By: Hans Themistode
Before Terence Crawford even fought his first fight at 147 pounds, both he and trainer Brian McIntyre believed he was the best fighter the division had to offer. But while the Nebraska native continued to show otherworldly skills in the ring, his competition left much to be desired.
In his most recent outing, Crawford had little to no trouble dispatching former welterweight champion Kell Brook. But, due to his advanced age, checking in at 35, Crawford’s fourth-round stoppage win attracted even more criticism than praise. Now, however, with the pound-for-pound star likely to face his toughest opponent by far in former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter, McIntyre views it as an opportunity for his fighter to prove his worth.
‘It’s go time,” said McIntyre during an interview with World Boxing News. “Now there will be no doubt that Bud [Terence Crawford] is 147-pound supreme.”
Earlier this week, the WBO sanctioning body ordered both Crawford and Porter to negotiate a deal within 30 days. If not, they would be forced into a pursue bid. News of the WBO’s actions were music to the ears of Porter. The rough and rugged contender made it no secret that Crawford was the fighter he wanted above anyone else. While the two are good friends outside the ring, Porter is of the mindset that since he’s fought most of the top guns in the 147-pound division, a showdown against Crawford would be a fresh and exciting matchup.
The eagerness for their contest to come to fruition was also shared by Crawford. The 33-year-old switch hitter has also heard the nonstop criticism of his resume but claims that many of the top names in his weight class shied away from facing him. Now, with a matchup against Porter on tap, Crawford believes he can use Porter’s name to prove that he’s much more than just the best fighter in the welterweight division.
“I’ve been begging for a challenge for years,” said Crawford to ESPN. “All the so-called ‘elite welterweights’ have shown no interest in fighting me,” said Crawford. “Now one of them is finally being forced to. I’ll show once again why I’m the best P4P fighter in the world. Be ready.”
Currently, both sides are still hammering out the particulars. If everything goes according to plan, the two would face off sometime in the upcoming fall. While McIntyre doesn’t want to overlook Porter, he believes that a win is essentially a formality. Although the two-time welterweight belt holder will receive a fully focused Crawford, McIntyre is already planning his fighter’s next contest.
“After beating Porter, we want the winner of [Errol] Spence-[Manny] Pacquiao.”
On August 21st, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, both Spence and Pacquiao will face off. With Crawford attempting to lure both fighters into the ring on numerous occasions, McIntyre will now watch their showdown with a careful eye as he plans on positioning Crawford into a mega showdown with the winner.
