“From the jump, you could tell that his balance was off. He was reaching. He just didn’t have it tonight,” Crawford said to Fight Hub TV. When asked what caused Spence’s struggles, he replied, “All of it. He didn’t take the punches well. He was slow.”
Crawford admitted it wasn’t easy watching the former unified welterweight champion struggle through his return after nearly three years away from the ring.
“Kind of. I really wanted him to do real well. He did what he had to do to finish the fight though,” Crawford said.
After hearing Spence had retired, Crawford backed the decision.
“Yeah. He been in a lot of wars, you know, with his fighting style. Come forward, take some punishment, dish some punishment and try to break somebody down. That type of style, you know, it don’t even go so far,” Crawford said.
The comments also may change how some fans view Crawford’s win over Spence. His one-sided victory over Spence in 2023 remains one of boxing’s signature performances, but Spence’s defeat to Tszyu and immediate retirement are likely to cause some fans to rethink how much wear and tear he had already accumulated by the time they met.
Crawford also gave Tszyu credit for executing a disciplined game plan.
“Tim did what Tim had to do to get the victory. He was patient. He went well to the body, and he threw the right hand, landed the right hand when he had to, and he got the job done,” Crawford said.
Looking ahead, Crawford believes Tszyu’s future is at middleweight rather than a return to 154 pounds.
“I don’t see him coming back down to 154. He looked real strong at 160. So, we’ll see him with Carlos Adames and all those guys.”
