a broadcaster, do you get that extra energy? Do you get nervous before a significant? fight like this?

You know, I don't know if it's getting nervous. You feel the, you know, the enormity of it, and you, and honestly, I try to not let that influence me in a certain way, because to me, it's like calling any other fight, though, of course, you understand it's important. So it doesn't, I don't think I feel anything super different because you, you know, every show is important and every show is something where you're being seen by a lot of people and you want to do your best. So I don't know if it's nervous, but I will say that I started something at the Hagler-Herner's fight where I took my headphones off back in 1985, just drinking the

atmosphere at that outdoor arena at Seiz's Palace. And it kind of helped me appreciate the moment. and I do that now for every single fight that I announce. I take that moment when they're announcing the fighters, I take my headsets off, look around and just kind of drink in the atmosphere. That's interesting. I may have to adopt that because, you know, the big fights I've got a chance to work,

whether it's Anthony Joshua or Taylor Serrano or any of the Canelo fights, you know, people have often asked me, like, was the atmosphere great? And as you well know, if you have your head phones on, you have no idea. Like you're hearing the truck in your, ear, you're hearing your broadcast partners, you're not getting a fraction of what the atmosphere is really like.

No, and you're not going to through the whole fight, but that was kind of my way of just making a connection, you know? Yeah, yeah, it's a good idea, something I'm now going to steal from you and I use... Oh, good. I made a suggestion to you. Future fights. I'm part of the solution, not the problem. You've got two guys here in Spence and Crawford, who are both elite, top five, pound for pound

guys. Spence, undefeated, Crawford, undefeated. What's the biggest variable for you going into this fight? Yeah, that's a good question. You know, the, maybe, if you had to pick one, you just won, it might be the power or how the power will impact itself from Crawford. You know, Crawford is rightly thought of. I mean, when you look at the dictionary and you see the phrase boxer puncher in it, his picture is next to it, right? He's the ultimate boxer puncher. However, lost in that shuffle is the fact that he has the second longest streak of knockouts among all male champions now, 10 straight knockouts. So his power comes from counterpunching. It comes from the other fighter coming forward, helping him with the, you know, the severity.

the blow and he gets knockouts. The question in this fight is going to be will he hurt Spence at all during the fight? And if he doesn't, will he be able to, will he be able to, will he be able to, you know, continue to box, keep him off him and make, and make his game plan work for a victim. So that's one of the questions that I'm curious to see how it plays itself out. You had a chance to call Spence against Jordana's Ugas in his last fight in April of 2022. It was the second fight for Errol Spence after that car accident that nearly killed him. It was a significant car accident back in the fall of 2019.

You've watched, I'm sure, a lot of Spence fights over the years. when you watch Spence versus Ugaz. Did you see the same fighter that you saw prior to the accident? Yeah, that's also a good question. It's one I've discussed with people. I'm going to say yes

because his skill set and the things he was doing don't vary. And of course, that's part of the Errol Spence story, his consistency. You know, what you see is what you get with El Spence. You know, he comes into that ring. He is earnest and dogged in his approach. He's going to walk you down. He's going to go to the body. He's going to throw good right

hooks, good straight left hands. Now, in the fight with Ugas, his task was made a little simpler by the fact that Ugas stayed right in the pocket with him. That doesn't mean that Ugas was without Gile, even Ugaz standing in the pocket in front of him is a clever guy. But it helped Spence be himself, if that makes any sense. And one of the intriguing things about this fight is, of course, he's facing the ultimate

trap setter, the ultimate fighter filled with Gile and filled with you know, with clever things that he does in the ring. So would we in this fight see something from Spence like maybe less movement than we thought we would see from him getting to Crawford? But I didn't see anything in him in Spence that looked like he was diminished physically. And there were no, from the car accident, there was no chronic recurring thing, right, that a lot of times when fighters have either an incident, with a car or a gun or or some injury,

there's one part of it that remains chronic. There hasn't been that with Spence. You know, we hear trap setter or how a fighter sets traps a lot in boxing. I'm not sure a lot of many people really know exactly what that means. When you watch Crawford fight and you watch him on film, how does he do it? How does he set guys up for those knockout shots? Because he is just as powerful at 147 as he was in the lower way classes.

Yeah, which is interesting when you think about it. The way he does it is by appearing to be more of a boxer, in quotes, than he actually is. He is moving. He is trying to give you different angles, but he is always waiting for that moment when he can unleash a good straight left hand. And he will, the other thing about him is, he's very good at immediately planting his feet to give those. shots power. Sometimes people that are boxing, it's hard. It's not that easy to be moving and be able to at an instant plant yourself without putting yourself in harm's way. He's able to do that. And so his way of laying those traps oftentimes is to give you what appears to be more movement than you're getting from him. And all the while, you're just being reeled in to get right in range for one of those straight left hands or an uppercut, you know, that he's going to land against you. That's why I think for Earl Spence, very important for him to do two things. Jab his way in and keep jabbing.

