LAS VEGAS, NV (May 31, 2016) — GILBERTO “Zurdo” RAMIREZ, Mexico’s undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight world champion with the matinee idol looks and two-time Mexican Olympian and undefeated No. 1 featherweight contender ÓSCAR VALDEZ, will headline the pay-per-view undercard topped by the junior welterweight world title unification battle between undefeated world champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL. Ramirez will be making the first defense of the championship crown he decisively won from three-time world champion “King” Arthur Abraham in April. Ramirez will be defending his title against DOMINIK BRITSCH. Valdez will rumble with undefeated No. 2 world-rated contender MATÍAS “La Cobrita” RUEDA for the vacant WBO featherweight world title. The pay-per-view telecast will open with former interim world champion JOSE BENAVIDEZ, JR, risking his undefeated record and Top-10 world-rating, in a 10-round welterweight battle against FRANCISCO “Chia” SANTANA.

The eight pay-per-view warriors boast a combined record of 216-6-2 (135 KOs) — a winning percentage of 96% with nearly 2/3 of their victories coming by way of knockout.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate and the motion picture “Hands of Stone,” the Terence Crawford – Viktor Postol world championship pay-per-view event will take place on Saturday, July 23, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

Remaining tickets to Crawford vs. Postol are priced at $304, $204, $104, and $54, not including applicable service fees. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call AXS at (888) 929-7849. Tickets are also available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or www.AXS.com (http://bit.ly/24ORYhs)

“I am very excited to be making my first world title defense. I am working hard to make it a successful defense as I plan to be a world champion for a long time,” said Ramirez. “Dominik is a tough challenger, very strong. I don’t know a lot about him personally but I will train hard as always. It feels great being on another HBO Pay-Per- View event. One day I want to be in the main event of a pay per view. That goal motivates me to do my best.”

“I am very happy to be fighting the No. 1 super middleweight — world champion Gilberto Ramirez,” said Britsch. “My slogan is, ‘Only those who dare to lose can win.’ Gilberto, I am ready for you.”

“I really believe that looking at my past few fights I have earned the opportunity to fight for a world championship,” said Valdez. “Now is the time to take advantage of this opportunity.”

“Although this will be my second fight in the U.S. and many people might think I am not the favorite, I will surprise lots of fans,” said Rueda. “I respect my opponent, but I am going to Las Vegas determined and with only one thing on my mind – winning the belt and bringing it back to Argentina with me. You can all be sure of that. My opponent is going to lose. I respect him, he is a very good fighter, but he will lose.”

“This fight is very important because I want to show everyone that I am ready to beat world-class fighters in the welterweight pound division,” said Benavidez. “I know Santana is a good fighter but I have what it takes to outclass and beat him on July 23. I have been training hard and am more than ready to show what I bring to the table on fight night and prove I belong.”

“I feel extremely blessed to be fighting against Benavidez on HBO Pay-Per-View. He is a talented fighter but I am ready to rise to the occasion and prove to the world that I am an elite fighter and a future world champion,” said Santana. “I view this fight as getting me one step closer to a world title shot. On the night we get into the ring I will live up to my motto – ‘Train, Fight, Win’ – one fight at a time.”

Ramirez (34-0, 24 KOs), a two-fisted super middleweight wrecking machine who hails from Mazatlan, Mexico, made history in the co-main event to the Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley welterweight pay-per-view on April 9 when he became Mexico’s first fighter to win a super middleweight world title. Entering the fight as the top world-rated contender, Ramirez gave a virtuoso performance over the defending WBO champion Abraham. All three judges scored it as a 120-108 blitzkrieg. “I took him to Mexican boxing school,” a jubilant Ramirez boasted as he put on the world championship belt . A sensational young champion, Ramirez, 24, has won four of his last eight bouts by knockout. Career-highlight performances include an NABF and NABO title victory over Giovanni Lorenzo via fifth-round stoppage, a WBO International title knockout victory over Junior Talipeau and a successful defense of his NABF and WBO International titles, stopping Fulgencio Zuniga in the eighth round, all in 2014. Last year he successfully defended his titles via unanimous decisions over once-beaten Maxim Vlasov, division gate keeper Derek Edwards, who boasts a KO victory over world champion Badou Jack, and once-beaten Gevorg Khatchikian, who had scored knockouts in five of his last six victories.

Britsch (32-2-1, 11 KOs), of Neckarsulm, Germany, enters this fight riding a four bout winning streak and having won six of his last seven bouts dating back to 2013. Known for his body punching prowess and his excellent skills and movement, Britsch’s trophy case features the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Intercontinental middleweight and German super middleweight championship belts. This will be his first fight in the U.S. since 2011.

Valdez (20-0, 17 KOs), who represented Mexico in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, was the first Mexican fighter to qualify for two Olympic games and is considered one of the bright lights of the featherweight division and a new face for boxing’s next generation. In his last fight, on the undercard of the April 9 Pacquiao-Bradley pay-per-view, Valdez solidified his status as the World Boxing Council (WBC) and WBO No. 1 contender by scoring a fourth-round TKO of former IBF featherweight world champion Evgeny Gradovich. It was the first time Gradovich had ever been stopped in his 24-bout professional career. On the undercard of Pacquiao – Bradley II welterweight world championship rematch in 2014, Valdez captured the NABF super featherweight junior title, knocking out Adrian Perez in the fourth round. Valdez successfully defended that title twice in 2014, knocking out Noel Echevarria and Alberto Gonzalez in the sixth and seventh rounds, respectively. From Nogales, Sonora, Mexico Valdez, 25, won all four of his 2015 fights — three by knockout. He fashioned a third-round blasting of Jose Ramirez on April 11, in Laredo, Texas. Valdez followed that with his live HBO debut, winning a dominant 10-round unanimous decision over one-time world title challenger Ruben Tamayo on June 27 in Carson, Calif. He ended 2015 with knockout victories of top-10 contender and one-time world title challenger Chris Avalos and Ernes Sanchez on September 11 and December 12, respectively. The four fighters boasted a combined record of 91-19-5.

Rueda (26-0, 23 KOs), from Tandil, Buenos Aires, Argentina, enters this world championship fight having won his last 10 fights by way of knockout which he credits to his exciting “seek and destroy” style and deadly punching power. He has made six defenses of the WBO Latino featherweight title he captured in 2013 via a third-round knockout of Juan Solis, On January 16, he also became the South American featherweight champion, scoring an eighth round knockout of Leandro Mendes. In his last fight, which took place on April 2, Rueda iced Nestor Pamigua in the third round to successfully defend both of his titles.

Benavidez (24-0, 16 KOs), from phoenix, AZ, won his first world title in 2014 when he won a hotly-contested unanimous decision over defending World Boxing Association (WBA) interim super lightweight champion Mauricio Herrera. After one successful title defense — a 12th-round knockout of Jorge Paez, Jr. in 2015 — Benavidez vacated the title to move up to the welterweight division. His debut in the heavier weight class took place on December 12, where he won a blistering 10-round unanimous over Sidney Siqueira. An amateur standout, at 16, Benavidez was the youngest boxer to ever win the National Golden Gloves Championships, in 2009. He was also the youngest boxer, at 17, to be licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. An exception was made for the minimum age requirement of 18 years because of his exceptional talent. Benavidez is currently the WBA’s No. 6 world-rated welterweight contender.

