‘This win is the cherry on top for me’: Terence Crawford on what beating Errol Spence Jr would mean

Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr are just over two weeks away from their long-awaited undisputed welterweight championship fight, and the two did a virtual press conference on Wednesday to give further thoughts on the matchup.

Crawford (39-0, 30 KO) says he was comfortable with what he feels is already a clear Hall of Fame resume, but feels the fight with Spence (28-0, 22 KO) will pretty much silence any remaining critics.

“This fight puts a stamp on everything that I’ve accomplished in this sport,” he said. “People have tried to discredit me for this and that and have been calling for this fight. This solidifies everything. This is the fight that boxing needs.”

More Terence Crawford quotes

“Training camp is going great and not much has changed. We’re firm believers in ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ So we’ve been steady.

“This fight boils down to who prepared the best and then on fight night, who’s on their A+ game. That’s what it comes down to.

“I’m not focusing on a potential rematch. I plan on winning the first match. The rematch is not in my mind. I’m focused on the job at hand right now.

“I’m not worried about any size difference. Look at Jeff Horn and Shawn Porter. Even Jose Benavidez Jr was a big welterweight. This is nothing new. I was always the smaller guy, even when I was fighting at 140-pounds. The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

“Everyone Errol faced had a loss and had something already taken from them. He faced guys who already knew how to lose. I take a fighter’s belt and their ‘0.’ Those fighters are never the same after they face me.”

“The objective is always to get the win first and foremost. But if you’ve followed our careers, you know that Errol and I are always in exciting fights. There’s no doubt in my mind that this fight will be more of the same.

“With the magnitude and the stage and just everything that’s surrounding this fight, yes I needed Errol. But legacy-wise, I had already accomplished a lot and was already a Hall of Famer. This win is the cherry on top for me.

“Errol and I got on the phone to get the biggest fight in boxing made. We both understood the assignment and had the same goals and dreams in mind. We came together to make sure we were both mature enough to get the fight made.”