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Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford
Final Press Conference
Photos: Esther Lin - SHOWTIME
Undefeated boxing superstars
Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. and Terence “Bud” Crawford
faced off Thursday at the final press conference before they
meet to crown the first undisputed welterweight champion of
the four-belt era this Saturday, July 29 headlining a
SHOWTIME PPV from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in an event
presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
To kick off the main event portion of the press conference,
legendary heavyweight champion Mike Tyson conducted a coin
toss to determine which fighter would walk to the ring last
on Saturday night. Crawford won the toss and can now decide
whether he would like to walk to the ring last, or be
introduced last once in the ring.
The press conference also saw pay-per-view undercard
fighters face off before their respective matchups on the
telecast beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The pay-per-view
will see hard-hitting contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and
undefeated contender Giovanni Cabrera battle in a WBC and
WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator that serves as the co-main
event, future Hall of Famer Nonito Donaire take on Mexican
contender Alexandro Santiago for the vacant WBC Bantamweight
World Championship, plus top prospect Yoenis Tellez duels
Spanish contender Sergio Garcia in the telecast opener.
Here is what the press conference participants had to say
Thursday from T-Mobile Arena:
ERROL SPENCE JR.
“I’m gonna win because I’m the better fighter. I’m better
physically and mentally. I’m more durable. I’m gonna break
him down and break his will.
“It would mean a lot to be undisputed. It would mean that
I’m one of the greatest welterweights to ever lace up a pair
of gloves.
“He’s gonna find out that my skills are superior. He’s
talented, but when we talk about what my coach teaches, he’s
gonna see that I have great offense, defense and stamina.
It’s more than just talent.
“This is gonna be legendary. Make sure you tune-in. This is
gonna be an old school fight. It’s gonna be iconic. You’re
gonna want to buy this fight. You’re getting your money’s
worth.
“People are gonna talk about this fight 30 or 40 years from
now when you talk about legendary fights. They’re gonna talk
about this fight the same way they talked about the ‘Four
Kings’ era. There’s gonna be an amateur 20 years from now
watching our fight on YouTube and saying man, I want to be
in a fight like that.
“Everyone knows it’s ‘Strap Season’. I want to thank my
parents, because they blessed me with the resiliency to get
through a lot of stuff in life. Make sure you order the
fight on SHOWTIME PPV. I guarantee you I’m gonna put on a
great show. Bring your seasoning on Saturday night, because
we’re gonna have a crawfish boil. Bring that hot sauce too.
“I guarantee you it’s gonna be nothing but fireworks from
start to finish.”
TERENCE CRAWFORD
“I don’t go in there looking for the knockout, I go in there
looking for the win. If he gets out of line he’s gonna be
the next one going down.
“Everyone knows what time it is. I’m ready and he’s ready.
We’re gonna have a fish fry come Saturday.
“He’s gonna find out the same thing that everyone else finds
out. He’s gonna say that on TV I look one way. In the ring
he’s gonna be seeing three of me.
“They say he’s the big bad wolf, but come fight night we’re
gonna find out if he’s all that he says he is. He’s gonna
have to show me.
“Everything about me is better than Errol. When you look at
what I do in the ring, it’s better than what he does. Come
fight night, I’m going to prove every doubter wrong. I’m
going to show that I’m the best fighter in the world.
“This is the Terence Crawford era. When you look at my body
of work in each weight class, you can’t deny that. This is
my era. I’ve never had a close fight. I’ve never had a fight
where people thought I lost. I’ve looked spectacular every
time.
“This is what we do every time we come out. That talking can
turn bad real quick. Support your fighter, and let’s come
together and make this event a success.”
DERRICK JAMES, Spence’s Trainer
“There’s no more talking. Nothing else to say. My chant is,
it’s time to eat. It’s time to make it happen. We’re tired
of talking. It’s time to go. Show time.
“It takes a lot of fortitude, discipline and focus to win
fights like this. Errol has that. He knows his time is on
Saturday. We made this happen. We took every belt and beat
champions to get here.
BRIAN “BO MAC” MCINTYRE, Crawford’s Trainer
“We’re here now y’all. There’s nothing else to say. He can’t
hide anymore. It’s time to take care of business. It’s time
to go to work.