Santana (24-4-1, 12 KOs), from Santa Barbara, Calif., enters this fight having won 12 of his last 13 bouts, with half of those victories coming by way of knockout.. A favorite of Southern California fight fans because of his exciting style and two-fisted power, Santana boasts several notable victories including a first-round knockout of undefeated contender Kendal Mena for the WBA International welterweight title in 2015, and back-to-back unanimous decisions over former world champion Joachim Alcine and Freddy Hernandez in 2013. In his last fight, on April 2, he scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Edward Paredes.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordPostol to join the conversation on Twitter.

LONDON (11 May, 2016) – The thrilling light-welterweight unification clash between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol is to be screened exclusively live in the UK on BoxNation on July 23.

The pair collide at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with WBO champion Crawford and WBC title-holder Postol putting their belts on the line to determine the lineal world champion at 140-pounds.

Crawford, (28-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Nebraska, is a two-division world champion who has won four of his last five bouts by stoppage, will be making his third title defence.

The 28-year-old is regarded as one of boxing’s rising pound-for-pound stars and will be looking to capitalise on a stunning last couple of years that has seen him crowned ‘Fighter of the Year’ in 2014.

Postol, (28-0, 12 KOs), came to prominence with a spectacular upset over the heavily favoured Argentine banger Lucas Matthysse who he knocked out in 10 rounds.

‘The Iceman’ is under the tutelage of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach and will be looking to defy the odds once again when he steps in against the skilled Crawford.

“This is a great opportunity to show the world I’m the best champion at 140,” said Crawford. “July 23 is going to be a great night of boxing. It’s number one against number two in a unification fight. On paper everyone says it’s a 50-50 fight but in my eyes I’m going in there looking to destroy this man. I’m looking forward to putting on a great performance. After July 23 my record will be 29 wins with 21 knockouts!” he said.

“I have been waiting for this fight for a long time and I want to thank my promoters Elite Boxing and Top Rank for making this fight a reality for the fans. With the help of my team I will be ready come July 23 – may the best man win,” said Postol.

“This has Fight of the Year written all over it,” said Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach. “For the second consecutive time Viktor will be involved in a world title tilt pitting the two best fighters in the division. He’ll be ready.”

“This title unification battle between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol is evenly matched and both undefeated champions are determined to prevail. This is must-see television,” said legendary promoter Bob Arum.

“We are very excited to be showing this excellent match-up exclusively live on BoxNation,” said Jim McMunn, Managing Director at BoxNation. “BoxNation has already shown some world class fights this year and we are delighted to add another pound-for-pound star to our schedule in Terence Crawford who faces an equally formidable foe in Viktor Postol. This has all the makings of a truly special fight,” he said.

BoxNation is set to show a host of top boxing action over the coming months including the eagerly anticipated rematch between unified heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko on July 9.

BoxNation is available on Sky (Ch.437/490HD), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Khan vs Canelo

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

Available on selected internet-connected Freeview products only, subject to coverage. Visit freeview.co.uk/availability.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee

LOS ANGELES (May 10, 2016) — A picture may be worth a thousand words but a stamp is Forever. Just ask World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight world champion “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL who presented a larger than life commemorative stamp of himself to his opponent World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world titlist TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD at today’s Beverly Hills press conference (photo attached). The undefeated world champions announced their 12-round world title unification fight to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140-pound division.

Photo attached: Credit Mikey Williams/Top Rank

The stamp not only featured Postol’s image but also foreshadowed the result of their upcoming fight, with a caption that included Postol’s record after their rumble, complete with projected record and unified titles.

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night nor Terence Crawford stays this Postol courier from the swift completion of unifying the titles,” said World-Famous Freddie Roach, Postol’s Hall of Fame trainer. “Come July 23, Postol will deliver just like he did against Lucas Matthyse.”.

After viewing the artwork, a bemused Crawford told Team Postol, “There’s only one place for junk mail and that’s the shredder. I’m going to cancel your stamp and your reign as WBC champion on July 23. The new face of boxing isn’t on that stamp, it’s in front of you.”

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association withTecate and the motion picture “Hands of Stone,” the Crawford vs. Postol world championship event will take place on Saturday, July 23, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. Tickets, priced at $304, $204, $104, and $54, not including applicable service fees, went on sale today. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or ticketmaster.com.

Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., already a two-division world champion, has won four of his last five bouts by stoppage. The consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighter will be making his MGM Grand Garden debut in his third title defense of his WBO junior welterweight world championship crown.

Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), from Kiev, Ukraine, put his stamp on the boxing landscape when he scored a 10th-round knockout of the heavily-favored former world champion Lucas Matthysse to capture the vacant WBC super lightweight world title on October 3, 2015. Having won two of his last three fights by knockout, the Freddie Roach-trained Postol will be making his first defense of that title.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordPostol to join the conversation on Twitter.

LAS VEGAS, NV. (May 10, 2016) — Undefeated junior welterweight champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL will go mano a mano, in a 12-round world title unification fight, to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140-pound division. The Crawford vs. Postol world championship event will take place on Saturday, July 23, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate and the motion picture “Hands of Stone,” tickets to Crawford vs. Postol, priced at $304, $204, $104, and $54, not including applicable service fees, go on sale Today! Tuesday, May 10, at 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at mgmgrand.com or ticketmaster.com.

“This is a great opportunity to show the world I’m the best champion at 140,” said Crawford.

“We are about to show the world that I am indeed a better trainer than Postol’s trainer Freddie Roach,” added Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s trainer and co-manager.

“I believe this is a GREAT fight and Terence will prove he’s not only the best 140-pound fighter in the world but that he is pound for pound the best fighter in the world,” said Cameron Dunkin, Crawford’s co-manager.

“I have been waiting for this fight for a long time and I want to thank my promoters Elite Boxing and Top Rank for making this fight a reality for the fans,” said Postol.

“This has Fight of the Year written all over it,” said Hall of Fame Trainer World-Famous Freddie Roach. “For the second consecutive time Viktor will be involved in a world title tilt pitting the two best fighters in the division. He’ll be ready.”

“This is one of those fights where no one knows who will come out victorious,” said Vadim Kornilov, Postol’s manager. “It’s the type of fight fans crave but rarely get to see. There are no opponents in this battle, only champions. Postol and Crawford each have 28-0 records and they have both fought great opposition.”

“This title unification battle between Terence Crawford and Viktor Postol is evenly matched and both undefeated champions are determined to prevail. This is must-see television,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum

“We look forward to hosting what very well could be the ‘fight of the year’ this summer at MGM Grand,” said Richard Sturm, president of entertainment and sports for MGM Resorts International. “These two fighters will make their Grand Garden Arena debut and undoubtedly provide an exciting evening for boxing fans worldwide.”

“We are excited to present two accomplished champions in a major unification title showdown at 140 pounds” said Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “Terence Crawford stands today among boxing’s elite attractions. His opponent Viktor Postol, Crawford’s toughest to date, seeks to seize that star power for himself with an upset under the bright spotlight in Las Vegas.”

Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., a two-division world champion who has won four of his last five bouts by stoppage, will be making his MGM Grand Garden debut in his third title defense as World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world champion. The consensus Top-10 pound-for-pound fighter will be looking to build on his star-making 2014 which featured three world championship victories as well as Fighter of the Year honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America and major media alike. Crawford, 28, captured the vacant WBO junior welterweight crown on April 18, 2015, via a devastating sixth-round knockout of once-beaten No. 2 world-rated contender Thomas Dulorme. He has successfully defended the title twice — stopping No.2 world-rated contender Dierry Jean in front of a packed house at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha on October 24, 2015, and knocking out Top-10 contender Hank Lundy in the fifth round last February 27, at a soldout Theater at Madison Square Garden. Crawford began his career-best year on March 1, 2014, just 13 days short of the sixth anniversary of his professional debut. He captured the WBO lightweight title, dethroning defending champion Ricky Burns on Burns’ home turf of Glasgow, Scotland. Scoring a powerful and unanimous decision, Crawford put the boxing world on notice with his virtuoso performance as he pulled out all stops in dismantling Burns, rocking the defending champion throughout the fight, while switching back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stances. He followed that with a dramatic and critically-acclaimed knockout victory of undefeated former world champion and Cuban Olympic gold medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa on June 28, 2014, in a Fight of the Year nominee. It was one of the most-watched fights of the year with over 1.2 million viewers catching the live, first-time airing of the fight, according to Nielsen Media Research. He concluded 2014 on November 29 with a thorough shellacking of one-time world title challenger and No. 1 contender Ray Beltran, winning 11 of the 12 rounds. Crawford, who is friendly with Warren Buffet, is only the second Nebraska native to be recognized as a boxing world champion. Perry “Kid” Graves, from Rock Bluff, captured the welterweight crown, knocking out Johnny Alberts in Brooklyn, in 1914, according to the Omaha World-Herald.

Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), from Kiev, Ukraine, put his stamp on the boxing landscape when he scored a 10th-round knockout of the heavily-favored former interim world champion Lucas Matthysse to capture the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight world title on October 3, 2015. World-rated No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, Postol and Matthysse went toe to toe throwing every weapon in their arsenals at each other until Postol caught Matthysse with a right uppercut and a left hook effectively turning out the lights on one of boxing’s most fearsome punchers. A former sparring partner of eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, Postol’s resume includes victories over top-rated contenders Selcuk Aydin, Jose Lopez, Lundy, and former world champion DeMarcus Corley. Postol, who has been trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach for his last three fights, with two of those ending in knockouts, will be making his first defense as the WBC super lightweight champion.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #CrawfordPostol to join the conversation on Twitter.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the July 23 HBO PPV fight between WBO 140 lb champion and WBC titleholder Viktor Postol is now set for Las Vegas.

“It’s a very good matchup, the best you can make in the junior welterweight division,” Top Rank CEO Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “What it really is is a fight for supremacy in the division. I’m very pleased with it, and I think it will be a very competitive fight.”

“This is a great opportunity to show the world I’m the best champion at 140 pounds,” Crawford said.

Cameron Dunkin, Crawford’s co-manager, said he was pleased to get Crawford such a meaningful fight.

“This is a great fight, and Terence will prove he’s not only the best 140-pound fighter in the world but that he is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world,” he said.

Said Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s trainer and co-manager: “We are going to show the world how basic Postol really is and that he got very lucky against (Lucas) Matthysse.”

“I have asked for this fight for some time,” Postol said. “I am very confident, and this will be a great fight for me. I want to thank my promoters, Elite Boxing and Top Rank, for making this fight a reality for the fans.”

Vadim Kornilov, Postol’s manager, said he believes the fight is about as even a matchup as one could ask for.

“This fight is pay-per-view view material because no one knows what to expect,” Kornilov said. “Both guys are 28-0. Either one of these guys can win and go on to become the next star in the division. It’s the type of fight fans don’t get to see often these days.”

In one undercard bout, newly minted WBO Super Middleweight champion, Gilberto Ramirez will take on Dominick Britsch.

WBO Jr. Welterweight champion, Terence Crawford has signed on to fight Viktor Postol in a unification bout on July 23, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“Crawford had signed, and everything is virtually resolved with Postol,” Arum said. “There are a couple of little issues we have to iron out, but the big stuff is done. The money is done.

“The reason these little issues are not resolved yet is because [manager] Vadim [Kornilov] has to get our take on things and then go back to Elite Promotions and get their take,” Arum said, referring to Postol’s Ukrainian co-promoter. “It takes some times. There’s a language barrier. But it’s nothing of any serious consequence. All the major terms have been agreed to.”

“I told them they can go to the Nevada commission and ask for two neutral judges, but we can’t tell the commission who to appoint,” Arum said. “They’ll understand that. It will get worked out. We want fair judging.”

A former lightweight champion and the 2014 fighter of the year, Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, will be making his third 140-pound title defense. Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), 32, of Ukraine, will be making the first defense of the world title belt he won in upset fashion by knocking out Lucas Matthysse in the 10th round on Oct. 3 in Carson, California. Cameron Dunkin, Crawford’s co-manager, confirmed to ESPN.com that Crawford signed the contract.

“He signed, and it’s a terrific fight,” Dunkin said. “I’m glad he is fighting. Postol is the toughest guy out there in the division, and not only do you get Postol, but you also have to go up against his trainer, Freddie Roach, one of the best in the business. But I believe in my guy. I believe he’s the best fighter in the world right now, and we win this fight and move on to bigger and better things.”

“We expect a few thousand people to make the trip from Omaha to Las Vegas for the fight,” Arum said.

Boxing superstar Gennady Golovkin returns exclusively live to BoxNation on Saturday 23rd April when he defends his unified world titles against top undefeated contender Dominic Wade at the Fabulous Forum, Los Angeles.

The pound-for-pound great is back on the The Channel of Champions, headlining an awesome April of fistic entertainment that features Golovkin’s big rival Billy Joe Saunders – with both heading towards a seismic collision this year – defending his WBO World Middleweight title against “Mad” Max Burbank on Saturday 30th April, live from the Copper Box Arena, London.

More big live fight action in April sees the thunderous, punching, all-action, British star Liam Williams defending his British and Commonwealth Super-Welterweight titles against Nav Mansouri on Saturday 2nd April from Harrow, England.

Undefeated Golovkin has destroyed 31 out of 34 opponents – an incredible 91% KO ratio – and the fearsome Kazakh puts his WBA Super, Interim WBC and IBF World Middleweight titles on the line for the 16th time – the second highest in the 160lb division’s history – against Wade and will aim to remain on course for a showdown with Saunders this year to unify all four belts.

Wade, from Largo, Maryland, is the mandatory challenger for GGG’s IBF World title and is undefeated in 18 fights with 12 knockouts. In his last fight he defeated from IBF World Champion Sam Soliman and goes into the showdown against Golovkin looking to cause a tremendous upset.

BoxNation viewers have been treated this year to the world’s best fighters all featuring on the channel with Sergey Kovalev, Terrence Crawford, Andre Ward on March 26th against Sulivan Barrera and now Golovkin.

But on the same card as Golovkin, arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world Roman Gonzalez, the WBC World Flyweight Champion, will defend his title against McWilliams Arroyo.

The Nicaraguan hot-shot has an incredible unbeaten record of 44 wins with 38 KO’s and has left a trail of destruction in the last two and half years with ten-fight KO run.

BoxNation’s Managing Director Jim McMunn is thrilled to have the top three pound-for-pound best: Gonzalez, Golovkin and Kovalev plus the 6th and 9th placed Ward and Crawford all on BoxNation in the first four months of this year.

He said, “That will be some feat to have five of the ten best fighters in the world by April all live on BoxNation and really cements our position as THE channel to watch boxing’s biggest names. Having Golovkin on BoxNation is fantastic, but with Gonzalez also on the card, the number one and two on the planet, it is fantastic for our subscribers to get to see these greats in action, live.”

– Ends –

About BoxNation

BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV customers.

