LAS VEGAS (June 6, 2018) – Terence “Bud” Crawford looks to conquer yet another weight division Saturday evening, when he challenges WBO welterweight champion Jeff “The Hornet” Horn at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

On the undercard, Jose Pedraza (23-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, will challenge Antonio Moran (22-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the WBO Latino lightweight belt; Shakur Stevenson (6-0, 3 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, will step up in class against Aelio Mesquita (16-1, 14 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight contest; light heavyweight prospect Steve Nelson (10-0, 8 KOs) will take on Dashon Webster (10-1, 6 KOs) in a six-rounder; and 18-year-old super featherweight sensation Gabe Flores Jr (7-0, 5 KOs) will face Jorge Rojas (4-3-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round bout.

And, in a battle of unbeatens, welterweight contender Jose Benavidez (26-0, 17 KOs) will face the iron-fisted Frank Rojas (22-0, 21 KOs) of Caracas, Venezuela, in a 10-rounder.

Many of the fighters from Saturday’s card worked out for the media Wednesday at the MGM Grand.

This is what they had to say.

Terence Crawford

“I feel like I’m in the same boat right now as when I was coming up in weight. Thomas Dulorme was a 147-pounder and he came down in weight to fight me for the title and everybody was saying he was this big, strong puncher and saying that I was too small. But I went for it and I prevailed, and I feel like I’m in the same predicament when I was moving up from 135 to 140.”

“I just try to get the victory. I need to go in there and be focused and not overconfident and do what I’ve got to do to get the job done.”

Jeff Horn

“It has definitely been a hard road to get to where I am. I had to fight very hard. The mindset is that I am coming in as an underdog even though I am a world champion. I have had to fight some messy fights and when I can start showing myself to everyone around the world is when I can start thinking differently.”

“I don’t think about the underdog status. I had that before in the Manny Pacquiao fight. I will do what I did for that fight and that is not worry about that and just worry about what I’m going to do in there and make a fight of it and be competitive and win. Just keep thinking along those lines.”

Crawford vs. Horn and Pedraza vs. Moran will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET., while the undercard, including Stevenson-Mesquita, Benavidez-Rojas, Nelson-Webster, and Flores-Rojas will be shown on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Remaining tickets for Crawford vs. Horn, priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50 (limited availability), can be purchased online through axs.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts box office.

Use the hashtag #CrawfordHorn and #PedrazaMoran to join the conversation on social media.
About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to boxing content, fans can watch thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

Photos by Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Saturday, June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena
Live on ESPN+ at 9:30 p.m. ET

BOB ARUM: I want to welcome you all to this conference call, and I’m looking forward to a great fight on Saturday night. Jeff Horn has shown what a great fighter he is and what a strong athlete everybody – 5 million people in the United States – say when they watched his fight with Manny Pacquiao, and he is not coming to just make an appearance. He is coming to defend his title, and he is a strong and determined boxer. I am looking forward to a great fight.

GLENN RUSHTON (Trainer, Jeff Horn): We are really looking forward to the fight and we obviously appreciate everything that Top Rank has done to make this fight happen. It’s a brilliant fight between two unbeaten fighters. These two are both 30 years of age, both in their prime and it’s going to be a phenomenal fight on Saturday night when two unbeaten forces collide here. It’s going to be exciting. We are looking forward to the fight very much, and we’re ready.

JEFF HORN: I’ve been working very hard in the preparation for this fight. It has been a long preparation, and I think that’s worked wonders for us. We’ve had pretty much double prep. I am feeling super fit, in the best shape that I have been for any fight in the past. Right now, we are just training – tapering down for the fight, sharpening up the skills and things – and getting ready for a big, massive fight here in Vegas.

How hard was it to convince you to come to the United States to make this fight as opposed to home where you had your fight with Pacquiao and other professional fights?

JEFF HORN: It wasn’t that hard, I guess. The money was right for this fight. I was always thinking that I was going to go to America anyway and have a fight, so why not now? It’s not like we were trying to stay in just Australia. We know we need to fight all around the world to build my reputation.

GLENN RUSHTON: It wasn’t that at all. Jeff has always traveled all around the world. As an amateur, he fought all over the world, and as a professional, he has gone to New Zealand to fight. We are used to traveling. We know how to travel. We can adapt quickly in the different time zones, so for us, it’s not a problem. We anticipated it would take us three or four days to settle in properly to get back to his very best. Now he is back to his very best. We are good to go come Saturday night, and it going to be a heck of a fight.

When did you arrive?

GLENN RUSHTON: We arrived last Wednesday.

Would your fight against Pacquiao still be the biggest win of your career if you win Saturday night? Or would a Crawford win?

JEFF HORN: They are both massive fights in my mind. It is hard to split them apart. The Pacquiao fight was a massive win in a full stadium in my hometown and it is a very difficult one to beat in my mind just because of what it was worth to me as well. It has always been a dream to come over to America to fight in one of these massive casinos in Las Vegas and put on a massive show.

Bob, can you give me an idea of what the winner of this fight does in a welterweight division stocked with talented guys?

BOB ARUM: The welterweight division has been, going back to the 80s, with Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, a top division. Now there are a lot of great welterweights out there. Two of them are fighting on Saturday, and there’s Errol Spence, who is a terrific fighter, {Keith} Thurman, {Shawn} Porter and {Danny} Garcia, and there is a guy that you should be looking at also who will be on the card. He is recovering from this incident where he was shot in the knee and he is coming along really strong – Jose Benavidez – and he may be ready to fight the winner, which we will see. There is Carlos Adames who fought on the May 12 card with Lomachenko and Linares in the co-feature, and he would be available to fight the winner. So we are not lacking for talent in the welterweight division. There is {Egidijus} Kavaliauskas – the undefeated Lithuanian fighter. There are a lot of good, good welterweight fighters.

Bob, you didn’t even mention Pacquiao…

BOB ARUM: There is Manny Pacquiao (laughing), well, he is more of a politician, but he is a fighter, I guess.

Do you believe you will have a size advantage since Terence will be coming up from junior welterweight?

GLENN RUSHTON: Personally, I do not believe we will have this huge size advantage that everybody is saying. We do have a one-inch height advantage, and that is something Terence cannot change. I would not be surprised, and I do expect Terence to come in about the same size as Jeff. What we will have is the advantage of having been consistently fighting welterweights since we started. But for Terence, this is the first step up for him. We are used to having a strength advantage rather than a size advantage coming into the fight. That is my opinion, since I think Terence will come in here a lot bigger than a lot of people think so there will not be an incredible size advantage. And Jeff is incredibly strong.

The Pacquiao fight, there were not Australian judges and this fight there is one Australian judge. Do you feel you can win a fight here against Crawford?

JEFF HORN: I should be able to win a decision in America. If they are judging fairly and I am throwing more punches and landing more punches, then the judges should be seeing that and scoring me the rounds. The judges will be watching Terence Crawford and watching me as well. That can be the tricky part with judging if you try and watch two guys – you normally can put your eye on one guy and see what he’s doing. It will come down to the exchanges between me and Crawford and who they are watching.

Glenn, can you comment on that as well?

