WWE HOF'er Booker T talks love for boxing and Spence Jr. vs. Crawford
One of the biggest fights in boxing is less than 24 hours away, and the stars are starting to pour in as temperatures surpass 100 degrees on the strip in Las Vegas, NV. Unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) will face Terence Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) in a matchup that is well worth the title “super fight.” After their press conference, FanSidedMMA caught up with WWE Hall of Famer Booker T. as he is in town to do programming for ESPN in support of the big event.
Whenever you go to a major fight, it is not unusual to see Booker T amongst the media and fans taking in all the events leading up to the fight, including the fight itself. There is always a curiosity that comes with seeing celebrities at these events and wondering when the love of the sport began. Booker T is a polarizing figure and is recognized worldwide for what he did in his time as a wrestler. Booker T told FanSidedMMA.
“I’m living my best life. I have always admired boxers ever since I was a kid. Muhammad Ali was the one that sparked the flame of course. Sugar Ray Leonard, (Roberto)Duran, (Tommy) Hearns, all of those guys make me feel a certain way. I remember watching Ali vs. (Joe) Frazier, and Frank Sinatra was taking photos as he was the cameraman for that fight. I was like, ‘Damn, I would love to be Frank Sinatra’ (laughs). You could tell he had a passion for the game and wanted to be that up close and personal.”
Booker T continued, “There’s nothing like a boxing event. It brings out the electricity in everything, and it seems like your hair is on fire. Then, when that knockout comes, it’s just crazy. For me, I just love what these guys do. They are true gladiators, modern-day warriors that we get to see up close and personal.”
Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford will stream live on PPV
Boxing is filled with fighters from all over the world, and some are better showmen than others, which separates a fighter from being a star. Booker T. knows something about showmanship; the wrestling business is built on that. Fans say there isn’t enough of it in boxing today, so it doesn’t receive the attention that the other combat sports do. We see showmanship amongst stars like Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Tyson Fury, whose popularity is at an all-time high, but the sport doesn’t have enough of them to lift it.
Booker T sees the way these younger fighters are trying to bring that showmanship back but in their way through social media.
“I think that’s what the boxing game has always been about. The guys that really “got over” (a term in wrestling used to describe someone becoming popular) had showmanship. Mohammad Ali was a great boxer, but he made you feel something. Even if you didn’t like him, you still wanted to see him. Roy Jones Jr. was a guy that was so flamboyant but effective. When I see these young guys adopting that, especially now with the social media era, they have to be more than boxers. They have to be entertainers. Do you think Conor McGregor would have gotten a boxing match if he wasn’t Conor McGregor? These guys are learning from that. You have to be able to parlay your success into dollars.”
As the excitement level continues to rise for the fight at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday, Booker T isn’t giving a prediction as he is working for ESPN that night but did have some thoughts on the two pound-for-pound fighters.
“I’m working with ESPN, so I try not to give a prediction, but I will say this: both guys are high-class pugilists. Their performances are second to none. Both guys have shown they're willing to do whatever it takes to win a fight. It’s truly a 50/50 fight that we haven’t seen in many years. I can’t say who will win between them, but I will say that the fans will win.”
In less than 24 hours and barring a draw, we will have the first undisputed welterweight champion in the four-belt era. It doesn’t get any better than this. Who is going to win on Saturday night? You can see it live at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, or watch it on Showtime PPV, but whatever you do, don’t miss this extraordinary event.
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