Terence Crawford was brilliant when he halted Errol Spence inside nine rounds to unify the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF welterweight world titles in Las Vegas on Saturday; Former champion and expert pundit Barry Jones considers the performance, what next and other key questions
Monday 31 July 2023 15:20, UK
After an extraordinary performance from Terence Crawford to dismantle and demolish great rival Errol Spence, Barry Jones answers the key questions about the new undisputed welterweight king.
Barry Jones, former world champion and expert pundit: "It was a fight we were looking forward to for so long because it was a 50-50 fight.
"How dominant he was - that's the breakout of a superstar, that's the breakout of a great fighter. To make Errol Spence, who's a phenomenal fighter, look weak in the ring, lost, with no answer to what was coming back.
"Crawford was calm, composed, chilling as always.
"He cruelly picked him apart. I think he could have finished that fight in round six.
"He didn't want to. It wasn't out of fear. He just didn't want to - 'I do it my way,' like he always has. It was majestic.
"It might possibly be the best one-sided fight I've seen.
"When you see a master at work against another genuine top level fighter, you've got to admire it."
Jones: "That was a great performance against his great rival and one of the best welterweights in recent years since Mayweather. That was a great performance by what's guaranteed to be a great fighter. He did it all in second gear, let's not forget that.
"If he beats someone like Jaron Ennis, a good fighter, a shoe-in to win a world title if they fragment, I would say, and an up and coming star who can box, who can punch with either hand, then he beats a guy with ambition and talent who will win a world title guaranteed, I feel.
"That cements his legacy of being one of the best welterweights of all time. Right now he's the best welterweight of his generation but still I feel there's a way to go."
Jones: "He'll go for the rematch, I'm pretty sure of that because there'll be big financial gains but I think a move up is inevitable. There will be titles there. Jermell Charlo, when he boxes Canelo [Alvarez], he won't come back to super-welter.
"If Spence is still fresh, he beats most people around his weight, whether it's welter or super-welter.
"He's 33 as well, how long do you want to go on for?
"I don't know where he goes because he doesn't beat Terence Crawford. A second time around will be the same.
"We saw technically and tactically Crawford's got his number."
Jones: "Someone like Jaron Ennis, who's got the power and skill. But he hasn't been tested yet so we don't know how good he will be.
"Jermell Charlo, if he did stay down at super-welter, would be a fantastic fight. He [Crawford] was talking to him during the fight! It's the biggest fight of his life where you can't afford to make a mistake, he was so comfortable that he could call out a future opponent.
"Charlo's athletic, naturally bigger - like Spence!"
"I can't see anyone beating him at either weight, to be honest. That's the truth of it."
Jones: "It's him. It's Crawford without a doubt.
"It was [Naoya] Inoue, for four or five days! We've had two great performances in a week."
