LONDON (April 17) – BoxNation will air a stunning triple-fight card live and exclusive this Saturday night with knockout artists Lucas Matthysse and Ruslan Provodnikov facing off, Derry Matthews taking on Tony Luis for the interim WBA world lightweight title and Terence Crawford up against Thomas Dulorme for the vacant WBO light-welterweight crown.

The action will get underway from 7pm BST as Liverpool’s Matthews fights in front of his home crowd at the Echo Arena, taking on 27-year-old speedster Luis, with the promise of knocking out his Canadian foe.

“I can’t’ wait to go,” said Matthews. “I’m fighting for my fans on Saturday night who have stuck with me. It’s not been an easy few weeks with the changes in opponents but I’m delighted to still be fighting for a world title and in front of my home crowd.

“That can only spur me on and help me. I’m going for the knockout on Saturday and anyone who follows boxing knows that I’m always in the fight and make sure people get their money’s worth. Against Luis that will be no different – it’s going to be explosive,” he said.

Talented Liam Smith will also be on the Queensberry Promotions bill as he looks to keep his undefeated record by capturing the vacant WBO Intercontinental light-middleweight title against Buenos Aires born boxer David Ezequiel Romero.

Another Merseyside marvel in Joe Selkirk will also be on the show in a matchup against Spaniard Yuri Pompilio, as he looks to catch the eye and record the 13th win of his career.

‘The Channel of Champions’ will then head Stateside as it brings two blockbuster fight cards starting with the mouth-watering war between two of boxing’s most exciting fighters in Argentine Matthysse and Siberian sledgehammer Provodnikov.

Both men are noted for their hard-hitting with Matthysse having knocked out 34 opponents in his 40 fights, with the no-nonsense Provodnikov scoring 17 stoppages in his 24 wins.

“Ruslan is a great fighter, he comes prepared for a war. My strategy against him will be to make sure to box and keep moving, that is why sparring has been really important in my training,” said Matthysse.

“Fans can expect one of the greatest fights in the division. I know I am ready to win this fight and fans should expect a victory,” he said.

31-year-old Provodnikov, a former light-welterweight champion, is going to let his fists do the talking for him.

“I am glad Lucas and his team are so sure of themselves because I am positive that once I am in the ring my actions will speak for themselves. I am here to win and I will do everything to win this fight,” said Provodnikov.

“No one can stop my will, my will, will not be broken. I fight for an idea, for myself, for the people and to make history. I am fighting one of the best fighters, and I feel like this will make history. I don’t do it for the fame or the money.

“This is going to make a great fight, the fans have waited long, and let the best man win,” he said.

Following the live action from Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York, BoxNation will head south to Arlington, Texas where the 2014 ‘Fighter of the Year’ Crawford will look to continue his momentum against big-hitting Puerto Rican Dulorme.

Crawford is regarded by many experts as the upcoming pound-for-pound king of boxing but knows he will need to be at his best as he moves up to light-welterweight in the hope of becoming a two-weight world champion.

“I feel like I need to use my career momentum to my advantage and I feel like I’ve got the momentum right now. I don’t want to take any steps backwards – I want to keep moving up,” said Crawford.

“I think Dulorme is a good boxer. He’s got a sharp, nice jab, he’s got a nice right hand. He likes to throw the little right hook. He moves well. He switches like me. I don’t have anything bad to say about him.

“Come Saturday I feel like I’m going to make my adjustments in the ring and do what I’ve got to do to get the job done,” he said.

Crawford is adamant the move up in-weight against the naturally bigger Dulorme won’t be an issue either.

“I see myself doing great things in this weight class. I feel like I am going to be stronger. I feel like I am going to be faster. I am getting the experience that I need to be smarter and wiser,” he said.

“I don’t go in the ring looking for any particular fighter, like ‘I want to fight him or I want to fight him.’ I just want to fight the best. My manager, my promoter, if they feel it is the best fight for me, then they will come to me and say this is the fight we want and I will believe in them like they believe in me and we will go forward with the fight,” said Crawford.

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Crawford’s star has risen quickly following a highly-successful 2014 campaign, capturing the WBO lightweight title from Ricky Burns before successfully defending it against Yuriorkis Gamboa and Raymundo Beltran.

Those victories saw him win the Boxing Writers Association of America ‘Fighter of the Year’ award for 2014, with Crawford insisting he has always wanted to push himself and fight the very best around.

“I feel like I had a great year. Going over there to Scotland, where nobody wanted to go, then coming back and fighting Gamboa – tough, tough fight, tough fighter – undefeated and a lot of experience and a lot of backing. Then taking on Ray Beltran – I felt great about my performance and my year,” said Crawford.

“I’ve been telling my manager, Cameron Dunkin, for years I wanted to be pushed. ‘Cameron throw me in there. Throw me in there.’ I just bought my time, waited for the moment, and look at me now,” he said.

BoxNation is stacked with live fight action during April and May, with Ukrainian legend Wladimir Klitschko defending his heavyweight titles against Bryant Jennings next weekend, with Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr back out in action on May 9th, the same night Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez faces fearsome puncher James Kirkland.

