This Bud’s For You – Part 2;
Pay Attention This Time
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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I believe Crawford is the best boxer in America right now, and has been for maybe the past two years or so. The only meaningful fight left for Crawford before moving up to welterweight would be against Mikey Garcia.
There are several very good prospects in the 140 lb division who are a couple of years away from being ready to fight for world titles, so it would probably be better for Crawford if he put on another seven pounds and tried his luck against Spence, Thurman and Porter. Jeff Horn would be an easy option to get his first title at that weight, assuming Pacquiao doesn’t get there first and then sit on his belt.
Crawford vs. Mikey has a ton of upside and intrigue. A tad worried about the weight situation there but willing to cross that bridge if the fight starts to appear to have some momentum.
It’s time for Bud to move up, especially if it’s true he struggled to make weight this past weekend.
Spence, Porter and Thurman all have a ball and chain (PBC) on their ankles that makes those fights hard to fathom.
Paq should beat Horn and at Arum’s behest he won’t be sitting on the belt.