Don't stop jabbing while you're coming in because that'll disrupt a little of this trap setting and move your head when you're coming in. Yeah. And, you know, I mentioned the questions I have about Spence in the aftermath of that car accident. And I really don't have any Al about Terrence Crawford. Yeah, he's had some bouts of inactivity, you know, especially after the split with top rank. But, you know, he looks at 36 just as strong or stronger as he did at 33 or 30. In fact, I can make an argument that the fact of this fight waited a few extra years may have benefited Terrence Crawford because I look at him standing there.

And yeah, he's got to cut weight and that's difficult. But he's a full-fledged welterweight now. He was walking around now in the 160s, whereas, you know, years earlier, he wasn't getting all that high. I think Crawford, the time spent waiting for this fight to happen, I think, as given Crawford a little extra time to fill into that body. And I think that'll be advantageous for him coming into this fight. That could well be, obviously, because he came up from the lower weights. And at each stop along the way, people have said, you know, as they often do, is that one-weight class too much? And he's clearly demonstrated that 147 is not one-way class.

too much for him. Just as we saw, in a way, demonstrate about 122 the other night. So your theory is an interesting one because he now is at the point where he is very much a full-fledged middle-way. And even when you're looking at the two just standing in front of each other for the, in the face-off, nobody there, St. Croft didn't look like somebody of a lesser-way class. You know, he had a slight height advantage. He, his body looked like it belonged exactly with Errol Spence.

And on the flip side of that, and maybe I keep bringing up questions about Spence, maybe this is kind of why I lean towards Crawford in what is very much a 50-50 fight. If I go one way, it's 51, 49, 52-48. But when I look at Spence, who fought in the Olympics at 152, who has been a career-long welterweight or high. who we know over the last few months had at least one foot out the door towards the junior middleweight division who just said this week in an interview that this would be his last fight at 147 win or lose it makes me wonder out if burning that getting down to 147 which

he always does very professional but burning down to 147 might get you know might cost him something in the later rounds I'm sure you've seen it many times in the past where that weight drain, it gets you if you're a certain fighter in those later rounds. And I don't think Crawford's going to be as bothered by it as Errol Spence's. And every time I see him at one of these press events this week, you know, Crawford has never been an outgoing guy, but he's Crawford, whereas Spence, you know, very subdued, I think at times when I see him. And again, he's not a huge outgoing guy either. But yeah, no, I mean, Earl Spence has an equanimity about him that is interesting. I mean, even when we're doing the, I mean, just doing the fighter interviews with him and being

around him and whatever. So I think some of that demeanor is his equanimity. Even a lot of people are trying to read into the idea that he turned away during the face off. Yeah, it's a little chook and everything. It's funny, I kind of see that a little bit more as Errol Spence just saying, okay, it's time to turn away. I'm done with this and I'm going to turn away.

And I think there's a certain equanimity about him that could be something else. But I think for the most part, it's that. And I think that's kind of what we're seeing here. And I think that it's very hard to read in with these guys because neither of them, where is their heart on their sleeve? Neither of them, you know, they've had their moments like we had at the press conference the other day with Terence Crawford making that impassioned plea about, you know, the things to do with the family and all the rest and Spence reacting.

But even in that, you know, it's pretty hard to read into too much, I think, to it. But we're going to find out. And, you know, you mentioned being ready to step out of the way class. Yes, Errol Spence is ready to step out of the weight class. I think, though, that making the weight, especially when you know you only have to do it one more time, and it's for the biggest fight of your career. I think you can kind of make a case that he will, and because as you point out, he's done it professionally and everything about him is about consistency.

I don't think that's going to be a monstrous issue. Now, of course, we can say that, but it's only not an issue until it's an issue, right? So who knows? Maybe this final last time could be the one that's like, makes him just a little less. And it's important for him, in my opinion, in those later rounds. Crawford has a habit, as you know, of giving up a lot of early rounds, often does it. And then he has to come back with those miracle finishes, you know, like Joe Montana from Notre Dame a million years ago, right? I'm dating myself, but he used to pull every game out of the fire for Notre Dame.

