Great Comedy, Dramatic Stakes: Errol Spence Vs Terence Crawford NYC Visit

Letting ones’ expectations get too high, without considering the possible alternate realities which aren’t as stellar, isn’t a smart way to be, as a boxing fan. Or, probably, in life overall. I’ve been mulling that a good deal of late, within the context of the Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford fight being made.

Don’t expect too much, Mike.

Don’t be doing an unfair compare and contrast, and start thinking we could see on July 29 an ATG rumble, one that is still a talking point 10, 25 years down the road.

Do not get hopes up, Mike, that in Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford we see something akin to Hagler-Hearns, pockets of almost reckless intent, majestic trading which propels fans in the stands to stand up and roar at the spectacle.

Don’t Mike, because you are perhaps setting yourself up for disappointment.

A version of this “conversation” has been pinging in my head on a daily basis since Mike Coppinger Tweeted out that this thing is a done deal. Many of you, I see, feel the same.

This is a legit superfight. It could play out to be THE FIGHT of the era. Don’t want to get my hopes up that high, though.

Loving This Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford Promotion So Far

And I’m happyish to say, at this very moment, I like how my head is situated in viewing this fight.

My expectations are, yes, high. Not too high.

I realize how my gray matter acts often, and know I’m susceptible to excessive hopefulness. It makes sense, it’s an adaptive measure.

To cushion sadness/disappointment in the moment, my mind drifts to an “ideal.” It could be romantic…or vocational….or as a sports fan/reporter.

Within the boxing sphere of thinking, my stance is: we as fans have not been getting enough Best vs the Best fights over the last decade, roughly, that we should have received.

Blame whatever factors, blame Floyd for influencing the new blood to more so focus on being businessmen, with the main intent being to make money, if you wish.

Lob blame at power brokers and middle men and the like who have been too successful at fashioning fights which pays generously, for less risk than one might be expected to onload at that price point. There is plenty enough blame to go in all sorts of directions. But…

Let’s table to urge to go down that rabbit hole, and appreciate what we are counting down to: Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford is a legitimate Super Fight, one which could well live up to the too-lofty expectations many of us have constructed in our minds.

We’ve had way too much practice, too, being that we began to ruminate on what Spence-Crawford might look like back in 2017.

Wise men say to attempt to spend most of your time in the present. Be present in the moment, soak it in, ascertain what it’s about, process it patiently…and accept it.

What are your expectations for Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford?

Yeah, that’s how I was feeling as I watched the second leg of the Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford media tour (by the way, I’m going to switch who goes first in that equation as I count down to the battle) promo tour on Wednesday in NYC.

The welterweights who are promising martial artistry come July 29 at T-Mobile in Las Vegas, Nevada and on PPV ($85 on PPV.com) did a fine job at selling this spectacle at the Palladium in Times Square, Manhattan.

For the record, their repartee in NYC, a day after a stop in LA, rose to the level of near classic comedy. (See excerpt from Gayle Falkenthal recap of LA session below):

If you missed it…The boxers have been going back and forth, in good humor, in earnest since the fight-is-on announcement.

Graphic arts teams have been earning their keep, with meme level posts.

The art support for this Errol Spence Vs Terence Crawford event is strong so far

That good humor joshing, the banter, veered into Cheech and Chong type territory as presiding emcee/interrogator Brian Custer helped steer.

Errol and Bud Trade Jabs in NYC

“This ain’t no easy work,” said a seated Bud, sporting a sharp polo, staring at Spence.

“Oh, I know it’s not easy work, I definitely know it’s not easy work,” the Texan answered, as Bud nodded.

“I ain’t that naive,” he said, noting that despite his out of the ring negative hijinks, he just plain gets the job done and usually stops the opponent. “I’m realistic.”

Bud had fun at the mic, as did Errol. There is a wonderful respectful intensity on display during this Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford promotion so far

They had a great vibe, folks. Lil antagonism, but mostly mutual respect on this Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford promotion. 

No, it doesn’t feel like they are business partners, working on a shared deal, each knowing that they will get $10M plus out of it. That dynamic, yes, is one that we’ve all seen far too much of as boxing fans, going back 20 years out so.

OG fans, folks who saw those Golden Era tussles featuring Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, Ray Leonard et al, have issues sometimes with living too much in the past.

Understandable, in that those glory days resonated so mightily that current product suffers harshly in comparison, too often.

It’s clear that Terence Crawford is loving this, the immensity of the stakes in this Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford promotion

Custer deserves props for starting the classic bit.

He queried Bud, reminded him that the day before in LA he’d spoken of landing this big fish, and gutting him. “Well, you know, I like to go fishing, everybody,” Bud started to say.

