Terence Crawford thinks he and Errol Spence Jr. have a lot more in common than the public might think. 

Namely, the WBO titlist from Omaha, Nebraska, feels that he and Spence both achieved the greatest wins in their career against the same opponent: Shawn Porter.

The hard-charging, redoubtable Porter, a former welterweight titlist who retired in 2021, consistently distinguished himself throughout his decade-and-a-half-long career as one of the 147-pound division’s top fighters. A buzzsaw in his prime, Porter never gave his opponents an easy time, even in his losses, two of which came against Crawford and Spence.

“I think his best win is the same as myself,” Crawford told Morning Kombat hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell in a recent interview. “I think both our best wins is Shawn Porter, because I feel Shawn Porter was the most accomplished fighter that we both fought, given the names that Shawn Porter had been in the ring with. I believe that Shawn Porter was the best win in both of our careers.”

Spence fought Porter first, in 2019, when Spence held the IBF title and Porter held the WBC version. Spence ended up winning a split decision, in a fight that was nip-and-tuck for the majority of the rounds.

Crawford, who has long been dogged by criticism that his résumé at 147 is inadequate, fought Porter two years later, in 2021. That fight, which was for Crawford’s WBO title, was also closely contested, until Crawford pulled away late, eventually stopping Porter in the 10th round. Porter announced his retirement from boxing immediately after the loss.

Spence and Crawford are headed toward a highly anticipated welterweight undisputed showdown July 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“My dream and my goal was to be here years ago, at the pinnacle of boxing,” Crawford said. “I wanted the Manny Pacquiao fight, it didn’t come to fruition. But I moved up in weight and I wanted a big fight. I wanted Errol Spence, I wanted Keith Thurman, I wanted Danny Garcia, because I knew those were the fights that were going to put me on the stage. I didn’t get those fights for x amount of reasons, but everything happens for a reason.

“We’re here now. Me and Errol were on the biggest stage that neither one of us have been on before. July 29th, we’re going to put on a tremendous show and show the world why we’re the two best fighters in the division.”

Sean Nam is the author of Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing.