Errol “The Truth” Spence laid down a string of “little lies” before his massive 2023 welterweight title fight against Terence Crawford. This is straight up standard for boxing, a world where what’s said before the bell often serves a totally different purpose than pure truth. These weren’t the kind of lies that wreck friendships or cost you a job, but instead, they were the necessary kind, more reflex than outright deception. In a sport where human beings literally beat each other black and blue, these ethical gray areas mean white lies are kinda just par for the course, part of the whole performance.
The Necessary Deception of a Grand Arrival
Three years ago in Las Vegas, Spence was dropping these verbal bombs right from the Grand Arrivals, where let’s be real, nobody takes any statement too seriously. He declared the fight was “definitely happening at the right time,” a claim that felt true then but, with hindsight, became one of those little lies. He knew the hype was real: “It has a lot of hype around it on social media and there are a lot of people talking about it.” Spence even talked about fans in stores constantly asking, “When are you and Terence going to fight?”
He doubled down on the stakes, saying, “I’m in my prime. He’s in his prime. We are the two best fighters in the welterweight division and two of the best fighters in the world. Whoever wins on Saturday night will be the best fighter in boxing, period.” And honestly, just four days out from fight night, there was a real kernel of truth there. Both guys were at the top of the mythical pound-for-pound lists, and they both craved this career-defining challenge. Back then, we truly had no idea who would win, and all we had to go on were their past performances and their words, no matter how sincere.
T-Mobile Arena Showdown and the Eye Roll Heard Round the World
The bravado kept coming at the Thursday press conference, hosted in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. Spence was absolutely locked in, telling everyone, “I’m going to win because I’m the better fighter , physically, mentally, it doesn’t matter.” He wasn’t stopping there either. “I’m going to break him down and break his will.” Spence then flat out said, “He will find out that my skills are superior.”
What really got me was Crawford’s reaction: sitting right next to Spence, he just rolled his eyes. Spence kept going, talking about his coach, Derrick James, who teaches “fundamentals, sound basics.” He wanted everyone to know, “That’s what he’s going to find out: that I do have great defense, I do have great offense, I do have great stamina. I don’t just have talent.” While us journalists had to just sit there and take notes, Crawford, as his opponent, had every right to be skeptical, to raise an eyebrow. He clearly saw through the performance, knowing the real story would be told when the bells rang.
This whole thing just shows you that in boxing, the pre-fight chatter, the confident proclamations, they are all part of the game. They aren’t meant to deceive in a malicious way, but to set the stage for one of the biggest fights in the sport, a high-stakes clash where the fighters use their words just as much as their fists to get inside their opponent’s head.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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