That’s followed by the thrilling Gennady Golovkin, who has captured the imagination of the boxing public, as he faces Willie Monroe Jr live from California on May 16th.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) for only £12 a month please visit boxnation.com.

-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.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

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

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. 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 and new Livesport.tv customers.

HBO Boxing kicks off spring with an action-packed, split-site doubleheader featuring some of the most exciting fighters in the sport when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: LUCAS MATTHYSSE VS. RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV AND TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. THOMAS DULORME is seen SATURDAY, APRIL 18 at 9:45 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY, and College Park Center at University of Texas Arlington, exclusively on HBO. HBO Sports teams will be ringside for both events, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: April 19 (9:45 a.m.) and 20 (12:15 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: April 19 (3:45 p.m.) and 21 (11:00 p.m.)

In the headline bout, Lucas Matthysse (36-3, 34 KOs) and Ruslan Provodnikov (27-3, 17 KOs) meet in a scheduled 12-round junior welterweight fight from upstate New York in what is already being lauded as a probable fight-of-the-year candidate.

Provodnikov, 31, returns to the ring after scoring a technical knockout victory over Jose Luis Castillo in his home country of Russia last November. His fan-friendly style has made for some of the most memorable bouts of the past two years, including a knockout of Mike Alvarado to win the super lightweight title and a close-decision loss in the 2013 BWAA Fight of the Year with Timothy Bradley. Matthysse, 32, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is one of the most feared boxers in the world, thanks to his stunning punching power, and had two knockout victories in 2014. The winner will enter the title discussion in the 140-pound division.

Kicking off the night, the co-main event features BWAA Fighter of the Year Terence Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs) making his 2015 debut against Thomas Dulorme (22-1, 14 KOs) in a scheduled 12-round bout for a vacant super lightweight title from University of Texas Arlington.

Rising star Crawford, 27, of Omaha, Neb., is coming off a dominating 2014 campaign which featured three successful defenses of his lightweight title, including a unanimous decision victory over Raymundo Beltran and a technical knockout against former titlist Yuriorkis Gamboa. Crawford moves up in weight to fight in the 140-pound division for the first time against Dulorme, 25, of Carolina, Puerto Rico, who will seek to use his height as an advantage against the shorter Crawford in the first world title fight of his career.

Immediately following HBO Boxing After Dark, stay tuned for the premiere of the one-hour special MAYWEATHER/PACQUIAO: AT LAST, detailing the nearly six-year journey to the most-anticipated fight of the modern era on May 2 between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

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 HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producers, Jonathan Crystal and Dave Harmon; director, Johnathan Evans.

® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

LONDON (April 15) – Legendary trainer Freddie Roach believes Saturday night’s clash between knockout kings Ruslan Provodnikov and Lucas Matthysse is ‘the greatest match up in the world’.

The pair will lock horns at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in New York, in one of the most eagerly anticipated fights of the year, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The showdown is certain to produce fireworks, with Provodnikov’s Hall-of-Fame trainer Roach believing that this is a fight worthy of the attention it has garnered.

“It’s the greatest match up in the world. You’ve got two guys that love to fight, two guys that are great punchers. It’s going to be a very exciting fight – that’s for sure,” said Roach.

“It’s the best fight and the best is what we need. This is what’s going on in boxing right now and that’s why everything is really happening in boxing bigger than ever at this point because of fights like this,” he said.

LA based Roach will not be in his fighter’s corner this weekend, however, as he looks to prepare his star pupil Manny Pacquiao for his impending clash with pound-for-pound ace Floyd Mayweather.

Though this will have little bearing on the outcome according to Roach, who will send his right-hand man Marvin Somodio to run the rule over proceedings.

“The Pacquiao fight is very important right now but Ruslan is very important also. I work with him every day in the gym. He and Marvin have a good rapport together. Marvin knows what to do. He’s a very good trainer,” said Roach.

“They understand what I want and just because I’m not there it doesn’t make a difference. Ruslan will still fight his fight and Marvin will make the adjustments along the way. There will be no problem whatsoever. It’s not the first or last time this has happened in my life,” he said.

31-year-old Provodnikov burst onto the scene with a scintillating performance in his narrow loss to Timothy Bradley before going on to capture the WBO light-welterweight world title from Mike Alvarado.

He is now looking to get himself back into the mix for a world title shot following a split decision loss to New Yorker Chris Algieri last year and is aware of the significance of this fight not only to his career but to boxing fans.

“I expect the same as all the fans – this is a very exciting match up. This is going to be a great fight and I think that for me it’s no less than to all the people watching. For me it’s exciting as well and these types of fights are what’s important,” said Provodnikov.

“Because for me the fight and the money as I’ve said many times, they’re not number one. Number one is I want my fights to be part of history, and I think this is one of those fights that is destined to be part of history.

“That’s what I want to give my people back home – these fights that people will remember because not all the fights that are world title fights are remembered. The type of fight that will happen between Matthysse and I is one that’s definitely going to be remembered forever,” he said.

Both Provodnikov and Matthysse are renowned for their come-forward aggressive style, with the Siberian stopping 17 of his 27 opponents and the Argentine Matthysse having knocked out 34 in his 36 wins.