GLENN RUSHTON: I believe that we can win a decision I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I do believe that the judges all around the world are very good. Judges are incredibly competent, and they do their very best to arrive at an accurate round-by-round verdict. So, we should not have a problem with the fighters, but I do hope that {referee Robert} Byrd lets the fighters fight because the people want to see a great, entertaining fight. We don’t want the fight stopped every second that the fighters get close. We’d like to see the fighters fight freely, and if so, it’s going to be an incredible fight on Saturday night. That’s all we hope for, and we don’t foresee any problems from any of the officials.

For many fighters, it takes a lot of hard work to get to the top then they have to find another level to stay there. Can you tell me what that’s like?

JEFF HORN: It has definitely been a hard road to get to where I am. I had to fight very hard. The mindset is that I am coming in as an underdog even though I am a world champion. I have had to fight some messy fights and when I can start showing myself to everyone around the world is when I can start thinking differently.

How tough is it to train for a guy like Crawford who can switch styles and stances throughout the fight?

JEFF HORN: Crawford can fight any style and switch positions. It is a little bit easier to have a southpaw that you just chase around the whole time, whereas Crawford is switching back and forth all the time. We can have orthodox and southpaws in sparring as with any type of fighter that may not have the skills, but will have that style that can stop, move and switch and bang you on the head.

How do you prepare yourself for the adjustments that Crawford makes throughout the fight?

JEFF HORN: I have just prepared myself my whole career to fight in a way that the other guy doesn’t know what you’re doing. I’m hoping he can’t figure me out throughout this whole fight because what if I change up and hopefully he’s still trying to figure me out in round 12? That’s the plan, to keep changing things up and he can adjust and try to figure out what I’m doing.

How do you feel about being a heavy underdog?

JEFF HORN: I don’t think about the underdog status. I had that before in the Manny Pacquiao fight. I will do what I did for that fight and that is not worry about that and just worry about what I’m going to do in there and make a fight of it and be competitive and win. Just keep thinking along those lines.

Many people think this should be on ESPN TV instead of the app – ESPN+. Looking back to the Pacquiao fight where millions watched. What do you say to them?

BOB ARUM: Well, you can’t hold back the future and the future is direct to consumer. The future is ESPN+, where I believe in the next 10 to 20 years everyone will be watching their entertainment on direct to consumer platforms. Like Netflix in entertainment, ESPN+ will be the place for sports in abundance. To fans now in the United States and around the world, it is the future. Get used to it. Jeff Horn and Terence Crawford will go down in history as the two fighters who are the first to fight in this direct to consumer sports entertainment space.

Did you doubt the injury to Terence Crawford that delayed this fight that was scheduled for April?

JEFF HORN: It was frustrating at the time because I was in hard training and it was only a few weeks out and it was cancelled, and it was frustrating because I knew I had to do that hard training all over again. I didn’t see any evidence that there was any damage, so it may have been just a tactic. So, I had to start over again.

The training camp for Pacquiao must have been very difficult – would you say that this training camp was tougher? Will you try to press him?

JEFF HORN: I only train for the fight preparation that I get pushed for from Glenn, and he is only going to push me as hard as he needs to push me. I guess I learned from that preparation how to push my body really hard and this preparation was technically the hardest. I have pushed my body and that’s why I feel like I am in super condition. I have had two preparations on top of each other for this fight.

Were you surprised that Pacquiao didn’t pursue harder trying to get you back in the ring for a rematch?

GLENN RUSHTON: Personally, I looked at it like this. We wanted the rematch and the only reason we wanted the rematch was because I wanted Jeff to be the only guy to beat Manny Pacquiao twice, and I knew he would beat him. He beat him measurably in that first fight and he was in great physical condition, and I knew Jeff would win that fight after all the people complaining about the decision. On the other hand, I felt for Manny Pacquiao and he is a legend, and if I was Pacquiao’s trainer, I would tell him not to fight Jeff Horn again. Jeff will be bigger, stronger, younger and better – you can’t beat him.

JEFF HORN: It was a tough first fight and I do think I learned a lot from that, and I won even though they thought they got the decision. We had many people watch the fight again and took out the commentary and they can see that I won the fight so there are no complaints there. I think I would do better the second time against him, and I think he knows that as well.

Bob, were you surprised he was not more adamant about doing it again?

BOB ARUM: Well, for whatever reason, he didn’t want the fight again. I can’t speculate at the reason. Glenn has said what he believes the reason is. Jeff said the same thing. Maybe it was the reason or maybe it was something else. I couldn’t get him to commit to a rematch and it’s as simple as that.

The Terence Crawford Portion of the Call Begins…

BOB ARUM: Terence Crawford in my mind is the superstar in boxing. He dominated as a lightweight champion, won all of the belts as a junior welterweight champion and now he goes up to fight the welterweights. The first step is Jeff Horn, who is a big, strong welterweight from Australia, and Terence believes he is up for the challenge, and every obstacle that Terence has faced he has overcome. He is in my mind like one of the throwback fighters to the 80s. We compare him to the great Sugar Ray Leonard, and I think the skill and artistry of Terence in the ring is something to see and I look forward to his great performance on Saturday night against a tough, young welterweight in Jeff Horn.

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Preparation is going A-1. We had a tough training camp. We took no shortcuts. We got a little stronger and are ready to put on a performance on Saturday.

RED SPIKES (Assistant Trainer, Crawford): I have been with Terence throughout his maturation as a professional boxer, and I believe we have not seen the best of Terence yet. You all should look forward to seeing him on Saturday night.

How anxious are you too get in the ring after the long layoff?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I am real anxious, but it is a process, you know. I am more relaxed and focused more than anything because I know the day will come. I am just sitting back waiting for my moment to come on Saturday.

Any special sparring since this is your welterweight debut?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well, like I said, we are going to make our adjustments in the ring during the fight. He is nothing that I haven’t faced before in the ring. The only thing we have to focus on is him using his head and his elbows.

How does fighting on ESPN+ affect you?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: ESPN has faith in me being the next big star. They are putting me in this big platform that’s going to take off here. What better way to kick ESPN+ off than by putting one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on there? I am delighted to be in this predicament right now. I’m just ready to go out there and fight.

You are up against Jeff Horn, the man the beat Pacquiao. What does this mean to you?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It means a lot. After I capture the WBO title, I am going to be a three-weight division champion. I am going to beat the man that beat Pacquiao and my career is going to move forward.

Jeff doesn’t think he will have a size or weight advantage on Saturday night. What is your perspective on that?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I don’t know, I have never seen the guy. I have never seen him personally. I don’t know how much he hydrates or whatnot, and you know like I said before, it does not matter.

Do you have an idea of what you will come in yet?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Not yet. I haven’t weighed in at 147 and hydrated back up to my natural fight weight. I really don’t know yet.

Earlier, Glenn Rushton said he hope the referee lets the fighters fight. They seem to want to allow Jeff to do some of the things he normally does. What is your perspective on that?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: He wants Robert Byrd to let him head butt and hold and use his elbows? I just laugh at it. I don’t know. I don’t care.

He said, ‘Jeff doesn’t head butt’ – that was an exact quote…

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the tactics that he uses in the ring, but that’s his word on how his fighter fights in the ring. Of course, he is going to back his fighter up on whatever his fighter is doing in the ring.

