Archive for August, 2017

And Now For Something Completely Different

Monday, August 28th, 2017

By William Trillo

Like Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey, the circus that passed through “Sin City” this weekend has folded up its tent and life under the Big Top is over. No more Carnival Barkers, no more Clowns, no more Bearded Lady. The boxing paparazzi that chose to forgoe a great night of televised HBO boxing from Carson, California in order to be a part of “The Greatest Show On Earth” will forever carry the taint of being just another shill who bought into the hype and sold themselves out to be a part of that charade. If the hair on the back of your neck is standing on end right now go ahead and assume I am directing that venom at you.

If you so-called boxing fans did likewise and purchased and watched that PPV Sideshow instead of watching real World Championship boxing on HBO then you too are a target of my poisonous sting as well.

Meanwhile…as you are reading this article I and a good number of my truly esteemed peers, (those who did cover the Cotto vs. Kamegai fight), are now either on way to or are already deeply entrenched in covering something completely different. That would be the open media workout for the true Biggest Fight of 2017 tabbed “Supremacy”. That would feature Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez in a Middleweight Championship showdown that has “Barnburner” written all over it.

Here we have an undefeated multi title holding Champion taking on a young once beaten Champion who lays claim to the 160 pound Lineal Championship as well as The Ring championship. This one sells itself and for good reason, it’s the real thing. No foul mouthed named calling press conferences will be needed to help sell tickets here. The fact is they are already gone, there will not be an empty, (or papered), seat in the house.

In regard to this past Saturday night on HBO, boxing fans were introduced to a relatively unknown Champion in Rey Vargas who put on a performance that already has us asking for more. His opponent, Ronny Rios, was as tough as nails in defeat. Vargas had his number on this night but these are two fighters everyone will want to see again.

On the main stage Miguel Cotto put on a performance that makes him worthy to be in a block buster at the end of the year in his farewell to boxing fight. And what can you say about Yoshihiro Kamegai? Time and time again he has proven himself to be a very entertaining warrior in victory or defeat.

It was either that or a Clown and a Bearded Lady. The choice was yours.

If you chose to cover or watch the latter not the former… well that’s on you and your conscience.

I know there are plenty of you wishing I would dig my talons a lot deeper into “The Circus”, but what were you expecting, a Spanish Inquisition?

If your answer is yes CLICK HERE

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing truth.

This Bud’s For You – Part 2;
Pay Attention This Time

Monday, August 21st, 2017

By William Trillo

Flashback to Billy’s Boxing Blog circa February 2016; Terrance Crawford just manhandled Hank Lundy by dispatching him with a 5th round TKO. After previously going through the likes of Yuriorkas Gamboa and Ray Beltran it wasn’t like I was going out on a shaky limb but in my post fight blog, I predicted “Bud” would clean out the 140 pound division with ease.
(http://www.pound4pound.com/BillysBoxingBlog/2016/02/29/this-buds-for-you/)

Over his next fights Crawford defeated Viktor Postol, John Molina Jr. and Felix Diaz. These victories paved the way for Saturday night’s title unifier with Indongo.

Mission Accomplished.

With his devastating destruction of the previously unbeaten and dual belt holder Julius Indongo, Crawford, who owns two belts himself, gathered up Indogo’s straps and became the first unified title holder since 2004. That is an accomplishment that should not and cannot be taken lightly.

This last time I wrote about Crawford he wasn’t exactly a household name and although he went on to go through everyone placed in front of him after that, he remained relatively off the radar.

Allow me to make another prediction.

When you factor in the exposure he got on ESPN this weekend and multiply that by 4, (as in all the belts he just won), the name Terrance “Bud” Crawford will soon be on the tips of everyone’s tongues. That is a lock.

As I tried to tell you before, Crawford is the complete package. He can box but he would rather fight. He can switch from orthodox to southpaw in the blink of an eye and he is a destroyer from either side. Inside the ring he has a mean streak a mile long. He is a fierce competitor, he wants to beat you, and he wants to beat you so you remember. Outside the ring he is well spoken and confident. Unlike many of his peers “Bud” let’s most of his talking get done in the ring. But at the same time he has no problems telling you where he stands. His post fight comment to Andre Ward was perfect. “Bud” told Ward when asked about his place on the Pound4Pound list, “I got one up on you Andre.” That was a comment Ward could not argue.

If the rumors are true about Crawford struggling to make the 140 pound limit this weekend there is a good chance we will see him move up to the 147 pound division. It should be a smooth transition and I predict he will do just as well as a welterweight.

The only problem there is the fact that a good number of the upper tier at that weight belong to The PBC and we know how that organization treats outsiders, especially ones better than them. They bury their heads in the sand like a frightened Ostrich until the problem goes away. You can also assume that Al Haymon and Bob Arum are not likely to come to terms on any fight involving Crawford vs. Thurman, Porter or Spence. At best look for Haymon to throw Broner into a collision course with Crawford just to buy himself sometime.

The simple solution for Arum is to bypass the PBC BS and have “Bud” face the winner of the Top Rank promoted Jeff Horn vs. Pacquiao rematch. We know Arum has wanted to put Crawford in with Manny for a while now. That was until Horn threw a monkey wrench into that idea.

But if Manny beats Horn in the rematch, and he should…I predict we see Crawford vs. Pacquiao on PPV in early 2018. If Horn should somehow beat Manny again I can see Horn vs. Crawford before the end of this calendar year on ESPN. (That is assuming Horn doesn’t look like Manny went at him with a meat cleaver and a hammer as he did after their last fight).

(LATE ADDENDUM TO BLOG: Looks like Paq vs. Horn is slated for November of this year. Obviously any fight that would take place with Crawford vs. the winner would be in 2018. I stand by the rest of my comments in regards to everything else. Hammer, meat cleaver et al.)

Crawford himself has hinted he would like the winner of Horn vs. Pacquiao 2 as well.

It’s the fight that makes the most dollars and the most “sense.”

Whoever it is, put your money on “Bud” by KO.

This guy is on a roll!

Hear what I say and keep your eyes on Terrance “Bud” Crawford.

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