32-year-old Matthysse, who was involved in last year’s ‘Fight of the Year’ with his victory over John Molina, thinks that his next battle has the potential to win another such accolade.

“For last year’s fight I’ve got to give credit to John Molina because he came to fight and he allowed me to perform in a way that made it ‘Fight of the Year’,” said Matthysse.

“If Ruslan comes forward and is aggressive and does the same thing, then, yes [I think it can be another Fight of the Year]. I’m going to seize that opportunity and try to take advantage of that and make it an exciting fight. I think it could be a great fight. But, you know, it takes two,” he said.

Matthysse vs Provodnikov joins a mega night live on BoxNation this Saturday from 7pm BST, starting with Liverpool’s Derry Matthews who fights for the vacant interim WBA lightweight title against Tony Luis at the Echo Arena.

Unbeaten light-middleweight Liam Smith is also on the card as he takes on David Ezequiel Romero for the vacant WBO Intercontinental title.

Then BoxNation heads Stateside as it brings two massive bills starting with Matthysse-Provodnikov before heading over to Arlington Texas where rising pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford looks to become a two-weight world champion as he takes on slick Puerto Rican Thomas Dulorme for the vacant WBO light-welterweight world title.

Matthysse v Provodnikov is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night. 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.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

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

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. 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 and new Livesport.tv customers.

ARLINGTON, TX (April 14, 2015) — Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight champion and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) Fighter of the Year TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (25-0, 17 KOs), from Omaha, NE, Puerto Rican buzz saw THOMAS “Thunder” DULORME (22-1, 14 KOs), the No. 2 world-rated contender and Hall of Fame promoter BOB Arum hosted a media conference call on Monday to discuss their upcoming rumble for the vacant WBO junior welterweight title. The Crawford-Dulorme world title fight will take place This Saturday! April 18, at College Park Center, located on the campus of the University of Texas Arlington in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The world championship fight will be televised as part of a split site doubleheader live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted By Top Rank®, in association with Gary Shaw Productions and Tecate, remaining tickets to the Crawford-Dulorme world championship event priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25, plus applicable fees, tickets can be purchased at College Park Center box office, online at www.utatickets.com/ or www.utacollegepark.com/ or by phone at (817) 272-9595.

BOB ARUM: We are very excited to bring this event to Arlington, Texas, We are familiar with the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and have put on shows at Cowboys Stadium and this facility at the University of Texas Arlington is beautiful which is fitting for Fighter of the Year Terence Crawford, who was the world champion of the lightweight division and is now moving up for a crack at a junior welterweight world title. He fights a difficult contender in Thomas Dulorme. But we at Top Rank are confident in the ability of Terrence Crawford.

TERRENCE CRAWFORD: Camp has been going great. You know it’s been a blessing to be where I’m at and at this point I am ready to just go in there and do what I’ve got to do on Saturday night.

Has your life changed much after the year you have had?

TERRENCE CRAWFORD: Not really. I’ve got a little more of the big time people noticing me but other than that everything has been the same.

We saw how hard of a time you had getting down to 135 for the Beltran fight – how difficult was it?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: For that fight I don’t know what it was but my weight wasn’t coming down like it normally does. Now for this fight my weight has been down for about a week. It would have been easier for me to make 135 for this fight than the Beltran fight.

So you could have stayed at 135?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I could in a sense, but I don’t think that would have been the best move being that my body is growing and I’m filling out a little more. This is the right time to move up before I start having serious problems because I struggled hard to make weight for that fight.

Your thoughts on now moving to 140 and fighting for a title?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I am pleased with it. I feel like I need to use my career momentum to my advantage and I feel like I’ve got the momentum right now. I don’t want to take any steps backward, I want to keep moving up.

What are your thoughts about what Dulorme brings to the ring.

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I think he is a good boxer. He’s got a sharp, nice jab, he’s got a nice right hand. He likes to throw the little right hook. He moves well. He switches like me. I don’t have anything bad to say about him. Come Saturday I feel like I’m going to make my adjustments in the ring and do what I’ve go to do to get the job done.

Do you make your adjustments during the rounds or discuss when you go back to the corner in between rounds?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I go the way I see it. One minute I may do something and the next minute I may feel the need to do something different. That’s why I switch back and forth so frequently because I may see something that I can capitalize on.

Going back to Gamboa – how did you know when to make the adjustments?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well I saw that he just kept coming short with the right hand coming over the top. So I figured instead of catching him pulling out, I was going to catch him coming in. I felt like my right hook was going to be the key to catching him coming in because he was coming in so fast he wouldn’t see it coming and that’s what happened.

Do you see a long stay at junior welterweight or do you see yourself moving up?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well right now my focus is 140. I have no thoughts about moving up to 147, I just moved up to 140. Right now I am focusing on being the number one guy at 140.

What do you think your biggest challenge will be at 140?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I don’t know. I really can’t say what my main challenge will be because even though I fought at this division before, I never fought for a title, but I feel like I’m ready for it. But I don’t know until I get in there.

Do you worry about the quality of the punch at 140?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I don’t worry about those kinds of things. I need to worry about neutralizing their strength and getting the job done.