Have you trained differently since it’s almost been a year since your last fight and also for the move up to welterweight?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: No, not at all. We just sharpened up the tools and got our rounds in and getting back in the groove. Come fight night, it will almost be a year since I last fought, and I feel like that’s not going to be a big factor. I feel like I’m sharp right now and I will be ready to go.

Is there anything during the last year you have done that you may not have done in the past?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: No, not at all, even though I am not fighting, I am doing something active.

In the past when your opponents talk trash they would end up paying for it. Has Jeff Horn gotten to that place yet?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Of course, of course, no doubt. I’m just tired of hearing all of their excuses on gloves and the referee. You can only hear so much, and I’m just ready to go out there and shut him up.

Horn’s trainer mentioned that Gamboa hit you with some good shots that may have stunned you and that was at 135 and he feels that Horn at 147 can do some damage.

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Everybody keeps resorting back to the Gamboa fight. If you look at the Gamboa fight, that was in 2014, and it’s 2018 right now. They can’t label me as being hurt. I felt like I went in that fight, and I made an error in that fight and he made me respect it. It’s not like I didn’t learn from that moment. It hasn’t happened since, so if they want to go back to that Gamboa moment, then so be it.

Since you’re moving up in weight, is camp easier since you don’t have to cut as much weight?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It’s always the same. Camp is never easy. If camp is ever easy, then your trainer is doing something wrong. You’ve got to have friction. You got to have those arguments. Those days when your coaches are getting on your nerves and you don’t want to do something and they just make you do it… so camp should never be easy.

Tell us about living in Colorado Springs.

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It’s real special having training camp in Colorado Springs. The atmosphere and the people and the oxygen level. The whole thing around Colorado is good. The people around there are so sweet and generous. I have family in Denver. It is peaceful – I don’t have a lot of people running up to me or bothering me. I don’t have to worry about any distractions. I bought a house out there this year. I should have bought a house out there before, but I was being arrogant. It’s a spot where I will take my kids when I’m not even in training and go on a vacation just to get away.

Is this move different than moving up from lightweight to junior welterweight?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I feel like I’m in the same boat right now as when I was coming up in weight. Thomas Dulorme was a 147-pounder and he came down in weight to fight me for the title and everybody was saying he was this big, strong puncher and saying that I was too small. But I went for it and I prevailed, and I feel like I’m in the same predicament when I was moving up from 135 to 140.

Do you worry about moving up to the next weight division?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I just try to get the victory. I need to go in there and be focused and not overconfident and do what I’ve got to do to get the job done.

Was it frustrating to have to stop then resume camp due to your injury?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Actually, I wasn’t frustrated. I had an injury, so I’m not going to go in there not 100 percent healthy with no right hand and handicap myself.

What can the fans expect to see from you at 147 that may be different than at 140?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I am going to be stronger. I am going to be faster. My boxing ability and my IQ are already there. I’m going to be a lot stronger. Will he be ready is a key factor. My speed is still there. My power is better. I am only going to keep getting stronger and stronger. I am going to be ready, and come Saturday, I will answer all of the questions.

What’s your message to the young kids?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Stay positive and keep being around positive people. Have some dreams and goals out there and pursue them and don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t be what you want to be.

How long do you plan to fight?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Right now, I am focusing on building my brand on things outside of boxing, so I don’t have to box forever, but right now, my life is boxing and I can’t think about retirement. Retirement isn’t on my mind right now. I just want to be great right now.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Mondays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In additional to boxing content, fans can watch thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

One of boxing’s very best Terence Crawford returns on June 9th, and his trainer Brian ‘Bomac’ McIntyre has a warning for Jeff Horn.

Crawford challenges Horn for his WBO World Welterweight crown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas next week, live in the UK and Ireland on BoxNation.

After the fight was pushed back from April when Crawford damaged his right hand, Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton labelled the American “a princess”, adding “he seems to be a bit soft”.

“The pressure’s on Horn but I don’t give a damn where the pressure’s at because Horn’s still getting his ass whipped,” McIntyre told Fox Sports.

“I’m gonna look right at his coach and say ‘you a*shole’. I tried to tell you that we was gonna win – you been talking all that sh*t, putting all that sh*t in the newspaper – all that sh*t on social media and you didn’t have a clue what you were going up against.

“I think Horn and his coach are scared because they know that Terence Crawford is going to whip Jeff Horn’s butt,” he added.

Crawford is a big favourite with the bookmakers to wrestle away Horn’s belt and become a three-division World Champion, and McIntyre argues that Horn’s aggressive style will play into the challenger’s hands.

“He don’t have much skills. He bounces around a lot but he comes to fight every single fight. He does come in shape that’s the good part about him – he will come and challenge – he will challenge Terence and that’s great because we need the best out of Terence this fight and Horn will bring the best out of Terence.”

McIntyre is fully confident that ‘Bud’ will be victorious in Vegas: “I just can’t wait to shut his coach up and get my hands on that belt!”.

http://www.boxnation.com/boxing-news/jeff-horn-is-getting-his-ass-whipped-crawfords-coach/

WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs) is feeling very confident in training days, as he counts down the days for a scheduled showdown with mandatory challenger Terence Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs).

The contest takes place on June 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

As weeks continue to pass, there has been a lot of trash talking between the two teams.

Crawford, regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, is a huge favorite to win the fight.

Horn believes Crawford and his handlers are attempting to get in his head – which he says won’t happen regardless of what they say to him.

“They’re trying to make me feel nervous and to doubt myself, but I haven’t done that for a second,” Horn tells Foxsports.com.au.

“I’m not scared of this guy. You have to be confident in boxing, if you go in there thinking you’re going to lose then that’s exactly what will happen.”

There has been some controversy over the gloves – with Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton expressing concern that Crawford was going to potentially use horsehair gloves.

Horn is not concerned about the brand of gloves worn by Crawford.

“I’m not worried about the gloves, I haven’t sparred using the horse hair gloves because they’re too small for sparring. It’s all just distraction and tactics,” Horn said.

“I’ve worked harder for this fight than I ever have. I’ll be pushing hard, pressuring him throughout the fight. I’ll be thinking about my family, about my wife and daughter, going to the places that lift me when I need to dig deep.

“He has a devastating left hand, he can hurt you in the body or in the head. He’s able to switch-hit. But that’s all right, I have a few plans of my own. It won’t be like Brisbane, that’s for sure. There will be plenty of boos, but you can use that to your advantage as a fighter, too.”

https://www.boxingscene.com/jeff-horn-no-fear-terence-crawford-im-going-win–128559

Photo by Getty Images

For Jeff Horn, it was a statement round; to a highly sceptical boxing world, to his decorated opponent and most importantly, to himself.

In front of 50,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium, against an all-time great in Manny Pacquiao, many expected Horn to be overwhelmed and outgunned from the first bell. Nerves would devour him, then Pacquiao would feast on his bones.

Instead it was Horn that fought like the more-seasoned man. He pounced on Pacquiao, shook off the nerves, took the round and set himself on the path to a famous victory. Pacquiao laughed and dared him to come on harder… there’s rarely a better sign that a fighter has found themselves in deeper than they predicted.

Now Horn hopes to repeat the dose when he meets Terence Crawford and defends his WBO welterweight strap at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on June 9.

With the belief Horn has been fed to the lions to gift the undefeated Crawford an easy crown in his first outing since moving up to welterweight, the Brisbane fighter knows he must put himself on the map early.

