Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford Series: Part 5: Keys to victory for The Truth

By: Kirk Jackson

This is it.

We’re here, the highly awaited showdown to establish historic, welterweight supremacy, between the unified WBC, WBA and IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 KO’s) vs. the WBO 147-pound world champion Terence “Bud’’ Crawford (39-0, 30 KO’s), for the Undisputed Welterweight World Championship tonight, on SHOWTIME PPV from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

How does this fight breakdown? Let’s review the keys to victory for Spence.

Be the shark…

In honor of Discovery’s Shark Week, be the “Big Fish.”

Patiently stalk and apply passive aggressive pressure. Mix up the jabbing rhythm, and power. Examples would be probing jabs, stiff jabs, fast jabs, touch and poke jabs to the body. Continue to keep calm and composed while utilizing the high-guard defensive stance.

Don’t reach…

While it is important to apply pressure and to be the aggressor, do not get overly aggressive and overextend, as Crawford is one of the best counter punchers in the boxing.

It’s crucial for Spence to mitigate Crawford’s opportunities to counter.

Swimming with that wave, Spence must be careful and not load up on his punches. It’s imperative to throw punches in bunches at the right opportunities. If Spence begins to load and telegraph punches or movements, that enables Crawford to be the sharpshooter marksmen.

Break Bud down…

If Spence wants to smoke Bud, he must break him down.

Arms, elbows, shoulders, hips, chest, all over the body. Continue to touch and break down Crawford, slowly but surely, round by round.

Crawford notoriously starts slow, makes adjustments and by mid-fight has complete control. Spence may have an opportunity early, to set the tone and establish greater success as the fight progresses.

Spence has to reverse that process of control from Crawford, and breaking his body down, behind efficient, educated pressure is key.

You do not want to see Crawford, with all of the collected data, fresh for the second half of a championship fight.

Stand your ground, then take it to deep waters…

Show you’re bigger and stronger. Show why you’re “The Big Fish.” However, don’t get caught on the hook and reeled in. Do not wrestle and burn energy unnecessarily.

Past opponents from Crawford have remarked on his strength and he has experience wrestling from his younger days as an athlete. As he had displayed over the long course of his career, Crawford is extremely athletic and has wiry strength.

It’s all mental…

Crawford enjoys waging mental warfare and is just as proficient with the psychological games, as he is with punishing opponents physically inside the ring.

Many of the greats, like a Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather Jr., would implore mental combat to gain an edge over their respective opponents.

What that means is…

Remember who you are…

Do not fall for the mental games. If Crawford gets a good hit in, Spence should not necessarily be prone to get it back immediately.

If Crawford is dancing and moving around the ring, continue to patiently mount your offense and don’t reach. Don’t fall for the traps.

Remember, Spence is an Olympian. He has a high level of technical proficiency and is a master of fundamentals. He can box with the best of them.

Spence must maintain the mental fortitude and determination that enabled him to reach the pinnacle of the sport as a world champion, and that also propelled him pasts tribulations and setbacks from events outside the ring.

Continue to set the pace and trend. It already started outside the ring.

Execute and come with that killer instinct, bring that “Black Air Force One Energy.”

Utilize your greatest weapons…

Spence must operate behind his jab, shoot straight shots down the middle, attack the body.

Channel Tim Duncan. Flash is not needed, consistency with substance is the name of Spence’s game. Be yourself, meaning stay consistent as he has been throughout the promotional tour and lead up to this fight.

Calm, composed, collected. Adjusting accordingly and listening to his trainer Derrick James. Spence must remember he has what he what he wants, he’s been clamoring for this fight, and he has it. He must remain patience, be himself and don’t do anything out of character.

Errol Spence Jr: “It’s strap season. I guarantee you that I’m going to put on a great show and a great performance. Make sure you bring your seasoning on Saturday night because we’re going to have a Crawfish boil his ass and bring the hot sauce too.”

“You already know that BoMac is going to have the seasoning too. He’s going to be right there with his ass after the fight.”

These are the keys to victory for Errol Spence Jr., let the best man win.