By Norm Frauenheim

Jose Benavidez Jr. is considering several options, including a move up in weight, in an attempt to re-ignite a career that has stalled since Top Rank thought about putting him in against Terence Crawford, yet decided on Hank Lundy.

Benavidez, unbeaten (24-0, 16 KOs) at 140 pounds, was considered a leading possibility for Crawford, who on Feb. 27 blew away Lundy in a fifth-round stoppage on HBO in The Theater at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

But Benavidez didn’t look good in scoring a unanimous decision on Dec. 12 over unknown Sidney Siqueira of Brazil on a Univision card in Tucson that featured emerging featherweight Oscar Valdez in a sensational victory.

The crowd booed Benavidez, whose rope-a-dope tactics are not popular. He said he had the flu. At the weigh-in, he was 152.4 pounds, 4.4 heavier than the contracted 148 for a non-title fight. Between rounds, he struggled to breathe.

It’s not clear whether that performance knocked the Phoenix fighter out of consideration for Crawford, whom he called out repeatedly before the Tucson card. But Benavidez didn’t regret the decision to fight, despite the flu.

“No, not at all’’ his father, trainer and manager, Jose Benavidez Sr. said from Hill Street Boxing in Los Angeles where he is training his younger son, David Benavidez, for an appearance on the Chris Algieri-Errol Spence Jr. card on April 16 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. “I mean, he was in the co-main event. In that kind of situation, you’re never right. Imagine the reaction if we had canceled out.

“At the same time, I knew he could beat the guy. It was a big risk. We knew he’d win. But we also knew he wouldn’t look good. But the crowd thought he should of stopped him. I thought he should have stopped, too. But he was sick.’’

The best that can be said is that Benavidez emerged from difficult night with his unbeaten record intact. Still, one of boxing’s brightest prospects six years ago faces an uncertain future. He no longer has the WBA’s interim 140-pound belt, according to his father. He took it from Mauricio Herrera about sixteen months ago in a decision as controversial as any in 2014.

After defending it once in a 12th-round stoppage of Jorge Paez Jr. last May, the WBA ordered a mandatory for the acronym’s regular belt against Italian Michele di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs), an Italian. That’s when Benavidez found out what interim really means.

“They stripped him,’’ the senior Benavidez said. “It’s kind of ridiculous what they wanted. They wanted us to go fight over there. They wanted us to fight for very little money. Then, they wanted us to pay the sanctioning fee. It didn’t make sense.

“I mean, we were trying to fight Crawford, or Jessie Vargas, or Viktor Postol. Those fights make sense.’’

Dollars, too.

Now, common sense says it’s time for the 5-foot-11 Benavidez to move up to welterweight. He’ll be 24 years old on May 15.

“I think we go to 147 and stay there, unless something big breaks like Crawford, or Postol, or something like that,’’ Benavidez Sr. said. “He’s still young. The body hasn’t really changed much. He could definitely make 140 for a big opportunity. If not, we’ll just stay at 147.

“But I do think he needs big fights. So many of these guys he’s been fighting, there’s just no motivation.’’

Nothing has been scheduled, yet. However, Benavidez is expected to resume training with brother David next week in Los Angeles.

“We want to fight, but I don’t what’s going to happen,’’ his father said. “We’re just going to stay focused and try to regroup. Hopefully something comes up. You never know.’’

Emanuel Taylor , who in his last 4 fights fought former WBO world champion Chris Algieri, WBA Jr, Welterweight champ Adrien Broner, undefeated world rated Antonio Orozco, and rated contender Karim Mayfield, looked very sharp as he dismantled the rugged Wilfredo Acuna on the undercard of the Terrance Crawford- Hank Lundy fight at the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, on Saturday night. The event was televised live on HBO.

Taylor (19-4 14KO Edgewater, MD) started fast as Acuna (16-19 11KO Nicaragua) was a willing participant as the two traded blows freely in the 1st round. Taylor, returning from a 9 month layoff showed no signs of rust as he punished Acuna with crisp combinations to the head and body. Acuna, to his credit, fought gamely and landed a few very hard blows which Taylor shook off.

As the bout wore on Taylor began to hurt Acuna with both head shots and body shots. Taylor opened up the 6th round with multiple hooks to the head of Acuna and continued the assault finally dropping the game Nicaraguan near the end of the round forcing referee David Fields to call a halt at the 2:29 mark of round 6.

Star Boxing promoter Joe DeGuardia had this to say about Taylor’s performance: “Emanuel is a skilled fighter in a very hot Jr. Welterweight division. He fought a very tough kid in Acuna who we have used in the past with Chris Algieri and Cletus Seldin and Acuna always comes to fight. In the past, Emanuel has fallen just short in a couple of close high profile fights (like Adrien Broner and Antonio Orozco), but after tonight he is now on the path to get another great opportunity in his quest to become a world champion”.

Taylor weighed 143.8 and Acuna 144.4 for the fight.

Link to Baltimore Sun article:
http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-86056556/

Twitter at @Star Boxing, Instagram at StarBoxing, and
Facebook.com/StarBoxing.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in New York City, undefeated Nebraska junior welterweight Terence “Bud” Crawford, an HBO fighter, put the sixth blemish on Philadelphian Hank Lundy’s ledger via TKO in round 5. Though Crawford’s assault did not take Lundy’s consciousness, it took his spirit, much as was anticipated by their records and all who watched. Crawford is aware there is an unseemly dearth of viable opponents for him, with the men who might’ve played challengers in bygone eras currently being overpaid by the PBC to behave like titlists, and he properly beats them to submission. If Crawford is not creating new aficionados, he is at least ensuring no more aficionados depart our sport on his watch.

Once televised boxing became predictable, we moved our commentaries to new subjects, and many concerned judges and their disagreeable tallies and referees and their improper stoppages, ever early or late, and point deductions, ever too much or too little, and if it isn’t an apt substitute for writing especially well about great spectacles, our unfortunate choice is partly palliated by the quality of the spectacles: It is no more possible to write greatly about a mediocre subject than stitch a great suit from burlap. Saturday’s match was not mediocre fabric, quite, it was in its punchcount and intent about good, though certainly not great, and what precluded its mediocrity, or eventual and desperately required salvation from mediocrity, was a choice its referee made in the closing moments of round 3.

Steve Willis, whose trademark enthusiasm is appearing ever more frequently during televised mainevents, chose not to act at the end of the third round, and it redeemed almost immediately a match that was strolling, and feinting and flexing, its way towards mediocrity. With a halfminute remaining in the round, Hank Lundy tried valiantly to close distance by swinging wildly and folding forward, and once Crawford began to set his weight on the back of Lundy’s neck in mammals’ universal manner of establishing dominance over another, Lundy flashed his torso leftwards then upwards, jamming the top of his head exactly where Crawford did not want it: against his chin. Crawford covered Lundy’s head with both blue gloves, and a leveraging match ensued with Lundy in the manifestly favorable position of having a lower center of gravity.

It has become an unspoken clause of sorts, call it the Mayweather Rule, that a fight’s promotional a-side shall not be discomfited by anything but a perfectly clean punch. While the b-side can be forearmed, elbowed, clinched, suffocated and occasionally butted, the a-side must not lose his title on anything but unspotted punching with the middle knuckle of his opponent’s fist – all other tactics must be treated as infractions and subjected to intense audiovisual scrutiny.