But so Spence doesn't want to be in a position where Crawford can do that against him because he slowed a little in those later rounds. And I give Spence a lot of credit for forcing this fight over the finish line. It certainly takes two to tango here. But Spence could have made pretty good money moving up to junior middleweight to fight Keith Thurman. but he clearly recognized that this would have been legacy tainting if this fight didn't happen. I mean, we finally got Bay with her Pacie out. We can quibble about how it all played out. But this maybe wouldn't have been on that level, but it would have been right below if it didn't happen.

If these two guys at Welterweight did not meet to determine who was the best fighter. And I give Spence a lot of credit for pushing it and saying, I'm going to stay at this weight class. Even when people are telling me, just go up, forget about it, it's getting too hard. He said, no, we got to get it done. I think when you make the pie chart of who deserves the most credit for this fight happening, I think Errol Spence, frankly, gets a lion's share of that. Yeah, he probably was more of a force in that, as you point out. Obviously, both men came together and did their part.

But had Earl Spence not been as dogged in his attention, attempt to get this fight, it's conceivable. We wouldn't have had it. All right. Last question for you. We rarely get a week where pound for pound rankings can get shaken up as much as they have. On Tuesday, we had noia in a way, just dominate and knock out Stephen Fulton, making his case to be number one pound for pound. In the mind of you, Al Bernstein, is the winner of Spence versus Crawford pound for pound? Does it depend how? How do you, it plays out is in a way pound for pound no matter what where do you come down on the great pound for pound debate okay so i'm going to look here like i'm a cranky ron de santis and answering this

question because i am not a pound for bond guy i i actually it rankles me and so it's on the last i'm probably not the right person to ask this question now but i will frame it in a different way. What we're seeing, and as you aptly point out, we saw in a way with a remarkable performance against Stephen Fulton in a fight that I think we all thought would be super competitive and a very difficult one for either man to win. And I even think as we got closer to the fight, there were more people leaning to Fulton than had previously done it. So that performance was astonishing. And of course, fans love to think about who's the best fighter in boxing. So what I take away from this week is that we have this extraordinary week in which we have

four of the best fighters in the sport, you know, meeting and kind of trying to show us who they think is the best. And I don't know where it ends up or where it lands. I don't know. But I do know that in a sport that is so dependent on marketing yourself through your performances as a step above. That's how extra revenue comes to you. That's how opportunities come to you. More and more fighters are keenly aware of what it takes to do that. And the vehicle for that, it appears, is this pound-for-pound list that everybody likes to talk about. Everyone on a planet except for me apparently. So, yeah, this is a big week in terms of the overall picture in boxing.

See, Al, you're just a little too far removed from your print journalism days because print journalism would be all about the pound for pound rankings because that's engagement, that's web traffic, that's all the good stuff. I've gone so far to the dark side, right, that I can't even find the force anymore. It's a good side to be on, though. Al Bernstein from Tuscany to T-Mobile on Saturday. Oh, I like that. Alliteration.

Very good. I try, Al. I try whenever I can. We'll be live on the call. Showtime pay-per-view. Spence versus Crop. We're going to be an unbelievable fight. I'm envious of you, Al, getting to sit there and call that fight.

Good luck to you. And I'm looking forward to a great show. Thank you, Chris. Good to talk to you. And when we come back, my conversation with Errol Spence. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the international. Enhanced games.

Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life. mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.

So if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind,

Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, Errol Spence is the undefeated, unified 147-pound champion on Saturday. He will attempt to add the final piece of the Welterweight crown to his collection. He takes on Terrence Crawford in what is easily the biggest fight of the year. Maybe the biggest fight we've seen in boxing in many years, a fight you can watch on Showtime pay-per-view.

Errol, so this fight is happening days away. I know there are a lot of skeptics out there that didn't believe it was going to happen. but I'm sure including you at some point over the last couple of years. How close were you to say, you know what, screw it, I'm going to 154? I wasn't close at all. You know, even my handlers was telling me to either move up or move on. I know, it's too hard of negotiations, but I stood to negotiate. I said now we can make this fight happen.

You know, eventually it happened. It took a while. But it happened now, and I feel like this fight is the biggest fight. Not only a decade, but probably the last 20 years, it's very, you got a guy like him. He's undefeated. I'm undefeated with the best fighters in our weight class. And we're in the top pound number five guys. So, I mean, you're ready to get that two top five number pound-pound guys fighting each other for all the marvels at that day.

both undefeated. So it's going to be huge. I can't wait for it. I'm super excited for this fight. I finally get to show everybody why I am the best Westwood in the world, but I am the best westwarden world. I am the best fight in the world. You could have made good money moving up in wait, fighting Keith Thurman, fought for belts there. Why was it important to you to get this fight over the finish line? Because it's more about, I mean, this is now. their legacy to find a fight, but this is just a great fight period. And I feel like I would have had his name over my head if I had moved up and follow the people. Everybody would still put my name

with his name and the same thing with him. And they would have put my name with his name. So I feel like just, you know, all the naysairs are saying different things that were saying he going to be me and saying that he's a better fighter than me, I'd rather put that to rest come July 29th on Showtime for a review. And I'm willing to put everything on the line, do everything in taste to win this fight. So everybody, you've got to make sure they tune in.