You had some great fights in Omaha last year and now you are back on the road – do you plan to go back to light up Omaha again?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: My fighting outside of Omaha is nothing new to me. I’ve been doing it all my life. In tournaments when nobody knew me. I am kind of used to fighting away from him. I do see myself fighting in Omaha again, in a different weight class. Bringing another championship title to Omaha. But that’s in the future and right now I am more focused on the present.

Who does Terence remind you of historically?

BOB ARUM: The guy who comes most to mind from the standpoint from the fact that he is a boxer / puncher – there is a guy that we promoted for a number of years named Donald Curry. Curry had at a certain point in his career, for a number of years was really a top flight fighter and they said he was going to be the next Sugar Ray Leonard but it didn’t work out that way, for various reasons. Be Terence has people around him, like Brian McIntyre, and Cameron Dunkin behind him, to keep him on the right patch, so that he will ultimately be able to achieve what Curry didn’t. Terence is a great fighter and Terence reminds me of Donald Curry.

You seem to fly under the radar because you are so soft-spoken. Do you think sometimes maybe you should talk a little more smack?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I don’t feel like I need to do that. That’s not me. I don’t like to say anything about me around me. I like to feel like when I say something that’s what I mean. That’s what I’m about. I’m not about being a showman. I am a showman in the ring but those unnecessary things outside the ring that people do; I don’t feel like I need to do that because that’s not me.

You are fighting now in ’15 before you even get the award for Fighter of the Year for 2014. Do you feel you are beginning a new campaign for 2015?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I couldn’t even imagine thinking about that right now because it is so far away. But if that was to happen again, I would be too happy.

Were you surprised to get it and what does it mean to you as you look back?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It means a lot to me. I feel like I had a great year. Going over there to Scotland, where nobody wanted to go, then coming back and fighting Gamboa – tough, tough fight, tough fighter – undefeated and a lot of experience and a lot of backing. Then taking on Ray Beltran – I felt great about my performance and my year. I been telling my manager, Cameron Dunkin, for years I wanted to be pushed. ‘Cameron throw me in there. Throw me in there.’ But managers are supposed to protect fighters from themselves, because sometimes fighters might say they want to fight, but don’t need to fight and it’s not a good fight for them. They thing they want it but really it’s not a good fight for them. That’s why I hired Cameron, because he, working with Brian McIntyre – that’s their job – to get the best fights for me, not for me, but for myself. That’s why they are the managers and I am the fighter. So I just bought my time, waited for the moment, and look at me now.

Are you looking forward to fighting then going to New York and having a good time and getting your accolades?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Of course, of course – that is the ultimate goal. It’s taking care of business Saturday, then resting up and enjoying my weekend. Then go get my award, then after that go to the Mayweather fight. I am just looking forward to everything this weekend.

How do you feel about the 6:1 odds in your favor?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I don’t know. They may see one thing but I respect all fighters. I have never in my career underestimated any fighter. When I am in training camp I never think about going in there and knock this dude out or I’m going to do this. They can think something else but we are going to train as hard as we can for twelve rounds or even more. That way we don’t get any surprises.

How do you see yourself this year at 140?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I see myself doing great things in this weight class. I feel like I am going to be stronger. I feel like I am going to be faster. I am getting the experience that I need to be smarter and wiser. I don’t go in the ring looking for any particular fighter, like ‘I want to fight him or I want to fight him.’ I just want to fight the best. My manager, my promoter, if they feel it is the best fight for me, then they will come to me and say this is the fight we want and I will believe in them like they believe in me and we will go forward with the fight.

Is this fight set up to take on the winner of Matthysse – Provodnikov?

BOB ARUM: Provodnikov and Matthysse are excellent fighters and certainly the winner of that fight would be considered against the winner, who we feel is going to be Crawford, would be a natural. But would there be a better fight to be made? Would the manager of the winner of Provodnikov-Matthysse want to fight the winner of this fight? Those things need to be decided. In other words, this is not a puppet show. You sit down with the management of the winner of the fight and then it will be decided. Let’s just enjoy what we are going to see on Saturday.

Team Crawford In closing

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Thanks for having me on.

BOB ARUM: For everyone that can get to Arlington, get there because it is going to be a great fight. You will see one of the great up and coming fighters of this era, Terence Crawford. I know a lot of people are focused on May 2, when Manny and Floyd go at it. But there are great fighters that will be fighting on Saturday, whether they are in Texas or elsewhere, I think Saturday is going to be a real good day for the junior welterweight division and hopefully a good day for Terence Crawford,

Thomas, Would it be a surprise for you to win the fight over Crawford?

THOMAS DULORME: It would not be a surprise for me. I know the way the boxing analysts feel but I am very comfortable with this fight and I will come out the winner of this fight.

What would winning this fight mean for your career?

THOMAS DULORME: This is another step forward in my career. It is a very important fight for me as I move along.

How do you feel about fighting the Fighter of the Year?

THOMAS DULORME: Those who make the decisions to choose who will be the fighter of the year are those involved in analyzing the fights. I am only concentrating on my career as a boxer in the gym and not outside of the ring.

