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Mike Coppinger, ESPN
Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford will vie for the undisputed 147-pound championship Saturday in Las Vegas, and they are likely to meet a second time due to the bidirectional rematch clause in the contract.
However, that return bout could take place at 154 pounds.
The loser of the highly anticipated Spence-Crawford bout will have 30 days to exercise the rematch clause, but it’s the winner who will decide whether the fight takes place at 147 or 154 pounds, sources told ESPN on Friday, confirming news first reported by BoxingScene.
Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) was lined up for a 154-pound fight with Keith Thurman this summer before a March phone call with Crawford led to a deal for the long-awaited superfight. Spence told BoxingScene on Wednesday he would want the rematch at 154 pounds, saying, “I’ve outgrown 147.”
Outside of a 2015 win over Chris van Heerden, all of Spence’s pro bouts have taken place at 147 pounds. Spence represented the U.S. in the Olympics in 2012 as a 152-pound boxer.
“It’s been kind of hard,” Spence told BoxingScene of making the 147-pound limit, “but I’ve got a nutritionist and a dietician to make sure I’m eating the right foods and make sure I’m good. But it’s definitely hard. It’s definitely a struggle.
“It’s always hard, but yeah, this is the last time, definitely. I’m a lot older. I’m not as young as I used to be, so you know, you can’t be putting your body through that much to fight.”
Spence weighed 147 pounds Friday while Crawford weighed 146¾. The official weigh-in took place Friday morning while the ceremonial festivities were in the afternoon at T-Mobile Arena.
Spence, at 5-feet-9½ inches, is 1½ inches taller than Crawford, who won his first title at 135 pounds. Crawford went on to win the undisputed championship at 140 and will now look to claim all four welterweight belts.
If Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) wins and decides he wants the rematch at 147 pounds, Spence would have to decide between another fight at welterweight or bypassing the rematch. If Spence wins, he could bring Crawford up to 154 pounds for his junior middleweight debut.
Crawford has expressed interest in moving up to 154 pounds for a fight against undisputed champion Jermell Charlo, but that was before Charlo signed for a Sept. 30 fight against Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed 168-pound championship.