Referee Willis eschewed the Mayweather Rule, very much the way Tony Weeks got the Mayweather Rule ratified in 2014 (when, after allowing Marcos Maidana to strike Floyd Mayweather without Mayweather’s express permission a few too many times, in a fight, Weeks found himself quietly barred from officiating Mayweather matches evermore), and an actual fight began, allaying what fears aficionados developed after seeing the usually composed Crawford behave brashly during fightweek media events. Crawford is no one’s bitch, and he responded to Lundy’s aggression exactly as a champion should do: he clubbed his challenger nearly unconscious in the next five minutes.

Before that, though, Crawford found himself forced, via Lundy’s appropriate activity and Willis’ more appropriate inactivity, to grab hold of Lundy and wrestle him away. What was Willis doing meanwhile? HBO viewers will never know; blessedly Willis was removed enough from the combatants the frame did not contain him through much of it.

Crawford got Lundy off him and began to give Lundy what Lundy wanted and needed: less space to close. This is the sort of choice Crawford makes that makes him a better entertainer than his stylistically similar peers across the dial on the PBC. Crawford had the size and reflexes to discourage Lundy with space; however many inches taller Crawford actually is, he must’ve looked a foot taller and a meter farther away to Lundy than he was in Saturday’s first 2 1/2 rounds. Crawford, were he a PBC prospect, would have gone on feinting and flexing and scowling and leaping inrange long enough to pushoff a chest jab, and then leaping out of space, over and over, hoping Lundy might fatigue enough to make a sustained attack perfectly safe, and even then perhaps not chancing it. Crawford must know this; it would be impossible to watch boxing in the last decade, much less practice it at such a level, without noticing men of good reflexes no longer need to get struck in order to make their first million; so long as you purport to ferocity and make c-level opponents look bad, boxing needn’t be a fullcontact sport for you.

Crawford has the excellent fortune of being a Top Rank fighter, not a PBC asset; he is developed by the same experts who crafted Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De La Hoya, and they didn’t develop those men by tolerating a pacifistic approach to combat (unbeknownst to most of the Money Team, in his first eight fights young Mayweather was compared to Mike Tyson). Crawford is a finisher, the way Top Rank expects its fighters to be; the rare case of a Top Rank fighter not being a born finisher, Tim Bradley for instance, is marked by that man’s willingness to undergo hellacious tests regularly. Not every match must end in a knockout, but boxing’s dwindled fanbase is through with talented athletes moving cautiously for a halfhour then suing posterity for scorecard points – particularly after making fraudulent prefight promises during press conferences and other promotional perfunctories.

Crawford expects to knock his opponents rigid, and he knows his promoter expects the same. If there are moments in his matches Crawford wonders about his professional choice to practice his brutal profession quite so brutally, he draws reinforcement from pride and expectations. Crawford is a very proud man, and his corner and promoter have very high expectations.

A good bit of punching, a restrained ref, and a decisive ending; if Saturday was not boxing’s best, it was a pleasant distance from its worst.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Terence Crawford retained the WBO Jr. Welterweight title with a 5th round stoppage over Hank Lundy at a sold out Madison Square Garden Theater.

It was a close fight early with Lundy getting in a few shots.  Lundy was cut above the right eye in round four from an accidental headbutt.  In round five, Crawford caught Lundy with a left down the middle that rocked the challenger.  Crawford jumped on Lundy and the two had a heated exchange with Crawford getting the better to the point where another left hand sent Lundy Spawling to the canvas in his corner.  Lundy got up to only eat a barrage of heavy punches that forced referee Steve Willis to stop the bout at 2:09

Crawford, 139.2 lbs of Omaha, NEB is 28-0 with 20 knockouts.  Lundy, 138.2 lbs of Philadelphia is 26-6-1.

Crawford Quotes

What did you tell Lundy after the fight?

I told him good fight and I appreciate him taking the fight

Cause I got my respect – I said he was going to respect me at the end of the fight and he was going to respect me today and I respect him back. He said good fight it’s all love and I appreciate it

Why do you get hit in eearly rounds?

Cause they are earlier rounds and we are feeling each other out. Once I make the adjustment I start touching him more

Seems like you have more power

I was killing myself to make 135 and it was taking a lot out of me. I want to thank got for the V.

I told everyone I got power in both hands and the boxing ability that I have and it’s going to take me a long way in this game

I never duck anyone and I’ll fight anybody. My manager will make the fights happen and and I will train and fight.

Hot-shot prospect, Felix Verdejo won a 10-round unanimous decision over Willian Silva in a battle of undefeated Lightweights.

Verdejo was solid throughout and won by scores of 100-90 twice and 99-91.

Verdejo, 135 lbs of San Juan, PR is 19-1.  Silva, 134.4 lbs of Sao Paulo, BRA is 23-1.

Verdejo Quotes

“I felt very goodd uring the fight. My opponent moved a lot, but I did what I had to do and got the win”

“This is a new learning experience. I will learn from this and I will keep moving forward”

Julian Rodriguez remained perfect with an 8-round unanimous decision over King Daluz in a Super Lightweight bout.

Rodriguez dropped Daluz with a right to the body in round seven and cruised home to the victory by scores of 80-71 on all cards.

Rodriguez, 141.6 lbs of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ is now 12-0.  Daluz, 140.4 lbs of Santa Cruz, Spain is 12-3-2.

Juan Carlos Torres remained undefeated with a 3rd round stoppage over Miguel Gloria in a scheduled 4-round Lightweight contst.

Torres scored a knockdown in round one and floored Gloria twice more in round two.  Gloria only lasted 20 seconds into round three before the fight was halted.

Torres, 136.4 lbs of Trujillo Alto, PR is 4-0 with three knockouts.  Gloria, 136 lbs of Albuquerque, NM is 1-2.

Christopher Diaz was impressive in scoring a 4th round stoppage over Angel Luna in a scheduled 8-round Featherweight bout.

Diaz pummeled and rocked Luna in round three with heavy blows.  In round four, Diaz landed a booming right that basically knocked Luna out on his feet.  prone in the corner, Diaz unloaded two more blows and the bout was stopped at 2:42 of round four.

Diaz, 127 lbs of Barranquitas, PR is 15-0 with 10 knockouts.  Luna, 126.8 lbs of Santiago, DR is 12-2-1.

World ranked Light Heavyweight Seanie Monaghan tuned up Janne Forsman in round five of their scheduled 10-round bout.

Monaghan landed a flurry of body shots in round four that sent Forsmann to his knees.  Monaghan continued the assault until the bout was halted at 1:34 of round five.

Monaghan, 179.8 lbs of Long Beach, NY is 26-0 with 17 knockouts.  Forsmann, 177 lbs of Vassam FIN is 21-4.

Emanuel Taylor scored a sixth round stoppage over Wilfredo Acuna in a scheduled 8-round Jr. Welterweight bout

In round six, Taylor landed a blistering combination that featured a right uppercut and left hook that sent Acuna to the canvas and the fight was waved off at 2:59

Taylor, 143.8 lbs of Baltimore, MD is 19-4-2 with 13 knockouts. Acuna, 144 lbs of Minagua, NIC is 15-19.

TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD

“Fighting at Madison Square Garden…headlining the event at the Mecca of Boxing is personally historic.

“I love to give back…to my community…to the sport of boxing…and on Saturday night I’m going to give something back to Lundy. I’m going to show him that punches hurt a lot more than words.

“Manny [Pacquiao] is the only fighter in the Top Rank stable who can take me to the next level. [Viktor] Postol is good but only real boxing fans know him.

“With Lundy, I need to look out for head butts, low blows and elbows. He’s going to get rough in this one. But once he gets careless, and he will, he’s going down.