The odds seem to be steeply in Crawford’s favor…

THOMAS DULORME: I am not surprised by the odds because everyone thinks this is a very comfortable fight for Crawford. I will say this – those who bet with me as the winner of the fight are going to take home a nice chunk of money.

There are some rumors making the rounds in social media – how do respond to them?

THOMAS DULORME: I have been concentrating for the past month and a half on my training and I have been away from the social media so I don’t really know what that has to do with. Everything in social media is being handled by my advisors’ office.

This is the biggest fight of your career and you have changed trainers…

THOMAS DULORME: Robert Garcia and I are great friends. I wanted to train in Puerto Rico where my boxing career began and Robert didn’t have the time to train me here in Puerto Rico.

Who is the head trainer for this fight?

THOMAS DULORME: I do not have a head trainer as such. What I have done is put together a great training team that brings to the table many years of training experience of old school in boxing. Jose “Kike” Rosa and Felix Pagan Pintor and Don Khan and Anthony Otero who have trained and been in title fights with other great boxers.

Who will be the person in charge that Thomas listens to between rounds?

THOMAS DULORME: It will be Kike Rosa

It seems that Terence is more of a boxer in this fight moving up in weight and since Thomas is coming down in weigh he will be the stronger fighter against the more slick Crawford. How do you feel about that?

THOMAS DULORME: As you know, I can switch from the guy who is a boxer in the ring and what I am going to do in this fight is switch from one side to the other but I am going to be constantly hurting Crawford with my power punches throughout the fight.

Did you know going into the fight with Lundy that your next fight would be for the title or did you think you just had to make a statement in that fight?

THOMAS DULORME: I never knew going into the Lundy fight, which was going to be my next fight. I never concentrate on, when I am going into a fight, who my next fight will be with. I concentrate on each fight individually.

How do you feel coming off two big wins against Karim Mayfield and Lundy?

THOMAS DULORME: My professional boxing career has been on a comfortable rise and I am very happy and very positive on this next step with a win over Crawford on the 18th.

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

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

By Bart Barry–

Saturday brings a cleansing of the palate, doesn’t it, a reminder of a painfully missed time when you watched boxing because you couldn’t imagine a better use of your energy – not because you felt obligated, as a longtime fan, to support your sport’s return to public airwaves because, apparently, leaving public airwaves was what doomed our sport, even while its return to public airwaves appears far more damning now than its absence did even five years ago.

The word is relief. That is what this weekend brings, a chance to return to the dated ideal of a promoter making real fights because he is accountable to scribe critics. There’s redundancy there, yes, redundancy worth visiting for a spell. Criticism does not exist on television, only in print. The ephemeral, emotional, silly nature of television lends itself directly to promotion, to publicity, to fads, to effects that draw the eye, distract the eye, capitalize on the plague of man’s anxiety: television’s energy, like a teenage girl’s, derives its potency from a fear something better is happening in her absence. Television attracts its audience with a promise that its absence assures regret, and then, its audience drawn, television busies itself with imparting the essential nature of the spectacle, this very moment, the most or greatest of its kind, however absurd the statistics it needs cite, until the apogee of its program’s arc passes, and then it returns to promising the next spectacle cannot stand to be missed by anyone who does not want the crunching anxiety of its absence, and so on.

Elders called it the “boob tube” and did not miss. What now happens to our sport on network television is both potent and inevitable, and every print journalist that covers it cannibalizes what remains of our craft – in a bent more concessionary than saboteur.

Saturday, blessedly, brings no more slickly produced mediocrity from the imagination of an otherworldly figure, a manager advisor who, it may well turn out, hates the sport of boxing to his very marrow, like we’ve grown accustomed to treating in what serious tones we once reserved for actual championship contests conducted by actual champions, and that is not a criticism of Danny Garcia who, for all the middlingness that has attended his last 13 months in the game, a series of spectacles gaudy as his trunks, did things the right, hard way, way back when his promoter wanted him to lose every time he laced up gloves to stretch a fat old legend and a virginal amateur prodigy representing some coveted demographic or other.

Saturday’s co-main event from Arlington, Texas, may not be much of a fight, ultimately, but it will feature 2014’s best fighter plying his wares away from his beloved Nebraska. It is a return of sorts for Terence Crawford to the place he first asserted himself on the undercard of an ill-conceived crowning ceremony for Mikey Garcia, if you remember him, a 2013 Dallas spectacle for which Garcia did not bother acknowledging the weight limit, iced Juan Manuel Lopez, and looked decidedly second-rate when set against the warmup act: Crawford doing everything right. Saturday’s telecast will follow Crawford, the world’s best lightweight, with the world’s most entertaining junior welterweights, Argentine Lucas Matthysse and Russian Ruslan Provodnikov, in the sort of fight that will meet even exalted expectations for violence while being shorter than anticipated, very much the way Brandon Rios’ first tilt with Mike Alvarado did.

Good as Matthysse is, there is a real likelihood he’s not sturdy as Provodnikov; Matthysse has shown greater fragility in his best fights than Provodnikov has. The Russian will go directly at Matthysse, who will return fists with what rage and resentment he can still muster, and each man will endeavor to break his opponent’s spirit without a consideration for his own well-being, exactly the sort of contest the word “fight” still connotes to anyone not associated with the business of shiny-packaged prizefighting, nothing sanitized or Premier about it, serving the primal purpose boxing fulfills if it is worth considering, and no, generally it is not worth considering anymore, not with fractionally the frequency its consideration merited even a few years back, whatever television tells you.

