Once again, Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford have agreed to fight. Once again, fans are crossing their fingers. The problem is that other key figures in this deal, of anxious dispositions and with sweaty hands hidden behind their backs, may be doing the same. Spence vs Crawford, or Crawford vs Spence, has proven to be one of the most elusive fights of a generation. Two champions, both alike in stature, in unfair America, where we lay our scene, a pair of star-crossed southpaws take this bout... yet they have done so before, and still the contest eluded the sport’s devotees. It is a bout that was first discussed in 2018, perhaps earlier, and one that seemed to be within grasp last autumn. Terms were agreed, fans were told, over a November meeting between the welterweight champions – both unbeaten and both undeterred by the prospect of losing their gold or records. Because that is the problem. In these situations, it is rarely the fault of the competitors that these bouts fall through; it is never a fear from the fighters that derails negotiations. Pride, perhaps, plays a decisive and often disappointing role, but not fear. That is for the men in suits, not those wearing 8oz gloves. That is why, when news emerged on Wednesday that unified champion Spence (28-0, 22 knockouts) and WBO champion Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) had agreed terms over a 29 July clash in Las Vegas, excitement was premature. It was, and is, understandable, but premature nevertheless. When Spence, 33, and Crawford, 35, agreed terms last year, the latter instead went on to box David Avanesyan, stopping the Armenian in December. Meanwhile, Spence has not fought since a TKO win over Yordenis Ugas 13 months ago. Both Spence and Crawford have struggled for activity in recent times, and both are slowly approaching the end of their primes. There is, of course, reason to hope – a few reasons, in fact. Over the course of the last month, we have seen two match-ups to satisfy boxing purists and suck in casual viewers, and neither fight should be taken for granted. In April, after years of baying from fans and the fighters themselves, lightweights Ryan Garcia and Gervonta “Tank” Davis squared off in a catchweight contest. Last week, Devin Haney defended his undisputed lightweight titles against former unified champion Vasiliy Lomachenko in a dynamic contest with a dramatic conclusion. All the while, the heavyweights are held up, and the obstructive factors in negotiations between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are pointers as to why Spence-Crawford will not be ‘on’ until the first bell rings. In the case of Fury and Usyk, a purse split (unfair as it was on the Ukrainian) was agreed, as was a rematch clause, only for the deal to dissolve due to a different dispute: one around the purse split in the rematch clause​. It would have been funny, had it not been so farcical. Errol Spence Jr Terence Crawford Age 32 35 Record 28-0 (22 KOs) 39-0 (30 KOs) Stance Southpaw Southpaw Titles WBC, WBA, IBF welterweight belts WBO welterweight belt (Formerly WBO lightweight belt; WBC, WBO, WBA [Super], IBF light-welterweight belts) Notable wins Shawn Porter, Mikey Garcia, Carlos Ocampo, Kell Brook Shawn Porter, Jose Benavidez Jr, Kell Brook, Amir Khan So, with reports suggesting that this Spence-Crawford deal contains a rematch clause for both fighters, and that a trilogy is likely in the case of a 1-1 scoreline by the end of 2023, there is reason for hesitancy. Such a deal contains enough moving parts to concern even the most enraptured observer. The prospect of a trilogy also threatens to hold up the division, though if the fights deliver in the way that fans have long hoped, few will mind besides any stranded contenders themselves. The point here is not to suggest that Spence-Crawford will not in fact come to pass; as of this week, it looks likelier than ever that the Americans will share a ring at long last. Last year, Spence shared a cartoon of himself imagined as a shark, knocking on the locker room door of Crawford; on Wednesday, Crawford shared an illustration of himself as a god of the tides, carrying a shark on his trident. An official announcement may even be impending. However, boxing fans have been burnt enough times that they should exercise caution until the moment the bell rings, and one of the most-anticipated fights of a generation finally begins. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith rematch postponed for second time ‘Daylight robbery’: Vasiliy Lomachenko’s team plan to appeal Devin Haney defeat Katie Taylor’s long reign as boxing queen over despite heroic last stand Oleksandr Usyk promoter provides major update on Daniel Dubois fight Deontay Wilder claims Oleksandr Usyk is ‘a lot afraid’ of heavyweight clash Katie Taylor’s long reign as boxing queen over despite heroic last stand

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On a street corner of downtown Toronto in the wee hours of the morning is where the best conversations are bound to happen. I’ve spent my whole adult life in this city walking these streets and yelling my opinions — the good, the bad, and the shut-up-your-frontal-lobe-isn’t-even-formed-yet takes. I remember fighting with a friend just steps from Scotiabank Theatre after watching The Help about how Blackness should show up onscreen (spoiler: that was not it). They argued that, sure, maybe the movie was offensive, but parts of it were true. Why shouldn’t that story be told? (Their frontal lobe wasn’t fully formed either.) Over a decade later, during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), I found myself on those same streets debating the very same topic, except this time, the film in question wasn’t a trope-ridden, objectionable, white savior narrative; it was a ripe satire consumed with tackling the very conversations that Black media professionals have been having for decades. In American Fiction, it’s not about whether representation matters but rather what kind matters, and to whom?

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An executive order designed to protect people providing and receiving gender-affirming care was signed by New York City mayor Eric Adams on Monday. Executive Order 32, signed in celebration of Pride, prevents the use of city resources to investigate, detain or prosecute anyone providing or receiving care. It’s a measure similar to one cities have taken to try to protect abortion rights after the reversal of Roe v Wade. New York as a state has not passed any restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, which remains legal across the Northeast. But Mr Adams’s measure comes at a time when the transgender community has been under a sustained attack from Republican party officials who have introduced more than 400 bills in state legislatures targeting LGBT+ people so far this year. Twenty states have already passed laws limiting or banning gender-affirming care for minors, with more states actively considering bans. “As states across the nation continue their onslaught of attacks on our LGBT+ neighbors, New York City is doing what we have always done — standing up for justice and against discrimination,” Mr Adams said in a statement on the executive action. “This executive order reaffirms the fact that hate has no place in our city and that all people deserve the right to gender-affirming care and protection against prosecution for being who they are.” The spirit of Mr Adams’s order is aligned with advisories from a number of major medical associations like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which have said that gender-affirming care is safe and can be lifesaving. The number of people who transition and express regret about it later is believed to be at or less than one percent. For some of them, the regret was temporary. Some see attacks on gender-affirming care for children as part of a broader assault on the bodily autonomy of people who are not cisgender men. A number of the states that have passed bans on gender-affirming care have also passed limits or effective bans on abortion care. Some people in such states have been forced to move to other areas without such restrictions. New York is a place of particular import for the LGBT+ movement, as it is the site of the Stonewall riot and one of the country’s largest and most visible LGBT+ communities. It’s annual Pride parade is set to take place on 25 June. Read More Republicans in Oregon Senate end six-week walkout that blocked bills on abortion, trans health care Texas family moves so trans teen can escape anti-LGTBQ laws: ‘I’d rather be out than dead’ US prepares for potential end of Roe v Wade - live When will there be a Roe v Wade decision? Why these prosecutors are refusing to enforce anti-abortion laws

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