“Lundy’s trash talk makes me laugh. But I don’t think he’ll laughing too much on Saturday night. Deep down in his soul he knows what he’s in for. He’ll respect me Saturday. Don’t blink. It might be a quick one.”

“Hammerin'” HANK LUNDY

“It’s going to be a war. I’m going to be the new champion of the world. It’s going to be a new life for my family and for me when I go home s world champion.

[Regarding press conference scuffle] “He can’t take the pressure. I’m in his head. I have him. I’m going to beat his ass and he is going to feel these hammers.

“Crawford is going to feel my pain, my struggle and all of Philadelphia. I’m going to crack his head like the Liberty Bell.

“Tell Crawford to bring some suspenders to The Garden on Saturday because when I take that belt off of him he’s going to need them to hold up his pants.”

****************************************

Undefeated superstar champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and FELIX “El Diamante” VERDEJO will make their 2016 debuts in title defenses,This Saturday! February 27, at the “Mecca of Boxing” — The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Crawford, the two-division world champion and 2014 Fighter of the Year will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world championship belt against Top-10 contender “Hammerin'” HANK LUNDY. Verdejo, the boxing gem of Puerto Rico, will be risking his WBO Latino lightweight title crown and his march to a world title shot when he rumbles with undefeated Brazilian buzz saw WILLIAM “Baby Face” SILVA. Both fights will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

These four warriors boast a combined record of 95-5-1 (60 KOs) — a winning percentage of 94% with close to 2/3 of their victories coming by way of knockout.

*****************************

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), Diamante Promotions and Madison Square Garden, any remaining tickets to the Crawford vs. Lundy / Verdejo vs. Silva championship doubleheader, priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #CrawfordLundy or #VerdejoSilva to join the conversation on Twitter.

Double-action comes exclusively live on BoxNation from both sides of the Atlantic tomorrow night when cruiserweight warriors Marco Huck and Ola Afolabi clash for a fourth time followed by pound-for pound great Terence Crawford’s collision with Hank Lundy.

Huck and Afolabi get the night underway when they meet for an incredible fourth time at the Gerry Weber Stadium, Halle, Germany, in a crucial crossroads fight for both men with the winner going on to a possible world title shot.

Serbian born, German resident, Huck is 2-0-1 going into the fight against London born Afolabi with the previous encounters being close and exciting affairs and although Huck’s WBO World title was previously on the line this time Afolabi’s IBO World title is up for contention.

“Käpt’n” Huck lost his WBO crown in a shock defeat to Krzysztof Glowacki last August in his American debut, but it was a thrilling fight that saw Glowacki floored in the sixth round and then rally back to stop Huck in the eleventh.

The 31-year-old will be looking to prove that he is not finished and has one more shot at glory with a strong performance against Afolabi. Although his preparations could have taken a hit when he revealed last week that he had split with trainer Conni Mittermeier and joined up with Varol Vekiloglu just 10 days before the fight.

For Afolabi, he’ll be looking to continue his hot form on the back of his stunning fifth round knockout of hard Russian Rakhim Chakhkiev last November when he went into the fight as the underdog. In the fight prior, Afolabi extended Interim IBF World Champion Victor Emilio Ramirez the distance in Argentina and lost on the scorecards.

At 35, the man known as Kryptonite, knows that a victory over his rival – which would be his first – is crucial if he is to get a fourth world title opportunity.

Once the dust settles in Germany, the action switches to the Mecca of Boxing at New York’s legendary Madison Square Garden where American star Crawford defends his WBO World Super-Lightweight Championship against Hammerin’ Hank in a potential thriller.

“Bud” Crawford is on the cusp of becoming boxing’s next big crossover star following Floyd Mayweather Jnr’s retirement and the soon to be retired Manny Pacquiao and many believe the all-action and exciting Omaha man could be the one.

Unbeaten in 27 fights with 19 KO’s and with fast switch-hitting hands and power, Crawford shot to prominence when he totally outclassed Ricky Burns in his Glasgow backyard to take the WBO World Lightweight title in March 2014. He immediately made a hero’s return to his hometown in Nebraska and inflicted the first loss to former Unified World Featherweight Champion and 2004 Cuban Olympic Gold Medalist Yuriorkis Gamboa with a sensational ninth round knockout in June 2014 in the first defence of the title. Defences against Raymundo and Thomas Dulorme followed and last time out he smashed Dierry Jean in nine rounds on BoxNation.

The 28-year-old faces a hard test in his MSG debut against the trash-talking Philadelphian Lundy, who took the challenge after top super-lightweights Ruslan Provodnikov, current WBC World Champion Viktor Postol, and former Interim World Champions Lucas Matthysse and Mauricio Herrera all turned down the fight and Lundy is supremely confident with his chances.

At the press conference this week the pair clashed when Crawford nearly pushed Lundy off the stage following their head-to-head stare down after getting annoyed with Lundy’s trash-talking.

Crawford said, “That’s his main objective — to get in my head. But he doesn’t understand that just makes me fight harder, makes me be better, makes me be sharper. I’m not just going to go in there and try to just knock him out. I’m going to go in there and do what I do. That’s what he doesn’t understand.”

Lundy fired back, “I’ve been watching him ever since he came on the scene at 135, and nothing impressed me. Now, he’s going to have a guy in front of him that can do all the things he can do. It’s going to be a big mistake on his part.”

Also on the card will be fast the rising and undefeated Puerto Rican lightweight sensation Felix Verdejo who defends his WBO Latino Lightweight title against Brazilian William Silva. Britain’s WBO World Lightweight Champion Terry Flanagan will be keeping a close eye on Verdejo who if he emerges victorious could be a future potential opponent after his clash with Derry Mathews next month.

Live coverage for Huck v Afolabi starts at 7pm on Saturday night with live of Crawford v Lundy beginning at 2am on Sunday morning. To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 525, Freeview 255, TalkTalk 415, iPhone, iPad or Android and Amazon devices) for only £12 a month visit boxnation.com or to watch online subscribe at watch.boxnation.com

– Ends –

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By Norm Frauenheim-

A pound-for-pound debate without a mention of Terence Crawford isn’t much of a conversation. At least, he doesn’t think so. Does Crawford belong?

“Of course,’’ he said. “I feel like I’m already in that conversation.’’

Maybe.

Hank Lundy has some of his own ideas. Turns out, Crawford wouldn’t even make the top three on Lundy’s list.

“No, he’s not the best guy I’ve fight,’’ Lundy said.

Lundy went on to say a lot of things. On the Lundy list, Crawford would rank behind Viktor Postol, Ajose Olusegun, and maybe Dannie Williams.

Lundy might have found a few other names to rank ahead of Crawford if only he had had more time to hold court on his portion of a conference call this week

If he’s as good a fighter as he is a talker, Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs) is in trouble Saturday night (10 p.m. ET/PT) in an HBO-televised junior-welterweight bout in The Theater at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

But the guess in this corner is that Lundy has only managed to talk himself into trouble while also giving Crawford a big chance on a very big stage. An impressive victory over Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs) would get Crawford off the fringes of a debate currently dominated by flyweight Roman Gonzalez, middleweight Gennady Golovkin and light-heavyweight Sergey Kovalev.

“It’s hard to rank myself against guys who are in different weight classes,’’ Crawford said. “They would never be my opponent. They are either too big or too small. They do good in their weight division and I do good in mine.’’

So good, in fact, that you can make a pretty good argument that Manny Pacquiao bypassed him for Timothy Bradley for the same reasons that middleweight belt-holders have ducked Golovkin for so long. The risk is too big.