The contemporary sportsfan, hoodwinked by men with MBAs and laptops, believes he should play manager, himself, to express best his affection for what athletes please him best: It’s OK my favorite athlete is not very good at his chosen profession, see, because he’s the best today, and television tells me the best today is the best of all time, and never mind that, cretin, because my athlete is much richer than yesterday’s best athlete who, regardless of what readily available video may suggest, could never beat my favorite athlete because he didn’t have swagger. This is a welcomed infantilization of American sportsfans, or perhaps it’s an international trend – heaven knows soccer fans are no beacons of adulthood – to distract potential customers with what’s sparkly, and it’s enjoying an excellent run.

Terence Crawford should be watched and enjoyed Saturday because he is legitimate talent properly cultivated by promoter Top Rank who builds fighters very much better than anyone else, and Provodnikov and Matthysse should be watched because of the honesty they represent and the perspective such honesty lends the poverty of its peers’ performances. From Siberia and Patagonia, respectively, Provodnikov and Matthysse exhibit a sort of strength that must be bred in men over millennia of sober struggle against a vicious and arbitrary world that endeavors at every turn to eliminate them. Neither man expects another man can hurt him – not uncommon among males in their physical primes. That neither Provodnikov nor Matthysse cares for the probability another man can hurt him, though, that neither man – even unto unconsciousness – has an algorithm for processing instant evidence to the contrary, that, is what makes them special.

Their match, too, will be special. I’ll take Provodnikov, KO-9.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

PUERTO RICO (April 8, 2015) – Gary Shaw Productions top contender, Puerto Rican sensation Thomas Dulorme (22-1, 14 KO’s), is just 9 pounds over the weight limit of 140 lbs. for his Saturday, April 18th showdown against “2014 Fighter of the Year” and former lightweight world champion, Terence Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs).

“I’m very happy with everything that is happening in the training camp,” said an excited Thomas Dulorme. Chef Tom Gonzalez has done a great job with my nutrition. I’m eating good, healthy food and we can see the results in comparison to my recent fights. Since campaigning at 140 pounds, I’ve never been so close to making weight as I am now with less than two weeks to go. I’m feeling incredibly strong and the food I’m eating has made a tremendous difference in a positive way”.

“Dulorme is very focused for this fight and it’s evident with his weight being right where it’s supposed to be at this stage in camp.” said Promoter Gary Shaw. “I’ve been assured from his team that he’s going to be peaking on fight night. I can’t wait to see him shine against Crawford.”

Dulorme Team is composed of Puerto Rican trainers, Anthony Otero, Felix Pagan Pintor and Oscar Seary, better known as Don Khan. The team newest addition is Jose ‘Kike’ Rosa, a former Olympian boxer (Montreal 1976) that as a boxing trainer has worked with former world champion Nelson Dieppa, former world title contender, Wilfredo Rivera, and Esteban Pizarro, among others.

“The addition of ‘Kike’ has been very good for the team because it throws more experience and motivation to all group members,” said Dulorme’s advisor Richy Miranda, president of ADM (Artists Designs Management). “His knowledge have been tested in training, and we guarantee that the group is doing really good. Puerto Rico will have a new world champion who will be representing all the Latinos for long time”.

The Crawford vs Dulorme bout will be for the vacant WBO junior welterweight world title on Saturday, April 18th, at theCollege Park Center located at the University of Texas, Arlington. The bout will be televised live as part of a split-site doubleheader on HBO beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted By Top Rank®, in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, tickets to the Crawford-Dulorme are on sale now. Priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25, plus applicable fees, tickets can be purchased at College Park Center box office, online at www.utatickets.com or www.utacollegpark.com or by phone at (817) 272-9595.

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

April 6, 2015 – HBO Sports® debuts an all-new installment of “2 Days” when the feature segment returns Tonight at 10:15 p.m. (ET/PT) with a behind-the-scenes look at undefeated sensation Terence Crawford, one of boxing’s fastest rising stars.

“2 Days” is a revealing and intimate look at a 48-hour span in the life of a boxer in the lead-up to one of his fights and the next edition will focus on Omaha native Terence Crawford. HBO cameras followed the 2014 BWAA “Fighter of the Year” last November when he defeated Ray Beltran on Thanksgiving Weekend in front of the hometown fans. The win was Crawford’s 25th consecutive triumph as a pro and his last at 135 pounds where he was the premier lightweight performer. His upcoming fight will see the 27-year-old make his debut at 140 pounds.

HBO air times include: April 6 (10:15 p.m.), 9 (5:30 p.m. & 12:35 a.m.), 12 (1:15 p.m.), 13 (8:15 a.m.), 15 (1:45 p.m. & 10:15 p.m.), 17 (2:00 a.m. & 7:15 p.m.) and 18 (8:45 a.m.).

