LAS VEGAS – Errol Spence made the welterweight limit of 147 pounds for what he hopes is the last time late Friday morning at MGM Grand.
Spence stepped on the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s scale at exactly 147 pounds for his welterweight title unification showdown with Terence Crawford on Saturday night at nearby T-Mobile Arena. Crawford came in at 146.8 pounds for their 12-round Showtime Pay-Per-View main event.
Crawford, Spence and undercard fighters officially weighed in behind closed doors.
Though they have already made weight, Crawford, 35, and Spence, 33, and all undercard boxers will participate in a ceremonial weigh-in Friday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena.
That event, which is open to the public, is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. PDT. It also will be streamed live on Showtime Sports’ YouTube channel.
Spence informed BoxingScene.com on Wednesday that he expects this to be his last fight at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.
That decision might not be entirely up to Spence, however, because if Crawford wins he has the contractual right to choose the weight limit for an immediate rematch if Spence opts to face Crawford again in his next bout. If Spence wins, he told BoxingScene.com he would make Crawford move up to the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds for their second showdown, assuming Crawford were to activate his immediate rematch clause.
Except for one fight, Spence, a slight underdog according to most sportsbooks, has fought at or near the welterweight maximum of 147 pounds throughout his 10½-year professional career. Crawford won the WBO lightweight title when he competed in the 135-pound division and became the undisputed junior welterweight champion before he moved up from 140 pounds to 147 pounds five years ago.
Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs), of Omaha, Nebraska, and Spence (28-0, 22 KOs), of DeSoto, Texas, will fight to become boxing’s first undisputed welterweight champion of the four-belt era. Spence will defend his IBF, WBA and WBC crowns and Crawford will put his WBO belt on the line.
The official weights for the streamed and pay-per-view portions of the Spence-Crawford undercard are listed below.
Showtime Pay-Per-View
8 p.m. EDT; 5 p.m. PDT ($84.99)
Isaac Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs), Mexico City, 134½ pounds vs. Giovanni Cabrera (21-0, 7 KOs), Chicago, 134¼ pounds, 12 rounds, lightweights.
Nonito Donaire (42-7, 28 KOs), Las Vegas, 117¼ pounds vs. Alexandro Santiago (27-3-5, 14 KOs), Tijuana, Mexico, 117½ pounds, 12 rounds for the vacant WBC bantamweight title.
Yoenis Tellez (5-0, 4 KOs), Santiago de Cuba, 155½ pounds vs. Sergio Garcia (34-2, 14 KOs), Torrelavega, Spain, 155½ pounds, 10 rounds, middleweights.
Showtime Sports’ YouTube channel
6 p.m. EDT; 3 p.m. PDT
Steven Nelson (18-0, 15 KOs), Omaha, Nebraska, 167¾ pounds vs. Rowdy Legend Montgomery (10-4-1, 7 KOs), Victorville, California, 166¾ pounds, 10 rounds, super middleweights.
Jose Salas Reyes (12-0, 9 KOs), Tijuana, Mexico, 121½ pounds vs. Aston Palicte (28-5-1, 23 KOs), Bago City, Philippines, 123¼ pounds, 10 rounds, junior featherweights.
By Keith Idec