If true, the unbeaten Crawford is left with the motivation to be as impressive as possible. Wittingly or not, Lundy’s talk might have sparked some emotional flint not yet seen in the somewhat stoic fighter from the Midwest.

“I don’t know what’s going on in that boy’s head,’’ Crawford said. “Come Saturday there’s not going to be much talking to do.’’

Crawford conceded that there was some disappointment at not getting the chance to face Pacquiao, who says he’s retiring after the Bradley bout on April 9.

“I wouldn’t say it was a letdown but I wouldn’t say it was exciting,’’ Crawford said the Pacquiao decision. “When they told me the names, they then told me Lundy. He and I had been going back and forth on Twitter for a long time. Now I just want to shut him up.

“He has said a couple of things that upset me, but nothing that has made me change my game plan or fight different than I would normally fight. I am going to go in there and fight my fight. Do what I have to do to get the job done.’’

Then, maybe, Crawford can say thanks to Lundy and hello to a more accepted place in an ever-evolving argument.

NEW YORK (Feb. 25th, 2016) — The playful ribbing between Hank Lundy and Terence Crawford that began in mid-January continued at Thursday’s final press conference when Crawford’s trainer, Brian McIntyre — a former fighter himself — walked to the podium at Chase Square with a T-shirt that read, “I went to the Madison Square Garden and all I got was knocked out by Terrence Crawford,” an obvious jab at Lundy.

“These will be available for Hank and his team following the fight,” McIntyre deadpanned.

Team Lundy, led by CES Boxing president Jimmy Burchfield Sr., Lundy’s promoter, enjoyed a quick laugh at its own expense, with Burchfield taking the shirt, folding it carefully and placing it on his lap while McIntyre continued his monologue, merely an extension of the month-long social media war between the two sides.

Though the verbal back-and-forth has helped turned Saturday’s event into a near sellout — Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti reported only 23 tickets remain at the box office — Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs) is leaning on a more powerful source of motivation heading into the biggest fight of his life Saturday night in New York City.

“My babies are going to be right there,” Lundy said, referencing his daughters, Amiriah, 7; Adriana, 8; Amari, 10 and Aniyah, 12.

“This is the first time I’m going to battle in front of my four little queens and God knows the electricity, every punch I hit you with, you’re going to feel Philadelphia, you’re going to feel my pain, my struggle. You’re going to feel ‘Hammerin” Hank and you can guarantee come the 27th of February I’m going to be the new champion of the world.

Saturday’s 12-round showdown against the unbeaten Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), the reigning World Boxing Organization [WBO] Junior Welterweight Champion, is the main event of HBO’s World Championship Boxing doubleheader, promoted by Top Rank and CES Boxing.

Written off by the press as the third or fourth choice for this fight by Crawford’s camp, Lundy’s quick wit and boastful pride have turned many fans onto what Burchfield says could be the “fight of the year” against the heavily-favored Omaha, Neb., native, who’s defended his world title four times since winning it in 2014.

“This is a great event,” Burchfield said. “You’re going to see a great fight Saturday night. You couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Lundy has taken fights on short notice in the past with mixed results, but he’s had two and a half months to prepare for Saturday’s world title bout and was ready the moment he got the call — “I was already on weight,” he said — a rare luxury for a fighter who’s climbed the ladder in two separate weight classes as a self-proclaimed “B-sider.”

“What’s the difference with this fight and the previous fights Hank has had? The difference is he’s had since December to train and get ready for this battle,” Burchfield said. “He’s had one of the best camps he’s ever had, so I think — I know — you’re going to see a great fight and you’re going to see the real Hank Lundy because he’s had time to get ready.

“Hank has never turned away from a fight. Never,” Burchfield continued. “When he signs a contract, he’s going to show up and he’s going to give it everything he’s got. He’s taken some fights on very short notice. His last 17 fights, he’s been in 13 different states and two different countries, but that hasn’t stopped him at all.”

Unlike most interviews or press gatherings, where Lundy tends to steal the spotlight, the Philadelphia native was unusually subdued Thursday, simply referencing his family and hard work leading up to this fight while eschewing the desire to “go on and on” or “talk your head off.” Lundy even refrained from barking back at McIntyre, whom he already went to war with several weeks ago via social media when he publically drudged up McIntyre’s less-than-stellar 7-14 record as a pro.

McIntyre, meanwhile, continued to pile on; five weeks after declaring he’d bet $10,000 on his own fighter during Top Rank’s introductory press conference in January, Crawford’s head trainer draped the anti-Lundy shirt over the front of the podium Thursday, suggesting, “I just want to give everyone a chance to read the gift we got for Team Lundy.

“I was going to take the low road and come to talk smack about Hank about how he wants to blast me on Facebook with him and his people,” McIntyre continued, “but I’m going to take the high road and seize this opportunity to say that I’m so excited to where I’m in tears for Terence, his sisters, his mom, his grandma. I’m also excited for the city [of Omaha] because they’re about to experience the good whooping Hank’s about to take.”

The typically reserved Crawford offered another backhanded compliment for Lundy, applauding him Thursday for giving “the best speech you gave the whole time you’ve opened your mouth.

“I respect that,” Crawford said, “because deep down in his heart he knows what he’s up against. I just take that as a sign of respect. If he doesn’t respect me now, he’ll respect me Saturday.

“It’s been a great camp. I feel good. I’m excited. The whole camp, I kept saying, ‘I can’t wait for this fight!’ It’s like a countdown. This dude doesn’t’ know what he’s gotten himself into. Everyone says, ‘I’m going to do this,’ or, ‘I’m going to do that to him,’ or, ‘I see a flaw in him,’ but when you get in front of me you see a different thing. Come Saturday, don’t blink, because it might be a quick one.”

Both sides have had ample opportunities to speak their piece and take shots at one another through the press and on social media. The real fight begins in 48 hours and Lundy is prepared to bring the world title back to Philadelphia, a fitting tribute to a consummate road warrior who’s paid his dues and taken the long road to the top.

“This fight is going to be electrifying,” Lundy said. “I just can’t wait until Saturday night. This is what I’ve been fighting for, to make my family, my kids, take them and give them a different lifestyle. It’s going to be war. I’m coming to win this world title.”

The Feb. 27th HBO doubleheader, which begins 10 p.m. ET, also features a 10-round WBO Latino lightweight title bout between reigning champion Felix Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and unbeaten challenger William Silva (23-0, 14 KOs) of San Paolo, Brazil.

For more information, visit www.cesboxing.com or www.toprank.com, or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cesboxing or www.twitter.com/trboxing using the hashtag #CrawfordLundy to join the conversation. Updates are also available on www.facebook.com/cesboxing, www.facebook.com/trboxing or www.facebook.com/trboxeo.

HBO Boxing presents an action-packed doubleheader when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. HANK LUNDY AND FELIX VERDEJO VS. WILLIAM SILVA is seen SATURDAY, FEB. 27 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/ tape-delayed PT) from The Theater at Madison Square Garden, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports broadcasting team will call the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Feb. 28 (10:30 a.m.) and 29 (11:30 p.m.)

HBO2 playdate: Feb. 28 (3:00 p.m.)

Terence Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), 2014’s Fighter of the Year, defends his junior welterweight title and unblemished record against veteran Hank Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round contest. Hailing from Omaha, Neb., the 28-year-old enjoyed an impressive 2015 with knockout victories against top 140-pound contenders Thomas Dulorme and Dierry Jean. Known for his speed, precision, defense and power, Crawford will be making his pro debut in New York.