It's going to be won for the books. Can you remember the last time you were an underdog? I think the Keel Bookfight, I was an underdog. Does it feel strange being the underdog again? I definitely don't feel strange. It's motivation. I use everything of that and motivation.

So, no, it's just motivation. People have me to underdog, and people saying he has more tools of me or he's more versatile to me. All that sounds good, but I relate to it just like how I said basketball was in San Antonio Spurs. You know, they're not really that appealing. people, younger eyes with shoes, Kevin Garnett over Tim Duncan.

Because, you know, Kevin Garnett is more flashy, even more easy on my eyes, but the squares are more, you know, just getting a job done. He was called Mr. Fundamentals. And that's what I am. I am a fundamental sound. I do everything, you know, by the book, and, you know, I still look good. You have not fought since April of last year. Is there any concern within you about ring rust or, you know, the time, the layoff?

There's no concerns. As long as I'm feeling good, I'm going to put on the great show. I had, you know, I have layout, but it's not due to an injury. Last time, last two times that layouts, it was from a car accident because of eye injury. So I feel like that was a lot worse, especially car accident. You know, I were recovering mentally. and I only mentioned even physically, too, and I still took the fight. So, you know, this time I feel like I'm well-rested.

You know, I've been spending a lot of time with my family and just doing the right things outside the ring to help me focus on his fight. I feel like it's having that a great time. I'm in a great headspace, and I just can't wait to show everybody what I'm capable of. It really is remarkable that you're here, given all that you've gone through and all the things you've battled back from.

one of the questions I'm sure you hear about a lot is is Errol Spence the same fighter he was before all this before the accident before the eye injury how would you answer that question um I would answer by you looking at my body of work after the car accident after the eye injury after everything that that happens you know my body works speaks for itself so you can speculate or you know say if they want but it comes to a knife on showtime per view. We'll put on another spectacular showing and show everybody why I am the best

fight in the world. Why are the best fight at 147 pounds and why I will go down as a great, especially in the Westwood Division. Last question for you. Your gym nowadays is a pretty impressive place. You're there.

Anthony Joshua is there. Frank Martin, your guy is there. Jermel Charlo is there. Now Ryan Garcia's What's it like to kind of show up to that gym and look around and see that kind of star power? It's great. It pushes you hard because everybody had fights like Frank Martin. You just had a fight. Your Anthony Josh is fighting in August.

Wine has a fight coming up. Jamira has a fight coming up. So everybody's training hard. Everybody's motivated by each other because you see everybody had different times slots. But yeah, coming in and out of gym, I'm not. me, I'm seeing Anthony Josh, so I'm seeing them sport, I'm seeing a workout. Ron Garcia, I don't see him

seeing me work out. So, of course, you know, you're extra motivated by seeing these guys, you want to keep working and you want to look good because, you know, another world champion or ex-world champion or just a spectacular athlete is in the gym. He's watching work out.

So it's definitely motivating just being around other great athletes and just picking each other brains and, you know, talking to each other and figuring out different things and figure out what they do to make themselves better. And you tell them the same thing. How's Derek juggling those responsibilities? Derrick's doing the will. Everybody, like I said, had different time slots. I worked out in a hundred-something degrees in general. So I work out in the morning like eight and nine o'clock. Josh would come after that. Frank told me and then Ryan Garcia comes in.

So everybody had different times. So he can focus on each guy and make sure that everybody get everything. Instead of just everybody coming together and everybody's training at the same time. And, you know, he can't work with everybody the same way. Well, it's great that you made this fight happen, Errol, July 29th, Saturday, Showtime pay-perview. Errol Spence, Terranzegro. Good luck, man. And it's going to be a great event.

Thank you. It's going to be spectacular. I can't wait. And when we come back, my conversation, with Terrence Crawford. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined.