He said he wanted to remind Crawford, rated by most in the top handful of pound-for-pound fighters in the world, that he was the man with the belt and not in Vegas on a holiday.

The respect out of the ring is genuine, even if the relationship between the camps has gone steadily south amid a string of delays, injuries to Crawford and a minor controversy about the type of gloves to be used.

In the ring, Horn said the charity would quickly evaporate.

“He’s [Crawford] a different fighter because he likes that counter-punching style, where Manny likes to fight in bursts. He wants to be on top of you straight away,” Horn said before another sparring session on Monday.

“I have to treat it the same way and show him [Crawford] little respect in there. I’m the world champion, he’s coming to fight me and I have to show that I am the champion.”

Horn is too switched on and well trained to be reckless early but his ability to tune out of boxing and all of its endless noise has proven to be one of his best weapons as a top-flight pro.

He wasn’t daunted at all by fighting in front of 50,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium and said if Crawford thought he would be off his game fighting in the US, he was mistaken.

“It’s pretty inspiring [to fight in Vegas]. I went there for the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight and for a holiday as well as the ESPYs. I’ve been there a few times. It’s an amazing place. But to fight there will be different.

“Duco have done a really good thing to make these big shows for me. Suncorp, you can’t beat that. The bright lights are there but it will be the same as all the other fights.”

The furore about Crawford fighting in minimalist horsehair gloves has proven to be much ado about nothing, with their camp denying over the weekend that they would be their weapon of choice.

Horn and his trainer Glenn Rushton will prepare for any late changes but Horn can now resume training and fighting in his more familiar Everlast Powerlock gloves, which he has donned for his past 10 fights.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/boxing/jeff-horn-wants-to-make-an-early-statement-against-terence-crawford-20180514-p4zf8r.html

Terence Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs) has lashed out at Jeff Horn after the Australian boxer’s camp had called him a “princess” over the hand injury that has delayed their planned world title fight on April 14.

On Wednesday, their scheduled fight at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas was pushed back after it was revealed that Crawford suffering a minor hand injury that needs at least two weeks to heal.

Horn and his handlers questioned the severity of Crawford’s injury and felt the Omaha fighter’s toughness was highly overrated.

After hearing some of the verbal barbs being cast in his direction, including how Team Horn had labeled him as a ‘princess’ – it didn’t take long before Crawford came firing back.

Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton told Crawford to “toughen up, princess” after news emerged that their fight would be postponed due to a right-hand injury.

Horn’s promoter, Duco Events boss Dean Lonergan, went even further by calling him a “soft c**k”.

As far as Horn himself, he felt stated -” it just means that Terence is not as tough as we thought.”

The 30-year-old Crawford isn’t regarded as a big trash talker but he has made an exception for Horn, the WBO welterweight champion, who appears to have managed to get under his skin.

“I’m [going to] show you a little princess come fight night. You just keep training and keeping my belt warm, because I’m f***ing you up come fight night. You, me and everyone know it,” Crawford blasted out on social media.

Crawford has shown a high regard for Horn and his achievements in the past, even going as far to say he had deserved last year’s victory over Manny Pacquiao.

Crawford’s cordiality towards Horn had bucked that trend but a fraying of relations between the pair might be just what this fight needs.

Speculation had been rife that there was something else behind the decision to delay the fight, with doubts raised because at no stage was the contest listed on the Mandalay Bay’s events calendar, nor was it ever officially confirmed by Crawford’s promoter, Top Rank.

Within hours of Crawford’s injury being revealed, it was announced that Crawford-Horn would be streamed exclusively on ESPN’s new app – which is set to debut in the coming months.

http://www.boxingscene.com/crawford-erupts-tells-jeff-horn-you-know-im-fing-you-up–126264?print_friendly=1

Terence Crawford
Article originally posted at: https://www.ringtv.com/523889-terence-crawford-awaits-shot-jeff-horn-gary-corcoran-winner/

The calendar for the year in boxing 2018 is starting to flesh out a tiny bit.

The best – or second or third-best – boxer on the planet is two-division champion Terence Crawford and, but of course, he is atop many watch lists and we want to get a sense of when he’s gloving up for his inaugural 2018 scrap.

That will become clearer after Jeff Horn’s WBO 147-pound crown defense takes place in Australia, against Brit Gary Corcoran, on December 13. And Crawford will be real close, so he’ll get a close-up gander at with whom he’ll be tasked, adding to his scalps list. Yes, Crawford will head to Australia, with Team Top Rank, and sit ringside to watch Horn-Corcoran, says TR bossman Bob Arum. Depending on how Horn vs. Corcoran plays out, the promoter said we’d see that winner meet Crawford in March or April.

And, pray tell, where? Back to Nebraska for “Bud”? Or New York City again? “To be determined,” Arum answered. “If Horn wins, I’d expect the same crazy publicity (in his native land of Australia), along those lines, that we saw for him against (Manny) Pacquiao (last July). It would again be on ESPN and it would be very, very big, big enough to do in a big arena in Las Vegas. Horn has said his dream is to be in a main event on the big stage in Vegas. Terence’s fans from Nebraska are so avid, you’d get 5-to-6,000 from Nebraska to Vegas; I think.”

A programming note: You can watch Jeff Horn vs. Gary Corcoran on Wednesday, on the morning of December 13. “Our good friends at ESPN,” Arum said, will be showing Horn vs. Corcoran, live, at 6:15 a.m. ET, 3:15 a.m. on the West Coast.

So, either load up on caffeine before and make it an all-nighter…or set the alarm and get a strong pot percolating.

Date:  Saturday – August 19, 2017

WBO/WBA/IBF/WBC  JR. WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:  Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

Promoter:  Top Rank / Bob Arum

Supervisor:  John Duggan, Esq.

Referee:  Jack Reiss

Judges:  Glenn Feldman, Max De Luca, Steve Weisfeld

Results: The WBO Champion Terence Crawford Crawford gains the WBA and IBF junior welterweight titles, adding to the WBC and WBO belts, when he  dropped Julius Indongo in the second round, before finishing him off in the third on a hard body shot. Julius Indongo (22-1, 11 KO) was down for the full ten count,

TV:   ESPN3

By Robert Hough

Light welterweights Terence Crawford and Julius Indongo are set to fight Saturday in an ultra-rare, four-belt unification bout. The match, in Lincoln, Nebraska, will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET and streamed live via the ESPN app.

Here’s what they had to say today:

Terence Crawford: “(Indongo) is at the end of his career. He doesn’t have a lot of choices. He can’t wait around for a long time…He has good legs. It seems like he can punch a bit. He doesn’t let his opponent get inside.”

Julius Indongo: “It’s something huge. It’s very big. It’s very meaningful…I am a humble guy but I don’t fear anybody. My focus, my game-plan, everything is in position…Although people never knew me, this is the right time to show the world.”

Top Rank President Todd duBoef: “This is a global sport. In America, we’re relatively isolated to a small pool of fighters. What Indongo did was, the door of opportunity opened and he stepped through it. This goes back to what makes boxing so special. People take advantage of those opportunities and a diamond in the rough is discovered.”

Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

 

By Cliff Rold

Title unification was never easy.