“We’re gonna find out who the best man is. I respect them
for what they’ve done. We’ve been here before. You’re trying
to get here. I can tell you how it is to be undisputed. Sit
back and watch.”
ISAAC CRUZ
“I’m going to come out on Saturday and prove my worth. I’m
going to show why I deserve a rematch with Gervonta Davis.
“I’m coming here to do my job and send a clear message. I’m
not overrated, I’m worth every penny. I’m here to show
everyone what I can do inside the ring.
“Let’s see who eats whose punches and who can withstand the
most. I am going to eat Cabrera up.
“I’m a real Mexican fighter and I’m gonna show everyone what
I can do once again on Saturday night.”
GIOVANNI CABRERA
“I’ve beaten more unbeaten fighters than most in boxing
history. If you look at Cruz’s first 20 fights, most of
those opponents were not good at all. I believe that I’ve
earned my spot here and that I’m going to take the win.
“I’m 21-0 for a reason. Everyone I know has tried to take my
head off and I’ve picked every single one of them apart.
“I want to represent Chicago and my Mexican blood. I’m here
to give it my all, put my soul on the line and make sure I
don’t regret anything.”
NONITO DONAIRE
“I gambled in my last fight, and sometimes you win,
sometimes you lose. Going into this fight, I just have to
show everyone that I’ve still got it. I’m doing it for me
now and to show what I’m capable of. I love the sport and
I’m grateful that I’m getting the opportunity.
“The power at this age is so much more potent. I put so much
more into it. Not just emotion and experience, but I put
every essence of a man into this.
“I have to give big respect to my opponent, he’s never been
down. But I’m the type of guy where if I see the
opportunity, I’ll take it. There’s nothing more satisfying
than a knockout.
“I don’t really look into the extra stuff. I have a bigger
vision ahead of me. I want to become undisputed. That’s the
only thing that I haven’t done in boxing. I’ve gotten lots
of accolades, but never been undisputed. That’s my biggest
purpose and that’s why I’m still fighting.
ALEXANDRO SANTIAGO
“In 2018 when I fought for the title, I was young. That
fight is in the past. Through hard work, discipline and
having a great team, I was able to grow. I’m way more mature
now. I came here to become a world champion.
“All respect to Nonito. But on Saturday night people all
over the world are going to get to know me and see what I’m
capable of. I’m gonna put on a show for everyone watching.
“I have a fire inside of me. I want to make this dream come
true. It’s not just about the objective, it’s about the
journey. I’ve enjoyed how I’ve gotten here. My son was born
two months ago, so this goes out to him and my family. It
makes me want this even more.”
YOENIS TELLEZ
“This is just about taking advantage of a great opportunity
given to me. We put experience to the side, because I just
have to do my job and focus on winning.
“I promise that you’re going to see another Cuban fighter
with championship potential. You’re going to see someone
who’s skill is rising fast. The fans are going to see
something they will definitely enjoy.”
SERGIO GARCIA
“I would have done the exact same thing he did. I’m not in a
position to underestimate anyone. I have to win this fight
to get what I want. What he does is his business.
“I’m going to show you what I can do. I don’t have to
promise anything. I’ve trained so hard and you’ve seen that
I’m the kind of fighter who leaves it all on the line. I’m
going to give the fans the show they deserve and let the
chips fall where they may.”
TOM BROWN, President of TGB Promotions
“I’ve been in this business over 35 years and I haven’t been
this pumped up in a long time for a fight. This is
spectacular and as good of a matchup as you can get.
“We have the two best fighters in the world, both unbeaten
world champions and just so talented. It’s gonna be an
all-out war from start to finish.
“When you look at the skills of each fighter, everything is
so equal. Everything is so close between them. It’s gonna
come down to who wants it more. It’s about mental toughness
and who can dig down the deepest. There will be a new
undisputed pound-for-pound champion on Saturday night.”
STEPHEN ESPINOZA, President, SHOWTIME Sports
“We are in the business of helping to create
once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Saturday night is exactly
that. It’s not a boxing match or a television show. Calling
it those things doesn’t do it justice. A fight of this
magnitude with these stakes is a once-in-a-lifetime
experience.”
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