Philadelphia native Lundy, 32, suffered a technical decision loss to Mauricio Herrera on HBO Latino in July 2015, but rebounded in October with an impressive stoppage win against Carlos Velasquez. He’ll look to deploy his ring savvy against the younger Crawford.

In the evening’s co-main event, undefeated lightweights square off as Felix Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs) of San Juan, Puerto Rico, takes on William Silva (22-0, 13 KOs) of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in a scheduled ten-round affair. Just 22 years old, Verdejo will be making his fifth appearance at the Garden. The rangy Silva, 28, will seek to halt the young star’s rise.

HBO’s flagship “World Championship Boxing” series marks its 44th year in 2016, while HBO Boxing presented its 1,000th fight last year.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jonathan Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Brooklyn, N.Y. (Monday, Feb. 22, 2016) – Uprising Promotions featherweight Angel Luna (11-1-1, 6 KOs) looks to knock off another undefeated prospect this Saturday night, facing Puerto Rico native Christopher Diaz (14-0, 9 KOs) at the Theater in Madison Square Garden. The bout will be featured on the undercard to a WBO Super Lightweight Championship bout between Terence Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs) and Hank Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs).

“Luna has been working hard for this fight, and I am fully confident that he is going to perform well,” said Ronson Frank, President of Uprising Promotions. “I watched him spar another undefeated fighter for 10 rounds recently, and he is in great shape. As far as conditioning and his mental approach are concerned, he is 100% ready. We have been working on strategy together as a team, and I believe that we have the right strategy to beat this guy. I just can’t wait for the fight.”

Luna returns to the ring on Saturday night for his first appearance in 2016. Trained by Mateo De La Cruz and Frank, Luna fought his first nine professional bouts in his native country of the Dominican Republic before signing to Uprising Promotions. The Brooklyn transplant joined the promotion in 2014 and will fight under its banner for the sixth time when he faces Diaz.

In his last outing, Luna handed Jose Lopez (15-1-1, 11 KOs) his first professional loss at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on the undercard to Miguel Cotto vs. Daniel Geale. In that contest, he dropped Lopez twice to secure an eventual unanimous decision. Luna was slated for a return to the ring last October as part of a televised quadrupleheader on ShoBox: The New Generation, meeting another undefeated prospect in Filipino lightweight Harmonito Dela Torre (16-0, 11 KOs). However, Typhoon Koppu ravaged Dela Torre’s home country of the Philippines the week of the fight and forced a cancellation of that bout due to travel restrictions.

Diaz enters this contest with nine knockouts over 14 victories, with the majority of his fights taking place in his native Puerto Rico. The Barranquitas resident had a busy 2015, recording six wins and most recently competing this past December when he scored a knockout of Jerry Guevara in San Juan.

For more information on Uprising Promotions and to keep up with all of our latest news, make sure to check out www.UprisingPromotions.com and follow us on social media: @UprisingNYC

BROOKLYN, NY (February 22, 2016) — Undefeated two-division world champion and 2014 Fighter of the Year TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD will meet with military veterans to discuss and demonstrate boxing training techniques Tomorrow! Tuesday, February 23, at Gleason’s Gym (77 Front St., Brooklyn, NY 10201), beginning at 11:00 a.m. ET. The veterans are members of a New York-based boxing club.

One of boxing’s Top-10 pound for pound fighters, Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., will make his debut at the “Mecca of Boxing ” — Madison Square Garden on Saturday, February 27. He’ll be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world title against Top-10 contender “Hammerin'” Hank Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA. The fight will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing®, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The telecast will open with a battle between undefeated gladiators — the gem of Puerto Rico and Top-Three contender Felix “El Diamante” Verdejo, defending his WBO Latino lightweight title against Brazilian buzz saw William”Baby Face” Silva.

These four warriors boast a combined record of 95-5-1 (60 KOs) — a winning percentage of 94% with close to 2/3 of their victories coming by way of knockout.

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Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), Diamante Promotions and Madison Square Garden, the remaining few hundred tickets to the Crawford vs. Lundy / Verdejo vs. Silva championship doubleheader, priced at $300, $200, $100, $50 and $25, can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #CrawfordLundy or #VerdejoSilva to join the conversation on Twitter.

LAS VEGAS, NV (January 28, 2016) — Before they enter the ring for their super brawls, MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY JR., TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD and FELIX “El Diamante” VERDEJO, who are headlining upcoming world championship events, took time out to make predictions on Super Bowl 50, which will pit the Denver Broncos against the Carolina Panthers on February 7. Also adding their two cents were trainers World-Famous FREDDIE ROACH and TEDDY ATLAS, who will be facing each other from opposing corners for the first time, with Pacquiao and Bradley, respectively, Top-10 contender “Hammerin'” HANK LUNDY and undefeated Brazilian buzz saw WILLIAM “Baby Face” SILVA, the respective opponents of Crawford and Verdejo.

THE PREDICTIONS

MANNY PACQUIAO
“Peyton Manning is a great competitor and with the possibility that this could be his last game I think he will be an inspiration to the Broncos to win and to end Peyton’s career as a world champion. He is certainly an inspiration to me.”

TIM BRADLEY
“It’s very clear to me — Carolina Panthers 31-27.”

FREDDIE ROACH
“I’m going with the Broncos because Peyton Manning, like Manny Pacquiao, has racked up all the records and the victories against superior opposition. Champions like Manning and Pacquiao know only one way to go out in their last rodeo and that’s on top. It’s Manningfest Destiny.”

TEDDY ATLAS
“It is Cam Newton’s time as I believe it is Tim Bradley’s and that is why Newton will win a Super Bowl and Bradley, a super championship, while Peyton Manning and Manny Pacquiao both retire after great careers.”

TERENCE CRAWFORD
“I don’t know what the score will be but the Carolina Panthers are the better team. One big reason is that they have Cam Newton as quarterback.”

HANK LUNDY
“I’m not really into it that much because I’ve got my own Super Bowl to worry about on February 27th and I’m coming to win the championship. I like Peyton Manning a lot, but I think Cam Newton is going to take care of business. Panthers 21-14.”

FELIX VERDEJO
“I’m going to pick the Carolina Panthers to win the Super Bowl this year. They are the better team”

WILLIAM SILVA
“I’m from Brasil so I do not get to see a lot of American football, but I think the Panthers will be the better team on Super Bowl day based upon their performances in past games. As far as the score, I think it will be the Panthers with three touchdowns to the Broncos’ one touchdown.”

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Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, boxing’s only eight-division world champion and the reigning Fighter of the Decade, collides with five-time world champion Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., in a 12-round world welterweight championship battle. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions, Pacquiao vs. Bradley will take place Saturday, April, 9, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), of Omaha, the 2014 Fighter of the Year and a two-division world champion, will be defending his World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior welterweight world title against Top-10 contender Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KOs), of Philadelphia, PA. Verdejo (19-0, 14 KOs), of San Juan, Puerto Rico, will be risking his WBO Latino lightweight title, Top-Five world ranking and his impending world title shot when he takes on Silva (23-0, 14 KOs), of São Paulo, Brasil, in a battle of undefeated contenders. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Tecate, Classic Entertainment & Sports (CES), Diamante Promotions and Madison Square Garden, the Crawford/Verdejo championship doubleheader will take place on Saturday, February 27, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Both fights will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

For fight updates go to toprank.com, hbo.com/boxing or mgmgrand.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing,, facebook.com/trboxeo or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtags #PacBradley, #CrawfordLundy or #VerdejoSilva to join the conversation on Twitter.