That was true well before the WBC broke away from the WBA in the 1960s. In the 1930s, the middleweight and flyweight titles had a slew of claimants to the world title. Everyone was making enough money that holding off on ultimate ‘unification’ took about a decade to complete.

Money is the root of it after all.

Most of the fighters who hold belts aren’t worried about losing a boxing match. They’re worried about losing a check. If you’re a Strawweight champion making five figures for a title fight, that’s a hell of a lot better place to be than the strawweights without a belt. Risking a title against another champion makes it harder to make a living. It only makes sense if it pays well more than defending often in front of a paying home court until a dangerous mandatory comes along.

It’s not very sporting but, for most of the beltholders in boxing, it’s rational.

They made the risk worth the reward for the fighter with more to lose this weekend.

To be sure, both Julius Indongo and Terence Crawford have a lot on the line. Each holds two of the four most recognized sanctioning body titles. They stand to have the largest audience of their respective careers on ESPN (10 PM EST/7 PM PST) with solid fight week coverage to get the word out.

Unlike Crawford (31-0, 22 KO), an American fighter with an established base of fans in Nebraska and lots of US TV exposure, Indongo (22-0, 11 KO) likely has less chance to rebound if he loses this weekend. Indongo is already 34 and, for most American fans, unknown even with his WBA and IBF belts.

Indongo might have been able to milk those belts for a while and spread out the paydays. Instead, he’s trying to finish a gutsy road trip trifecta.

Namibia’s Indongo went to Russia and knocked out Russia’s Eduard Troyanovsky (26-1, 23 KO) last year for the IBF strap. He went to Glasgow to beat Scotland’s Ricky Burns for the WBA strap.

Now he’s in Lincoln Nebraska trying to go from invisible man to undisputed champion in three fights.

Lose memorably and there could be other days for Indongo. Lose wide and he may be forgotten as quickly as he emerged. Indongo is gambling big on himself and deserves credit for it.

Crawford merits plenty of credit too. The WBC, WBO, and lineal champ is a talented fighter on the cusp of the real high dollar promised land. Indongo is the sort of guy a man in his position might not normally want to mess with. Indongo is longer, taller, and has shown the pressure of being the away team does not stifle him.

The risk for Crawford isn’t that a loss could make him anonymous. For Crawford, the risk is that a loss could provide a long-term rationale for fighters to avoid him and cut off his avenues to the biggest fights that could be made.

He is, in some sense, where the late Vernon Forrest found himself in 2003. After two wins over “Sugar” Shane Mosley, Forrest was the lineal welterweight champion and the consensus 2002 Fighter of the Year. He could begin to realistically dream about chasing the golden goose of his era: Oscar De La Hoya. All he had to do was keep winning and hope public pressure and consistent victory opened a door down the road.

Forrest opted for a unification clash with wild swinging, big talking Ricardo Mayorga. The odds were heavily in Forrest’s favor.

Mayorga stopped him in three and then won a decision in the immediate rematch.

Forrest was far from done. HBO and Showtime still had room for him and he added two reigns at Jr. middleweight. It was a hell of a career.

It just never quite landed on the jackpot fight.

Crawford has won recognition from both Ring and TBRB as the rightful champion at lightweight and Jr. welterweight. He’s already had a hell of a career but the true riches lay just a little farther away. This might be the absolute worst time to lose he could find.  

It’s what makes this a fight to be excited about. While both men are getting a reported seven figures, that’s not the sort of sum after taxes that puts one in a safe zone for life. They’re getting good money in the hopes of great money somewhere down the line.

They’re also fighting to do something only one other fighter has done.

Since the WBO came into existence in the late 1980s, only two fighters have held all four major belts simultaneously: Bernard Hopkins who unified the middleweight crown and Jermain Taylor who took it from him. The winner Saturday will be the third.

Unification was never easy. In the four-belt era, it’s so difficult almost no one even bothers to try.

Crawford and Indongo are both bothering. Who will find their risk rewarded?  

www.boxingscene.com/terence-crawford-julius-indongo-risk-all-around–119595?print_friendly=1

By Keith Idec Promoter

http://www.boxingscene.com/lomachenko-marriaga-on-85-crawford-indongo-on-819-espn–118044

Top Rank announced its next two main events late Thursday night in its new partnership with ESPN.

The basic-cable network will air a super featherweight title bout between champion Vasyl Lomachenko and Miguel Marriaga on August 5. Two weeks later, ESPN will broadcast a full 140-pound championship unification fight that’ll match Terence Crawford against Julius Indongo.

Ukraine’s Lomachenko (8-1, 6 KOs), who owns the WBO 130-pound championship, and Colombia’s Marriaga (25-2, 21 KOs) will square off at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs), the WBC/WBO super lightweight champion, will encounter Namibia’s Indongo (22-0, 11 KOs), the IBF/IBO/WBA 140-pound champion, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, about a one-hour drive from Crawford’s hometown of Omaha.

Lomachenko and Crawford are generally regarded as two of the top five boxers, pound-for-pound, in the sport.

While facing Indongo represents a shot a full unification for the highly skilled Crawford, Lomachenko’s opponent is coming off a loss. Mexico’s Oscar Valdez (22-0, 19 KOs), the WBO featherweight champion, defeated Marriaga by unanimous decision in their 12-round fight April 22 at StubHub Center in Carson, California.

“Pound for pound, no one can match the talent of Vasyl Lomachenko and Terence Crawford,” Top Rank president Todd duBoef told ESPN.com. “They drew the best ratings on premium cable this year [HBO], and now everyone will be able to see them when they defend their world titles in all-action fights in August, live on ESPN.

” Crawford and Lomachenko have become two of the most-watched fighters in bouts broadcast by HBO over the past couple years, but ESPN is available in millions more homes than HBO.

ESPN’s partnership with Bob Arum’s Top Rank will officially begin Saturday night, when the network will televise the Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn welterweight title fight from Brisbane, Australia, Horn’s hometown.

Their scheduled 12-round fight for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title will take place Sunday afternoon in Brisbane, where a crowd of 60,000 is expected at Suncorp Stadium, but it will air Saturday night in the United States at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

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By Victor Salazar

New York – WBC/WBO world champion Terence Crawford (31-2, 22 KO’s) did what he normally does on Saturday night; take a formidable opponent and make him look like he doesn’t belong in the same ring. Felix Diaz (19-2, 9 KO’s) is an Olympic gold medalist and a very credible junior welterweight who many felt had defeated Lamont Peterson in a controversial decision loss.

But against Crawford, Diaz might have not won a single round. Crawford even fought Diaz south paw the whole fight. This was something his promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, Inc. has expected ever since his first showing on HBO.

“Ever since his first fight on HBO, I thought he was going to be the best of the best,” Arum told reporters ringside after the fight this Saturday. “I thought tonight, he fought a really tough guy and he handled with him with ease. He just gets better and better.”

The plan is to make a fight with Julius Indongo (22-0, 9 KO’s) for all of the 140 pound-titles this summer and then likely go after a mega fight after.

“We want to unify with (Julius) Indongo and get all four belts, once we get all the belts this summer, he’s going to fight Pacquiao and we’re going to set it up with my new partner Warren Buffet,” joked Arum.

