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Terence Crawford: Hold the Presses…Don’t Try to Sell Me on Him Just Yet!

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TCBy Tareq “Philosopher” Almashini

Terence Crawford!

The new pound for pound fighter, according to HBO and some boxing writers and boy is he making a statement out there in the boxing world. So, to become pound for pound he beat..

Well, he did fight.. um…

There was that one guy, what’s his name?

Wait a minute, who did Terence Crawford beat again to be the “pound for pound”?

I guess I must have missed it.

While people squabble over who the greatest of all time is, I’m begging to know who the hell Terence Crawford fought to deserve that level of elite adulation, although praises are deserved.

He seems like a nice guy from Nebraska, where it’s rare to have a champion, and the crowds come out in droves to support their homegrown novelty. Selling tickets has always been the golden ticket to mainstream boxing recognition, and all that is great, I’m not knocking it. He did take on some decent fighters and he beat them, winning regional and world title belts along the way.

Home Box Office, which has contributed historically to the sport and is now more into the promotional business than journalism is more than willing to televise his fights, Crawford being one of their marquee fighters.

When it comes to Terence Crawford, his punching power and his ability to pack a stadium in his home town of Omaha, has played a large role in making that happen. He can outbox a guy and he can knock him out and that’s something a promoter can sell and so can HBO, who has been comparing everyone with recent success to the likes of Ali ad nauseam.

Bob Arum, Crawford’s promoter is selling the heck out of him but that’s his job. Over selling it in fact and most of what is being sold, at this point, is a bunch of hyperbole, a bunch of facts and a little fiction, that’s what sales is all about.

Before someone thinks that I’m knocking Crawford, referred to endearingly by fans as “Bud”, I am absolutely not! In fact, I hate no one and I give credit where it’s due. To go on a consecutive undefeated run in nearly 30 professional bouts and pick up title belts in a couple divisions is spectacular. There are guys out there right now, that dream of fighting and can’t even get to a gym, let alone become two division champions and to having gotten there from nothing. So credit is due to having come out of a place not known for its boxing prowess and then scale the heights of the business as he’s done and I’m indeed giving him that credit, although my credit is more like monopoly money anyway. I do believe that Crawford is a very interesting prospect of a champion and I fantasize about all the great matchups that I hope we’ll get to see him in but like rapper Meek Mill once rapped “its levels to this poop”.

What I do have an issue with, are delusions of grandeur.

How do you become the pound for pound best in the world beating guys like Yuriorkis Gamboa, Thomas Dulorme and Dierry Jean, and no other significant champion? I’m not trying to disrespect them either but they haven’t exposed themselves as among the elite of the sport the last I remember. Neither do I remember Crawford being recognized as the lineal champion in either division he has held a title, Lightweight or Junior Welterweight currently, or beat any significant champion to be hailed in such high regard. Why is it wrong for a guy to be scrutinized, and evaluated for merit anymore? What? Can someone just fight anyone and we have to applaud and kiss their behind? It is prize fighting though and if they can get away with it, go for it, I’m not against anything that someone does for their own best interest as long as it’s not done by destroying others, no matter what my opinion is.

People are upset that Crawford, isn’t getting a shot at Manny Pacquiao, a fighter that honestly has done absolutely nothing to earn one, outside of the clamoring delusions of HBO or the perceptions of some bloodthirsty fans. Some folks believe that Pacquiao should fight him because he’s appeared great against mediocre opposition, when all he’s really proven so far is that he is a step above that level, but what level is he really on? I would love to find out!

Who knows what Crawford will be, he may in fact be the next great small man of the sport, I’m not knocking anyone’s ability to do anything in this life. I’m just saying, hey, why not unify a division, beat another champion, take on someone that you aren’t expected to beat and then let’s talk turkey. I want to see him take on someone on his level and see how that pans out, and instead of the onus being on Pacquiao to deliver himself at the feet of a young belt holder, why not the young belt holder deliver himself to some stiff opposition. We haven’t seen him take a legitimate step up in class yet and people want to see him in there with Pacquiao, who is retired to me, retired!

If Mayweather, JR. wasn’t willing to give Keith Thurman a shot, then we shouldn’t be expecting anything less from Pacquiao.

It’s clear by now that I don’t buy hype. I don’t care what a promoter says, their job is to sell, so their words are trustworthy.

Newly crowned Junior Welterweight title belt hold Viktor Postol needs a fight and Adrien Broner has a belt in that division. Head slightly north, you’ve got Keith Thurman and Kell Brook, Danny Garcia and Saddam Ali, or do we just avoid anyone that can fight?

I dig Terence Crawford, an all around guy that’s not too spectacular in any one area, but has good fundamentals. He’s rangy, powerful, he can box a bit, but a good place for him to start making a believer out of me at least, is a fight with Viktor Postol or at least a rumble with the “Siberian Rocky” Ruslan Provodnikov, you know, someone that can actually fight back a little.

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