Terence Crawford and the Five Greatest Junior Welterweight Champions of All -Time
By Jeffrey “Italian Medallion” Cellini
Terence Crawford, WBO and The Ring Junior Welterweight champion, is primed for his upcoming battle with Viktor Pistol, WBC Super Lightweight champion, on July 23rd, to unify the belts. Crawford,28-0, 20 KO’s, former WBO and The Ring Lightweight champion, is currently ranked sixth in the world, pound-for-pound. The young superstar is starting to put together a nice resume of world titles and notable wins, but will a victory later this month put him on the list for the top five junior welterweight all-time champions.
5) Antonio Cervantes, was a two-time world junior welterweight champion, winning the WBA crown over Nicolino Locche on March 17, 1973. He would successfully defend the title 16 times over his two separate reigns. Cervantes fought 21 world title fights, keeping the 140 pounds title for almost 8 years. He would lose his world titles only to two other boxing legends, Wilfredo Benitez and Aaron Pryor.
4) Barney Ross won his first world title bout when he faced and defeated world lightweight, light welterweight champion and fellow three-division world champion Tony Canzoneri on March 26,1933. Ross is credited for making ten successful title defenses while holding the lightweight and junior welterweight titles simultaneously.
3) Kostya Tszyu is a two-time light welterweight world champion, having held the lineal and undisputed titles of that division from 2001 to 2003. Tszyu, who relied heavily on accuracy and timing with his shots and carried formidable punching power, is often regarded as one of the hardest-punching junior welterweights in the division’s history. Tszyu won the IBF Junior Welterweight title from Jake Rodriguez on January 28th,1995, and would record five successful title defenses, including impressive wins over Roger Mayweather and Hugo Pineda. After being upset by Vince Phillipson May 31st,1997, Tszyu would re-establish himself as one of the best fighters of his generation by scoring an impressive win for the vacant WBC Junior Welterweight title against Miguel Angel Gonzalez on August 21st,1999. Tszyu’s most defining moment of his all-of-fame career came in a unification match verse Zab Judah, who was also considered one of the best fighters in the world at that time. After eight more title defenses, Kostya Tszyu lost his title to Ricky Hatton on June 4th, 2005, in the last fight of his career.
2) Aaron “The Hawk” Pryor arrived on the world stage by unseating the legendary WBA Super Lightweight and two-time champion Antonio Cervantes on August 2nd, 1980. Pryor would strike fear in the division for the next five years, defending the WBA title nine successful times before adding the IBF Junior Lightweight championship in 1984.The “Hawk”, one of the most feared fighters of his generation, scored two big victories over Alexis Arguello that made him a boxing legend. Unfortunately, Pryor’s career suffered due to a life consumed by drugs. In December 1985, Pryor was stripped of the IBF title for failure to defend. However, Pryor, one of the best fighters in the world during his prime, not only secured his place in boxing history with impressive victories over two legends, but also locks him up at the number two spot on the list.
1) Julio Cesar Chavez, a six-time world champion in three weight classes, won WBC version of the junior welterweight title with impressive victory over Roger Mayweather, a two-time world champion, on May 13th,1989. Chavez would go on a defend the title twelve consecutive times, including a huge unification battle with former Olympian star and IBF champion Meldrick Taylor. After suffering his first professional loss and title to Frankie Randall on January 29th,1994, Chavez would regain title with a very controversial 8th round technical decision win in the rematch on May 7th of the same year. Four more title defenses would follow before Chavez finally surrendered his throne for good to Oscar De La Hoya on June 7th, 1996. With notable wins over Meldrick Taylor (2 times), Hector Camacho, Terrence Alli, and Greg Haugen, Julio Cesar Chavez is ranked number one because he dominated the junior welterweight division for nearly seven impressive years.
The junior welterweight (super lightweight) division has had an array of legends that have left their mark in the sport by claiming a world title at this weight class. Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, and Floyd “Money” Mayweather, JR. four of the best fighters in boxing history, only spent enough time at junior welterweight to win titles, but they either made one or no title defenses before moving up to welterweight. Wilfredo Benitez also misses being on the list despite scoring an impressive victory over Cervantes for the world title. Other notable champions that fall just short of the top five list include Jack “Kid” Berg, Niccolino Locche, Eddie Perkins, Ricky Hatton, and Miguel Cotto.
Will Terence Crawford make this list someday? Perhaps. A victory over Viktor Postol later this month will definitely enhance his chances. The prediction is that Crawford will walk away with an impressive 12 round unanimous decision and set his sights on the welterweight division where there are bigger fights ahead for him.
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