In the history of boxing there is somewhat of a changing of the guard or passing of the torch when a once famed superstar fights an up and coming fighter. In victory, the up and coming star makes his name off that fight.

Arum sees a fight between Manny Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KO’s) and Terence Crawford differently, not as a changing of the guard but a competitive fight that people will pay to see.

“No changing of the guard, it’s a fight that people want to see and pay for or a fight, they won’t pay for,” Arum explained about a potential fight between Pacquiao and Crawford.

“The changing of the guard is bullsh*t fake news like you guys say. It’s fake news. If people want to see the fight and it economically will do justice to both guys. I think it would be a terrific fight and I’d make the fight.”

www.boxingscene.com/arum-on-crawford-plans-indongo-fight-first-then-pacquiao–116892?print_friendly=1

crawford-indongo

By Tamas Pradarics

It seems the possibility of a Terence Crawford vs Julius Indongo junior-welterweight super fight has got a second wind. The idea of such a match-up was born in the minds of boxing fans when IBF/IBO 140-pound champ Indongo (21-0, 8 KO’s) travelled to Glasgow, Scotland to unifiy with WBA titlist Ricky Burns (41-6-1, 14 KO’s) this last April.

With Crawford having the rest of the titles in the division and all-belt unifications are an absolute rarity in pugilism, at least in the last couple of decades, expectations were through the roof after Namibian Indongo’s masterful performance over the more accomplished Burns in a one-sided twelve-round unanimous decision win.

Unfortunately the International Boxing Federation announced shortly after the bout that Indongo has to face his mandatory, Sergey Lipinets next.

Talks about a potential Crawford-Indongo showdown cooled off by the statement and the match-up was believed a no-go until this last Saturday night. Fans at the legendary Madison Square Garden and in front of television sets watching HBO World Championship Boxing recognized the Namibian fighter in the crowd during WBC/WBO champ Crawford’s recent title defense against Dominican Felix Diaz.

Later in the telecast Jim Lampley, blow-by-blow commentator of HBO did mention Indongo’s name more then once as a possible future opponent for Terence Crawford.

The undefeated Omaha-native himself told during his post-fight interview following his win over Diaz that he is willing to face Indongo next.

BoxingScene.com reached out to the Namibian fighter’s response regarding such a super fight.

”Firstly, I would like to congratulate Crawford for an amazing victory over Diaz. He is a real champion and worthy of my praise. He showed real character and skill and that is what brings out the best in me against any opponent in the ring. My team and I flew 20 hours from Namibia just to come and watch his fight and I am ready to face him,” told Indongo.

Namibian promoter Nestor Tobias, who also serves as the trainer of his world champion protegee, believes that a showdown between Crawford and Indongo is really what the fans want to see.

”We are willing to make [that bout] happen provided the Crawford camp feels the same,” stated Tobias, who added they have a number of plan B’s if negotiations with Top Rank would fall through on Crawford-Indongo.

”Another likely option [for Julius] is Adrien Broner among others, but we will keep our options open and go for the most competitive fight for ourselves and the fans.”

The winner of a potential Crawford-Indongo super fight would only be the third fighter since the founding of the World Boxing Organizations in 1988 to hold all four belts at the same time in any division.

Boxing aficionados all over the world are dreaming about this fight. Let’s hope it comes true.

www.boxingscene.com/julius-indongo-ready-fight-terence-crawford-broner-too–116890?print_friendly=1

NEW YORK (AP) — Terence Crawford patted Felix Diaz on the head and pounded uppercuts into his eye in his latest dominant victory.

His next fight could bring him all four 140-pound belts.

Or it could bring him Manny Pacquiao.

Crawford remained unbeaten when Diaz’s corner stopped the fight after the 10th round of the 140-pound fight and looks ready for whichever of his options comes later this year.

“I’ve been saying that for years now. It’s not up to me. But everybody wants to know who’s the next guy that Terence Crawford wants to fight,” Crawford said. “I’ll fight anybody. It doesn’t matter who it is.”

Crawford had dominated after a couple close early rounds and Diaz’s left eye appeared swollen shut, making him helpless to spot Crawford’s lightning-fast combinations.

Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs) toyed with Diaz in the 10th, backing him into the corner and then, rather than throw any punches, patting him on the head. He then unloaded a couple hard shots toward the end of the round, prompting trainer Joel Diaz to tell referee Steve Willis his fighter could no longer continue.

Afterward, Crawford named longtime superstar Pacquiao and welterweight champion Keith Thurman as fighters he’d want if he moves up in weight. But he may stick around at 140 a little longer to grab the two belts he doesn’t own.

Crawford successfully defended his WBC and WBO titles. Promoter Bob Arum said the Omaha, Nebraska, fighter would return this summer and they could look to unify the titles against Julius Indongo, who holds the WBA and IBF 14-pound titles.

“Once he gets all four belts he’s going to fight Pacquiao with my new partner Warren Buffett,” Arum said.

Diaz (19-2, 9 KOs), lost for the first time at 140 pounds and was stopped for the first time.

www.usatoday.com/story/sports/boxing/2017/05/20/crawford-stays-unbeaten-with-10-round-rout-of-diaz/101954878/

Date:  Saturday, May 20, 2017

WBO / WBC Jr. Welterweight Championship Title Bout

Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA

Promoter:    Top Rank / Bob Arum

Supervisor:   Francisco Valcarcel, Esq.

Referee:  Steve Willis

Judges:   Glenn Feldman, Julie Lederman, Steve Weisfeld  

Results:    The WBO/WBC Jr. Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford remained unbeaten when Felix Diaz’s corner stopped the fight after the 10th round and then the champion won by RTD.

TV:   USA HBO

Terence Crawford patted Felix Diaz on the head and pounded uppercuts into his eye in his latest dominant victory. His next fight could bring him all four 140-pound belts. Or it could bring him Manny Pacquiao. Photos by Mikey Williams.

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Crawford remained unbeaten when Diaz’s corner stopped the fight after the 10th round of the 140-pound fight and looks ready for whichever of his options comes later this year.

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“I’ve been saying that for years now. It’s not up to me. But everybody wants to know who’s the next guy that Terence Crawford wants to fight,” Crawford said. “I’ll fight anybody. It doesn’t matter who it is.”

crawford-diaz-fight (20)

Crawford had dominated after a couple of close early rounds and Diaz’s left eye appeared swollen shut, making him helpless to spot Crawford’s lightning-fast combinations.

crawford-diaz-fight (16)

Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs) toyed with Diaz in the 10th, backing him into the corner and then, rather than throw any punches, patting him on the head. He then unloaded a couple hard shots toward the end of the round, prompting trainer Joel Diaz to tell referee Steve Willis his fighter could no longer continue.

crawford-diaz-fight (17)

Afterward, Crawford named longtime superstar Pacquiao and welterweight champion Keith Thurman as fighters he’d want if he moves up in weight. But he may stick around at 140 a little longer to grab the two belts he doesn’t own.

crawford-diaz-fight (13)

Crawford successfully defended his WBC and WBO titles. Promoter Bob Arum said the Omaha, Nebraska, fighter would return this summer and they could look to unify the titles against Julius Indongo, who holds the WBA, IBO and IBF 140-pound titles.

