Honestly, the hype was so suffocating back in July 2023 that most people forgot it took five years of annoying contract squabbles to get there. We finally got Bud Crawford vs Errol Spence, a fight that was supposed to be a coin toss between the two best welterweights on the planet. Instead, what we got was a brutal, one-sided systematic dismantling that changed the trajectory of both men's careers forever.
It wasn't just a win. It was a statement.
The Night the "Big Fish" Got Caught
Coming into that Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena, Errol Spence Jr. was the "Big Fish." He held three of the four major belts. He was the guy who had survived a horrific Ferrari crash and came back to beat Yordenis Ugas. People thought his size and high-volume pressure would eventually wear down Terence Crawford.
They were wrong.
Crawford didn't just win; he looked like he was playing a different sport. He dropped Spence in the second round with a stiff, counter-jab that seemed to short-circuit Spence's equilibrium. That was the beginning of the end. By the seventh round, Spence had hit the canvas twice more. His face was a map of bruises and swelling. Crawford’s timing was so precise it looked like he was reading Spence's mind.
💡 You might also like: Current Score of the Steelers Game: Why the 30-6 Texans Blowout Changed Everything
The stats from CompuBox were terrifying for Spence fans:
- Crawford landed 50% of his total punches.
- Spence, usually a volume monster, only connected on 20%.
- In the power punch department, Crawford landed a staggering 60%.
When referee Harvey Dock finally stepped in at 2:32 of the ninth round, it was a mercy. Crawford became the first male boxer to ever be undisputed in two different weight classes in the four-belt era. It was a masterpiece.
Why the Bud Crawford vs Errol Spence Rematch Never Happened
After the beating, everyone expected the rematch clause to kick in. Spence wanted it at 154 pounds, claiming the weight cut to 147 had drained him. But then, things got weird.
A few months after the fight, Spence revealed he had undergone cataract surgery on his right eye. He hinted that he’d been dealing with blurred vision even before the Crawford fight. Whether that's an excuse or a terrifying reality of the sport, it effectively killed the momentum for a sequel. The IBF eventually stripped Crawford of his title because he couldn't fulfill a mandatory defense against Jaron "Boots" Ennis due to the pending (and eventually canceled) Spence rematch.
📖 Related: Last Match Man City: Why Newcastle Couldn't Stop the Semenyo Surge
Boxing is a "what have you done for me lately" business. By the time Spence was healthy enough to talk about fighting again, Crawford had already moved his sights higher.
The Aftermath: Where Are They Now?
It’s now early 2026, and the landscape looks completely different. Crawford didn't just sit around waiting for Spence to heal. He moved up and eventually chased the biggest fish in the sea: Canelo Alvarez.
In September 2025, Crawford did the unthinkable. He jumped up to 168 pounds and outpointed Canelo in a Netflix-streamed blockbuster. It was the peak of his career. But just as the world was begging for more, Crawford did what very few legends actually do.
He walked away.
👉 See also: Cowboys Score: Why Dallas Just Can't Finish the Job When it Matters
As of this week, Terence "Bud" Crawford has officially retired. He leaves the sport with a perfect 42-0 record and a legacy that ranks him among the top five pound-for-pound fighters to ever lace up gloves. The super middleweight division is currently a mess of vacated titles because the king decided he’d seen enough.
Spence’s path has been much more difficult. Since the Crawford loss, he hasn't fought. Between the eye surgery, a messy split from longtime trainer Derrick James, and the physical toll of his career, "The Truth" has mostly been active on the promotional side of things. There are rumors of a comeback at junior middleweight against someone like Sebastian Fundora, but at 36 years old with the miles he has on the odometer, many insiders think we've seen the last of him as an elite-level threat.
Actionable Insights: Lessons from the Superfight
If you're a boxing fan or a casual observer of the sport, there are a few takeaways from the Bud Crawford vs Errol Spence saga that still apply to the sport today:
- Don't ignore the "eye test" over the resume. Spence had the better wins on paper (Porter, Garcia, Ugas), but Crawford’s adaptability in every single fight showed a higher ceiling that the betting odds initially missed.
- Rematch clauses can be "momentum killers." The 180 days usually allotted for these clauses often expire while fighters deal with injuries, leading to titles being stripped and divisions becoming stagnant.
- Weight matters more than you think. Spence struggled for years to make 147. If a fighter is vocal about "moving up" soon, it's usually a sign their body is failing them at their current weight.
The Crawford-Spence rivalry didn't end with a trilogies or a close decision. It ended with a definitive blowout that simplified the pound-for-pound debate for good. While we might never see them share a ring again, that ninth-round TKO remains the gold standard for how a superfight should actually be settled.
If you are looking to follow the next era of this division, keep your eyes on Jaron Ennis and Hamzah Sheeraz. They are the ones currently fighting over the throne Crawford left vacant. The king is gone, but the blueprint he left behind in the Spence fight is still being studied by every prospect in the gym.
Next Steps for Boxing Fans:
- Watch the Replay: If you haven't seen the seventh round of the 2023 fight recently, go back and watch Crawford's counter-uppercut. It's a clinic in timing.
- Monitor the Rankings: Check the updated WBA and WBC rankings for 168 pounds. With Crawford retired, the "frenzy" for those vacant belts is happening right now in January 2026.
- Follow the Prospects: Look into Jaron "Boots" Ennis's next scheduled defense; he is the man most likely to unify the welterweight division that Crawford once ruled.