Showtime's Stephen Espinoza gives an update on Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. - "I am optimistic"

Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. is one of the most anticipated fights in modern boxing. If it happens, Crawford’s WBO belt will be up against Spence’s WBC, WBA (Super) and IBF titles, and the winner will be boxing’s new undisputed welterweight champion.

When asked about WBO welterweight title-holder Crawford, arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and his chances of fighting unified welterweight champion Spence, Stephen Espinoza said:

"We’re stuck now, but…people are trying to make this work. I wish I could share more, because there’s a lot of interest...I am still optimistic that it gets done…this year."

Espinoza said he was optimistic because both Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. are convinced that that their next bout should be against each other. Both have been dominant for a long time and are looking for fresh challenges. But their bout, if it happens, would also cement the victor's legacy as one of the best welterweights of all time.

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Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. both want the fight

At the Boxing Hall of Fame last month, SHOWTIME Boxing podcast hosts Eric Raskin & Kieran Mulvaney sat down with Crawford. Regarding how close the two sides are to a deal, Crawford said that his team is trying to make the fight happen. He believes now is the perfect time for both of them to make history since they're still in their prime.

Watch Crawford's KO of Benavidez Jr. below:

Crawford also praised Spence's performance in his last fight against Yordenis Ugas and congratulated him.

Eric Raskin suggested that Crawford's fight with Spence would be a legacy-defining match-up, and asked who Crawford thinks is the number one boxer. Crawford replied with:

"I know I'm number one...I've been number one for years in my eyes... Any die-hard boxing fan, they'll say Terence Crawford's number one."

Listen to the full interview below:

During the July 9 broadcast of Showtime's Rey Vargas vs. Mark Magsayo fight card at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, Spence said that he believed his fight with Crawford would surely happen this year:

“I think it’s gonna happen. He wants the fight. I want the fight...It’s definitely gonna go down this year. It’s the biggest fight in boxing."

Boxing fans are waiting for this match-up to materialize with baited breaths. Now that both fighters are willing to engage, we hope their respective promoters can agree to a deal. It'd be a boxing tragedy if this fight didn't happen because of managerial squabbles.