“He’s not catching me with no fishing pole! I’m the biggest, you can’t catch me with no fishing pole. That’s like catching Moby Dick with an effing fishing pole,” Spence cut in.

“They all been caught before,” Bud noted. “July 29th, he gonna be caught, too. I got a big enough hoop for him. I’m already reeling him in.”

Fishing Analogy Gets Used Re: Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford 

“Your ass better have a submarine,” Spence, cracked.

“Ima put him on the bank,” Bud said, making his fist into a knife, “Ima gut him, I’m gonna filet him.”

Bud continued the theme. “Weigh him, chop his head off, cut him from the gut, the little butt up. Take the lil vice grips, pull his skin off. Take the lil knife,” he said, making a filleting motion.

“Y’all like fish?” Bud called out to the crowd. He then asked Bud’s dad Errol Senior if he liked fish. “You can say you like fish. Your son the big fish, so you can say you love fish, too. We gonna give his pops some fish, too,” he said.

Fishing theme has been good for memes

Right, there I think a mini flash came over Errol, because Bud was being smart, injecting dad into it, messing with dynamics. Or not…

“We Jamaican, man, we smoke Bud,” the younger Spence drawled.

Bud started cracking up. “You already know how that goes,” Spence said, “we gonna smoke your ass up. It’s legal in Vegas, too, so we are gonna smoke your ass up. It’s legal in Vegas, too, we gonna roll you up and smoke you, too. Y’all get that new bud strain!”

No, I didn’t think I’d be linking Cheech and Chong to Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford promotion either

Cheech—or was he Chong?—grinned widely.

“Y’all do smoke bud,” Crawford said, “but you know what the crazy part about it is, y’all do smoke bud in Jamaica, but this ain’t no “kind bud. You feel me? This ain’t the bud you can just buy on the street, it’s that marinated bud. You hit one puff you might be seeing stars like “How High.”’

He made a motion off hitting that blunt, and yes, you had to love it.

I was “high,” digging the dynamic, and getting off on the mood.

Folks didn’t probably catch it, but Spence kept drawlin.’ “Can’t do that…trying to make weight,” he said, chuckling. He assured promoter Tom Brown that he’s dialed in, all about making weight.

Comedy lightened the mood at the Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford NYC event, which Spence later tweaked with his message about supporting boxers who put their lives on the line for our entertainment

More good stuff…

It did strike me that Crawford seems very, very, very sure of himself. Maybe that comes from having cheated death.

Then again, Spence has that going for him too, he’s cheated death, which leads him to know that he’s made of ultra sturdy stuff.

Spence did well to describe the stakes here. He said he’s a fight watcher, he eats up all those all fights, the 80s classics. Yeah, he watches fights while he’s sitting on the toilet, he told Brian Campbell and Luke Thomas during a sit down after the stage show.

Spence is an under the radar activist. He lobbies for wage growth to standout fighters and asks why sanctioning body belt fees (3%) are so damn high

They wrapped up with this. What will fans see on July 29?

Bud told people to get a ticket, get that Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford PPV. “Makes for a great fight…You got two young, hungry lions going for the throne,” Bud said, following up with compliments for his foe.

“Me and Errol coming together making this fight for you all knowing the styles we bring to the table and the caliber of experience and technique that goes into training and coming to put on a great performance for you guys.…he’s gonna try and break my will, I’m gonna try to break his face, that makes for an exciting fights. He’s always in exciting fights, me myself I’m always in exciting fights. The best man will win July 29th, buy the PPV.”

He said if he gets outta line, Spence will get stopped. Spence said watchers on July 29 will get this: “He already knows I’m getting out of line, I’ve been getting outta line my entire life.”

He then spoke on having a fan coming up to him and bitching about how much a Spence t shirt costs. But you won’t have anyone talking to you when you buy a Louis Vuitton, like I am now, he pointed out to the critic.

He’s hoping this Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford fight shows there is a reward in taking risks.

“Support these fighters, this is how they earn their living, they’re literally putting their life on the line to give you all a great show, literally losing brain cells, they could lose their life for y’all…This has been a great year for boxing, for me this is the best fight in boxing style wise…Like I said, I’m the biggest, he ain’t catching me with no fishing pole, I’m flipping his whole boat. Sinking him. Better come with a submarine, USSR, China everything. Like I said, I’m the biggest shark, I’m Moby Dick, I’m the king, ain’t nobody stopping me, strap season, man down, make sure y’all tune in y’all are gonna see another great showing, another great performance.”

I think so. I hope so.

It took awhile to get to here, it’s tried our patience. The waiting is the hardest part, yes?

45 days away, friends.