“Once he gets all four belts he’s going to fight Pacquiao with my new partner Warren Buffett,” Arum said.

crawford-diaz-fight (12)

Diaz (19-2, 9 KOs), a 2008 Olympic gold medalist for the Dominican Republic, lost for the first time at 140 pounds and was stopped for the first time.

The shorter Diaz tried to get inside but was kept away by Crawford in the first round, though he landed a couple of hard shots when he closed the distance in the second — when he won the only round he was credited with on one judge’s card. The fighters stared at each other after the round ended, but Crawford seized control from there.

crawford-diaz-fight (11)

“I knew he was frustrated,” Crawford said.

Boxing throughout from the southpaw stance, he rarely let Diaz get close again, using left uppercuts and combinations. He put his 4-inch reach and 3-inch height advantages to good use, and when being bigger wasn’t good enough, Crawford relied on being faster, spinning out of trouble any time Diaz lunged forward.

crawford-diaz-fight (10)

“No excuses, I lost to the best guy at 140 pounds,” Diaz said through promoter Lou DiBella.

Crawford stuck out his tongue at Diaz after one exchange in the seventh, showing no fear. Diaz’s face was swollen by the ninth and ringside doctors checked his eye before the start of the 10th.

Joel Diaz gave Felix one last round but it was clear there was no point.

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www.boxingscene.com/photos-terence-crawford-beats-down-felix-diaz-tko-win–116815?print_friendly=1

 

NEW YORK — Undefeated World Junior Welterweight Champion and top pound for pound fighter TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD will make his 2017 debut, Saturday, May 20, at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden.  This will also be his debut headlining in the big room — a testament both to his talent and his growing popularity.  Photos by Ed Mulholland.

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Crawford will be defending his unified World Boxing Organization (WBO) / World Boxing Council (WBC) / Ring magazine titles against former Olympic gold medalist and top-rated contender FÉLIX DÍAZ in a marquee all-action fight.  It will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

crawford-diaz (6)“Crawford vs. Díaz was made for The Garden and I anticipate a battle between these two warriors worthy of its moniker as the Mecca of Boxing,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

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“Come May 20, I will be ready for whatever Félix Díaz brings to the ring that night,” said Crawford.  “It’s going to be a great experience fighting at Madison Square Garden in the big arena where all the greats have fought.  I’m looking forward to that night.”

crawford-diaz (9)“We’ve got our work cut out for us fighting against another Olympic gold medalist,” said Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s trainer and co-manager.  “It’s an honor to fight in the arena at Madison Square Garden.  It’s a step up going from The Theater into the big room.”
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“First, I would like to thank the man upstairs for making my dream come true.  I would also like to thank Lou DiBella, Al Haymon, HBO and my manager Jose Nuñez for working around the clock to get me to this point,” said Díaz.  “The time has finally come. I will share a ring with one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and I tip my hat to Crawford for accepting me as an opponent on May 20 because I am no pushover. I’m coming to bring my A-game and I couldn’t be more grateful to be able to showcase my skills on HBO and at Madison Square Garden, which is just 15 minutes from where I live.  I will take full advantage of this opportunity.  I respect Crawford and believe he is a great fighter, but every king can be dethroned.”

crawford-diaz (3)“Félix Díaz is an Olympic gold medalist, a seasoned professional and the best fighter Terence Crawford has ever fought.  We have been chasing this fight for a year because Felix and our team believe we can win.  The fans will win when they see a terrific, competitive fight on May 20th,” said Lou DiBella, the promoter of Díaz.

crawford-diaz (1)

crawford-diaz (2)“On May 20, unified champ Terence Crawford faces gold medalist Félix Díaz in a fight to light up Madison Square Garden,” said Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports.  “Holding two belts and a place on any top pound for pound list, Terence Crawford looks to have his 2017 debut make a big statement in the Big Apple.  Fans will see both fighters’ mettle tested at the Mecca of Boxing.”

www.boxingscene.boxingscene.com/photos-terence-crawford-felix-diaz-go-face-face-msg–115285?print_friendly=1

i

OMAHA, Neb. — Unbeaten world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford stopped John Molina in the eighth round to end a dominating performance Saturday night.

Crawford retained his WBO and WBC junior welterweight titles. Molina didn’t make the 140-pound weight Friday, and if Crawford had been upset, the titles would have been vacated.

Crawford was in control all the way and finished off Molina moments after Molina raised his hands, as if to ask for more as the champion landed a flurry of punches. A shot to Molina’s midsection backed him into the corner, and Crawford then unloaded repeated shots to the head and body, causing Molina to go down. Referee Mark Nelson stepped in to stop the fight at the 2:32 mark.

The 29-year-old Crawford (30-0, 21 knockouts) came out in an orthodox stance but quickly switched to southpaw. Molina was on defense early, with Crawford landing a left to the head and then a right that staggered him. Molina walked into a right to the head in the second.

Crawford went mostly untouched, but Molina did land a hard right to the head in the third. From there, Crawford mixed in his jab while connecting often with punches to the head and body.

Crawford beat previously undefeated Viktor Postol by unanimous decision in July in Las Vegas to unify the 140-pound titles, and Crawford continues to hold out hope that he gets a shot at Manny Pacquiao before the Philippine boxer retires.

i-1 Terence Crawford retained his WBO and WBC junior welterweight titles Saturday night. AP Photo/Nati Harnik 

The 33-year-old Molina (29-7, 23 knockouts) upset Ruslan Provodnikov in his last fight but had been just 5-5 in his previous 10.

The fight against Crawford lost much of its luster when Molina weighed in at 143.4 pounds on Friday, disqualifying him from winning the titles.

In the co-main event, former world title contender Ray Beltran knocked out Mason Menard 51 seconds into the seventh round to win a pair of regional lightweight titles.

Beltran (32-7-1, 20 knockouts) began asserting himself after the second round. Beltran left Menard (32-2, 24 knockouts) woozy with a flurry at the end of the sixth. His left to the right cheek laid out Menard, and Nelson stopped the fight.

Menard, who had won 30 straight fights, stepped in for the injured Juan Diaz on the card. Beltran had won twice since stopping Takahiro Ao in May 2015, but that fight was changed to a no-decision after Beltran failed a post-fight drug test.

www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/18252767/terence-crawford-stops-john-molina-eighth-round

Date: Saturday, December 10, 2016

WBO/WBC JR. WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location: CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA

Promoter: Top Rank / Bob Arum

Supervisor: John Duggan, Esq.

Referee: Mark Nelson

Judges:  Levi Martinez (70-60); David Sutherland (70-63); Robert Hecko (70-63)

Results:  The WBO/WBC Jr. Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford retained the titles against John Molina, Jr. by KO in round eight.

TV: USA HBO

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Photos: Mikey Williams / Top Rank

WBO junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford and challenger John Molina faced off at their kickoff press converence on Thursday in Omaha for their December 10th fight at the CenturyLink Center Omaha.

Terence Crawford said “We’ve been watching [Molina] for a long time now. We knew he was a dangerous fighter. We’re looking to go to hell and back to get the victory. I know it’s gonna be a great fight.”

John Molina said “All the talking means nothing. Fighter’s fight.”

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum said “John Molina is a helluva fighter. We know how dangerous he is. This fight without a doubt is the best fight in the division.”