HBO2 air times include: April 8 (11:50 a.m. & 8:00 p.m.), 10 (2:40 a.m. & 4:30 p.m.), 11 (10:05 a.m.), 14 (3:30 p.m.), 17 (11:00 p.m.) and 18 (4:30 p.m.).

HBO Latino air times include: April 6 (10:15 p.m.), 9 (5:30 p.m.), 12 (1:15 p.m.), 13 (8:15 a.m.), 15 (1:45 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.), 17 (2:25 a.m.) and 18 (8:45 a.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

Crawford is slated to return to the ring on Saturday, April 18 when he meets the formidable Thomas Dulorme from the College Park Center at the University of Texas Arlington on HBO Boxing After Dark. The event will be part of terrific split site doubleheader on HBO starting at 9:45 p.m. (ET/PT).

“2 Days” will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

PUERTO RICO (April 2, 2015) – Top junior welterweight contender Thomas Dulorme (22-1, 14 KO’s) from Puerto Rico, along with his team led by Puerto Rican trainers, Anthony ‘Gallero’ Otero and Félix Pagan Pintor, are feeling highly confident about their world title bout against Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs), who was the 2014 ‘Boxer of the Year’ and former WBO Lightweight world champion. The Crawford vs Dulorme bout will be for the vacant WBO junior welterweight world title on Saturday, April 18th, at the College Park Center located at the University of Texas, Arlington. The bout will be televised live as part of a split-site doubleheader on HBO beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Dulorme on fighting for the people of Puerto Rico…
“There is no better feeling than to train in my country. It gives me so much confidence and being at home motivates me even more because I get to see the people which I represent with pride and honor. We want to show the world that Puerto Rico will continue to produce more world champions”.

Dulorme on working with his new team of trainers…
“I have complete trust in my team’s game plan to defeat Crawford. I like the mix of dynamics between my trainers which combine the new and old school styles of boxing. Pintor is old school and Otero brings a fresh mind in to game. They are both contributing to what has turned out to be a great training camp”.

Dulorme on Terrance Crawford as a fighter and the matchup…
“Crawford is one of the best fighters in the world. He’s been awarded “Fighter of the Year” by many media outlets because he had a tremendous year in 2014. He’s moving up in weight where he’s entering into uncharted territory though. I feel I have the advantage being that I’ve fought at this weight several times. I’m the bigger man and I plan to impose my will on him.”

“I’m very pleased with Dulorme and his new team of trainers,” said Gary Shaw. “The fact that he’s training at home in Puerto Rico makes me feel good because I know his countrymen are there supporting his every move. We are only a few weeks away from fight night and I’m confident I’m going to be the promoter of a new world champion. The people of Puerto Rico will have a huge star they can call their own.”

“It’s a dream come true for us to come together and help prepare Dulorme for the biggest fight of his career.” said Dulorme’s co-trainer Anthony Otero. “From the first day I worked with Dulorme, I knew that the preparation for the fight was destined to be on a great path and has proven to be so to this day”.

“Dulorme is in excellent condition,” stated Felix Pagan Pintor, who has worked over 60 world championship bouts with legendary fighters such as Wilfredo Gomez, Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho, Edwin ‘Chapo’ Rosario, Ivan Calderon, Paul Williams, Carlos Santos, among others. “From the way he has performed in training and sparring, I foresee that on April 18th, Puerto Rico will have a new world champion.”

Richy Miranda, Dulorme’s advisor and president of the ADM (Artists Designs Management) company commented, “We were very selective in choosing an experienced and highly committed quality team. Every day during training camp, the atmosphere is very positive and the work being done is exceeding all expectations. There is no doubt that Dulorme will defeat Crawford and join the ranks of all the Puerto Rican champions before him.”

Promoted By Top Rank®, in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, tickets to the Crawford-Dulorme are on sale now. Priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25, plus applicable fees, tickets can be purchased at College Park Center box office, online at www.utatickets.com or www.utacollegpark.com or by phone at (817) 272-9595.

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

HOUSTON, TEXAS (March 31, 2015) – Bombs will be flying once again when Gary Shaw Productions and Savarese Promotions’ undefeated Light-Heavyweight slugger, Medzhid “B-52” Bektemirov (15-0, 12 KOs), makes his way back to the ring against Michael Gbenga (20-18, 20 KOs). Bektemirov vs. Gbenga, an 8-round bout, will take place Saturday, April 18, at College Park Center located on the campus of the University of Texas Arlington on the undercard of Crawford-Dulorme.

Ranked #10 by the WBA, Bektemirov will seek another victory against Gbenga, as he looks to climb up the Light-Heavyweight rankings while keeping his undefeated record intact. His mission, like always, is to get his opponent out of there early.

“I’m looking to seek and destroy everyone in my path,” said Medzhid Bektemirov. “My trainer Ronnie Shields has me working on a variety of different combinations that I feel is making me a better fighter. I’m in the gym everyday working extremely hard on everything. Now that I’m ranked in the WBA, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. My co-promoters Gary Shaw and Lou Savarese have assured me a big fight if I continue to win. I know Gbenga has a lot of power, but I feel my punches will be more explosive and I’ll be gunning for the knockout from the opening bell. I’m ready to drop bombs!”