And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments

in sports and entertainment and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me

or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, Follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan,

so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of Tontons and Wampas on the Ice Planet Hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith Rule of Two. Listen to Stuff to Bo Your Mind on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. The pride of Omaha, Nebraska, Terrence, that's one of the things I like about you. You could live anywhere, you could do anything, but you continue to live and train in the same city you grew up in. Have you ever had a thought about leaving? I had thoughts,

but if my grandma and my mom, then them don't want to move, then I can't leave them behind. Do you still live, am I right, in the same house that you bought with your first million dollar check? Yes. I'm guessing you've added a few things over the last couple of years, though, right? Yeah, I had some kids, children over the last few years, but I'm currently getting a new house

built right now. So, yeah, I've been in the process of getting a new house build for some time now. So you've been in Vegas for a few days now. Are you starting to feel some of the juice that's around this fight? I've been felt the juice around this fight. You know, this is a big fight. Everywhere I go, people are talking about it prior to the fight even being made. So I know what's at stake.

I know the significance that this fight is going to take. And I know the buildup is great. This is now five years for you as a full-fledged welterweight. What's different with you from the guy that moved up in 2018 to fight Jeff Horn? I'm more experienced. I'm stronger. I'm more filled out. I'm just a better overall

welterweight. I was going to say, you do look, you know, you have filled out. You do look physically the part of a welterweight. Do you feel stronger now, having been in this weight class for five years? Oh, definitely. I feel way stronger now than I did.

back when I fought Jeff Warren and I feel that it shows when I fight. Back in 2020 when this fight was being talked about a lot Spence was recovering from that

car accident. When you were asked about fighting him back then, and I think I asked you as well, you said you wanted to see him get back in the ring first before you did fight him. He's had a couple of fights since then. What do you see in the post accident version of Aero Spence?

Well, he's did everything he had to do to keep a perfect record. He looked sharp in his last fight. He did real good against Oogis, and he's not coming off of accident. He's not coming off with an injury. So what better time to fight then right now? Do you see the same fighter? Yeah, I see the same fighter. I just think he's more mature now.

taking things a little more serious than he once was back then. What would you say is the most dangerous thing about Errol Spence? I would think, I don't know. I really can't say because I never been in a ring with him, so I can't actually say probably his relentless and his ability of where fighters down. Have you had to train any differently? for this fight considering the challenge? Not at all, not at all. Just sharpen up myself and make sure that I'm 110% ready for whatever we bring to the table.

I'm sure you saw or at least heard about what Inouye did on Tuesday night or Tuesday morning, I guess. You see a lot of people saying that in a way should be number one on the pound for pound list, regardless, really, of what happens between you two on Saturday. In your mind, is the winner of this fight unquestionably number one pound for pound? 100%. Everybody in the world knows that the winner of this fight is number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, undisputed. You know, there's no preparers.

Not to take anything away from him in a way. He's a talented fighter. He's great at what he do. and he looked spectacular in his recent fight. But everybody in the world know this is a fight where you got the number one pound-for-pound fighter fighting the number four-pound-fpound fighter in the world. No disrespect to stephen, but he wasn't nowhere near the pound-for-pound list.

So that tells you something right there. Well, either way, it's going to be a great fight. Terrence, good luck to you on Saturday. I'm glad this fight's finally happening. Glad for you. glad for boxing, and it's going to be a great event, man. Good luck. Thank you. All right. Time now for my official prediction, and this was as tough a pick to make as I've ever

had to make since I've been making picks on this podcast. These two guys are equals. They are. Spence probably has a little bit of a better resume. Crawford, I think, is a little bit more naturally talented, but in every possible way, it's a 50-50 fight. So my official prediction, Terrence Crawford by decision, got this at plus 165 over at Fandul. I'm going to tell you why. For starters, I think Crawford has a few too many tools that he can go to in a fight like this. What I mean is that I think Crawford's a little more dynamic than Errol Spence. I think he can win a boxing match.

I think he can win a brawl. I think he's got power in both hands and has really grown into that over the last seven years since he's been fighting at Welterweight. So, or five years, I guess, since he's been fighting at Welterweight. So I think he has a little bit more in the tank than Errol Spence. I'm also, frankly, a little concerned about where Errol Spence is right now. I mean, he's got a great resume. No question about that.

Beating almost everybody at 147. But he has fought just two times since that horrific car accident back in the fall of 2019. In between, he had a significant eye injury that cost him an opportunity to major Manny Pachiaf fight. And, you know, is something that I still wonder about even to this day. So factor all those things in. And I think Crawford has a slight edge. I think Spence is going to win some of the early rounds because Crawford is a slow starter. But I think Crawford gains steam in the middle portion of the fight and towards the end and winds up winning a close decision.

So I'm taking Terrence Crawford by decision plus 165 over at Fandul. That's my pick. It is going to be, though, a terrific fight on Saturday night. That's it for this week's episode. My thanks to Al Bernstein, Errol Spence, and Terrence Crawford join the show. As always, subscribe, rate review this podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, wherever you download podcast. And I'll see you next week. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite, unhumor me with Robert

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