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www.fightnews.com/Boxing/terence-crawford-looking-go-hell-back-get-victory-359309

Date:   Saturday, June 23, 2016

WBO/WBC JR. WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:   MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Promoter:   Top Rank / Bob Arum

Supervisor:  Francisco Valcarcel, Esq.

Referee:  Tony Weeks

Judges: Guido Cavalleri (118-107), Don Trella (118-113), Dave Moretti (117-108)

Results:  WBO Junior Welterweight champion Terence Crawford boxed his way to a boring 12 round unanimous decision over WBC champion Viktor Postol  to win Postol’s WBC belt at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

TV:    USA HBO PPV

crawford-postol-fight (13) (720x480)Photos by Mikey Williams –

Unbeaten Terence Crawford punched his way to a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision over Viktor Postol on Saturday to unify the World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Council super lightweight world titles.

crawford-postol-fight (26) (720x500)Crawford, who improved to 29-0 with 20 knockouts, dropped Postol twice in the fifth round to seize control of the bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with two judges scoring it 118-107 for the American and the third seeing it 117-108.

crawford-postol-fight (18) (720x491)In handing Postol his first defeat in 29 fights, Crawford not only added the Ukrainian’s WBC belt to his own WBO title, he put himself in line for a potential date with Manny Pacquiao in the Filipino’s return to the ring likely later this year in Las Vegas.

crawford-postol-fight (16) (720x548)“It’s whatever,” Crawford said of a possible fight with Pacquiao. “I let my coaches handle that. I’m a fighter. I’ll fight anybody. I’m looking forward to the biggest and best fights to get me to that next level.”

crawford-postol-fight (25) (720x532)Crawford, 28, was content to feel Postol out over the first three rounds, before landing a series of damaging lefts in the fourth.

crawford-postol-fight (17) (720x542)He had Postol’s knee on the canvas in the opening seconds of the fifth with a right hook, and sent him down again in the same round with another left.

crawford-postol-fight (10) (720x542)As Postol struggled to deal with Crawford’s quick, erratic movement, the American won round after round, staggering Postol again in the ninth.

crawford-postol-fight (6) (720x544)Postol tried to pour it on in the 12th, but Crawford didn’t yield.

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“I just stick to what I knew – boxing,” Crawford said. “They say he’s got the best jab in my division, I proved different today.”

crawford-postol-fight (3) (720x585) crawford-postol-fight (14) (720x571) crawford-postol-fight (5) (720x504) crawford-postol-fight (2) (720x496) crawford-postol-fight (24) (720x483)  crawford-postol-fight (20) (720x480) crawford-postol-fight (11) (720x494) crawford-postol-fight (19) (720x501) crawford-postol-fight (15) (720x510) crawford-postol-fight (21) (720x517) crawford-postol-fight (720x517)

www.boxingscene.com/photos-crawford-dominates-postol-unify-huge-gallery–107020?print_friendly=1

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By Bill Green
Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank –

It’s all too rare in the sport of boxing to see the number one and number two fighters in a division face one another, especially while risking unbeaten records. But, on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, we’ll witness exactly such a confrontation. WBO jr welterweight champion and Pride of Omaha Terence “Bud” Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) faces Freddie Roach-trained, WBC super lightweight champion Victor “The Iceman” Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) from Ukraine in a highly anticipated unification showdown on HBO PPV.

Fightnews.com® has been covering Terence “Bud” Crawford since his fifth professional fight and we sat down with him Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas before he left for his nightly conditioning workout.

Hello, champ. We have covered you for so long, it’s a real privilege to see you reach your goals and to finally be center stage. Does being on PPV and have the so called “next guy” tag put too much pressure on you?

Not at all, I mean..this is what I wanted, I just thought it would happen sooner. The pressure is always there but that’s just part of the sport. My job is to get my body and mind ready for whatever stage they tell/ask me to get ready for. But yeah most definitely it’s surreal. I’ve always seen myself as a main event guy.

I believe you are now on your fourth straight fight at 140lbs. How much have those five pounds made a difference in your preparation, training and strategy?

The move up in weight was perfect, it was huge. I don’t feel drained, it’s nice to be able to eat the week of weigh-ins and cutting in camp is no longer life and death (laughing). Ya’ll have no idea how much fighters go through to make weight, especially if they are already fit guys. I’ve been doing this since eight years old.

This will be your first fight at the MGM Grand. The venue has a rich history of mega fights that produced huge stars. Will we see another one come Saturday night?

I don’t know, it really depends on how the fight goes, what my opponent can and wants to do. I know that I’m prepared to box if necessary, bang if necessary, or even get in a dog fight if that’s what it takes to be victorious. I’m a big fan of the sport and fighting here at the MGM is going to be electric.

A couple more questions champ and we will let you do your thing. A lot of speculation and talk has been about Victor Postol’s dissection of former champion Lucas Matthysse. It seems as if everyone has fell in love with Postol’s jab. We know you have a darn good jab as well. Does it bother you that he gets credit for his jab but others fail to mention yours?

Yeah, it’s kind of funny hearing it. I’m like reading and hearing ‘his jab this, his jab that…’ If that’s all he has, he’s in trouble. I do feel like my jab is definitely underrated and I take pride in working on everything in the gym. I feel like my boxing IQ, ring generalship, power/speed along with my own jab hopefully makes me a complete fighter.

What does Terence Crawford need to do in order to take another man’s title that means so much to his country and himself?

I need to follow the game plan, the plan we worked on in camp. I need to adjust as the fight goes and convince him that tonight it’s not going his way. I just need to be me, to be myself and let those hands go. We are definitely going to find out who has the better jab.

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/crawford-we-are-definitely-going-to-find-out-who-has-the-better-jab-347996#more-347996

Terence Crawford

 

Discuss the pressure on being seen as one of the NEW faces in boxing.

TERENCE CRAWFORD – “There is no pressure on me being looked at as boxing’s next superstar, but there is a lot of hard work in becoming one.  I’m really excited to be on the big stage and I’m on that big stage because I paid my dues in the gym and in the ring.

That’s the reason I have accomplished so much as a fighter — pride of performance — and that’s why I am going to win on July 23.  If I’m going to solidify my position as the new face of boxing it starts by unifying the 140 pound division.”

terence-crawford (5)_2

“I’ve been fighting people taller than me and larger than me all my life.  I’ve been short for 28 years and I haven’t been stopped yet.  Postol is nothing to me. He’s just another guy that I’m fighting.

I’m not training for Postol, I’m training for myself — to be the best I can possibly be.  I do that, then no one can beat me.  I’m confident in my abilities and I am confident that I am going to destroy Postol.”

Undefeated junior welterweight champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (28-0, 20 KOs) and “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL (28-0, 12 KOs) will go mano a mano in a 12-round world title unification fight to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140 pound division.

www.boxingscene.com/terence-crawford-im-confident-i-destroy-viktor-postol–106855?print_friendly=1

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Photos: Mikey Williams / Top Rank –

Unbeaten WBO Jr Welterweight Champion Terence “Bud” Crawford makes a quick pit stop in Los Angeles at Fortune’s Gym in Hollywood California for a media day workout then swung by ESPN Studios for the taping of “A Los Gulpes” as a special guest with Julio Cesar Chavez before heading to Las Vegas for his Unification bout against Viktor Postol which will air on HBO PPV July 23, 2106 at MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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