Errol Spence Jr insists he had no intentions of moving up in weight until facing welterweight rival Terence Crawford.
Spence Jr and Crawford will finally clash in arguably the most highly-anticipated fight of the year on July 29 in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME pay-per-view.
A showdown between the pair had failed to materialise until now, but despite the fight eluding him for so long, the 33-year-old WBC, WBA ‘super’ and IBF champion, admits he never lost hope and kept his word from a meeting between the pair at a fight in Oklahoma back in 2018.
“I’m a man of my word,” Spence Jr said on ESPN’s First Take.
“Like I said, [people thought I was going to move up.
“But just like I told him when we encountered each other in Oklahoma, I said ‘I’m going to get these belts on my side and then I’m going to come and take yours.’
“And this is where we’re at now and I stood on that, even if it was leaving me standing out the ring a whole year.
“This is the fight I wanted so I stuck to my guns and I was like ‘I’m not fighting until I fight Terence Crawford.’
“So my team got it going.”
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‘The Truth’ has been out of the ring since stopping Yordenis Ugas last April to add the Cuban’s WBA ‘super’ belt to his collection.
Crawford will end an almost seventh month lay-off since he retained his WBO crown for a sixth successive time by knocking out David Avanesyan in December.
Spence Jr believes his superior attributes will prove pivotal when he faces the 35-year-old Omaha native seven weeks on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena.
“My style is I’m not going to say perfect, but it’s very good,” the Texan added.
“I’ve got the jab. I feel like I might be the stronger opponent. Great body shots.
“He has great talent, great skills, but I feel like my ability and my will and my all around, just being the better fighter, I’m going to beat him.”
