Crawford stopped Spence in the ninth round of their undisputed welterweight championship bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The victory cemented Crawford's status as one of boxing's top pound-for-pound fighters.
In a recent interview with The Ring Magazine, Crawford shared his thoughts on Spence's abilities:
"Errol Spence, I'll give him a 10. Undefeated … unified world champion, running through all the welterweights that was put in front of him, you know. Beaten a few champions at that, so I'll give him a 10."
Crawford's high rating of Spence comes from the latter's impressive resume. Before their fight, Spence was undefeated and had unified multiple world titles in the welterweight division. The 35-year-old from Long Island, New York, known as "The Truth," had notable wins over champions like Kell Brook, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, and Mikey Garcia.
Spence hasn't fought since his loss to Crawford. A serious car accident before the Crawford fight might have affected his performance. Now, there's talk about Spence possibly retiring or making a comeback at super-welterweight.
If Spence decides to continue fighting, he could face newly crowned champions in the 154-pound division. Sebastian Fundora recently won the WBC title by stopping Tim Tszyu in Las Vegas. Another potential opponent is Vergil Ortiz Jr., who beat Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision on February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Crawford's praise for Spence shows the respect between these top fighters, even after their intense rivalry in the ring.