“Lou and I are doing our best to keep B-52 busy,” said Gary Shaw. “This will be his second fight in a little over a month and we want him on the fast track to a world title. Our goal is to move him up wisely against opponents that will prepare him for the next level. He keeps knocking everyone out so we have to keep him fighting as much as possible.”

“I’m very happy that Gary Shaw was able to get B-52 on this card,” said Lou Savarese. “Bektemirov is thrilled to be fighting so soon after a spectacular performance in his last fight which took place last month. I like what Ronnie Shields is doing with him. He’s improving with each fight and that’s what Gary and I are looking for. We want B-52 ready for the next level.”

March 27, 2015 – HBO Sports® debuts an all-new installment of “2 Days” when the feature segment returns Monday, April 6 at 10:15 p.m. (ET/PT) with a behind-the-scenes look at undefeated sensation Terence Crawford, one of boxing’s fastest rising stars.

“2 Days” is a revealing and intimate look at a 48-hour span in the life of a boxer in the lead-up to one of his fights and the next edition will focus on Omaha native Terence Crawford. HBO cameras followed the 2014 BWAA “Fighter of the Year” last November when he defeated Ray Beltran on Thanksgiving Weekend in front of the hometown fans. The win was Crawford’s 25th consecutive triumph as a pro and his last at 135 pounds where he was the premier lightweight performer. His upcoming fight will see the 27-year-old make his debut at 140 pounds.

HBO air times include: April 6 (10:15 p.m.), 9 (5:30 p.m. & 12:35 a.m.), 12 (1:15 p.m.), 13 (8:15 a.m.), 15 (1:45 p.m. & 10:15 p.m.), 17 (2:00 a.m. & 7:15 p.m.) and 18 (8:45 a.m.).

HBO2 air times include: April 8 (11:50 a.m. & 8:00 p.m.), 10 (2:40 a.m. & 4:30 p.m.), 11 (10:05 a.m.), 14 (3:30 p.m.), 17 (11:00 p.m.) and 18 (4:30 p.m.).

HBO Latino air times include: April 6 (10:15 p.m.), 9 (5:30 p.m.), 12 (1:15 p.m.), 13 (8:15 a.m.), 15 (1:45 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.), 17 (2:25 a.m.) and 18 (8:45 a.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

Crawford is slated to return to the ring on Saturday, April 18 when he meets the formidable Thomas Dulorme from the College Park Center at the University of Texas Arlington on HBO Boxing After Dark. The event will be part of terrific split site doubleheader on HBO starting at 9:45 p.m. (ET/PT).

“2 Days” will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the series.

ARLINGTON, TX (March 5, 2015) — Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight champion and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) Fighter of the Year TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD is movin’ on up — to the junior welterweight division — where he will take on THOMAS “Thunder” DULORME, the No. 2-world-rated contender, for the vacant WBO World Junior Welterweight title. Crawford vs. Dulorme will take place Saturday, April 18, at College Park Center located on the campus of the University of Texas Arlington in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The world championship fight will be televised as part of a split site doubleheader live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted By Top Rank®, in association with Gary Shaw Productions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, tickets to the Crawford-Dulorme world championship event will go on sale Tomorrow! Friday, March 6, at 10:00 a.m. CT. Priced at $200, $100, $60, $40 and $25, plus applicable fees, tickets can be purchased at College Park Center box office, online at www.utatickets.com/ or www.utacollegepark.com/ or by phone at (817) 272-9595.

“I am ready to do bigger and better things at 140,” said Crawford.

“I’m here to prove to the world that I am the best fighter in the junior welterweight division,” said Dulorme. “Crawford has an undefeated record but he’s never won a fight at 140 lbs. I’m envisioning a hard-fought victory, one that I will bring back home to my people of Puerto Rico.”

“Dulorme is a good, well-rounded boxer. We are excited because the 140 pound division will bring the best out of Terence,” said Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s co-trainer and co-manager. “The 140 division is loaded with top fighters. This is great for Terence as everyone will soon see.”

“Terence had a breakout year in 2014 capturing the world’s attention with three career-best world championship victories en route to earning Fighter of the Year accolades,” said Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank. “He will be looking continue that momentum on April 18 when he returns to HBO, on the hunt for another world title against Thomas Dulorme of Puerto Rico.”

“I’m very pleased that I was able to get this fight done with Top Rank,” said Gary Shaw. “Terence Crawford is considered one of the best Lightweights in boxing, but he is moving up to junior welterweight where he will face a very determined and talented Thomas Dulorme, who’s undefeated at 140 pounds. I want to thank HBO for showcasing what I perceive is another great fight for the fans. I smell an upset in the making. This will be the start of a great run of fantastic fights for HBO.”

“With Terence Crawford’s star having emerged in 2014, the question now is how high that star ascends or if his opponent Thomas Dulorme will invert the trajectory,” said Peter Nelson, vice president of programming, HBO Sports. “As lightweight champion last year, Crawford earned his BWAA Fighter of the Year honors with bold, stylish victories against top competitors, a streak which continues in stride up the scale against the hungry Dulorme, who is undefeated at 140-lbs. It will be a split-site doubleheader not to be missed on our late night Boxing After Dark franchise.”

Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs), of Omaha, NE, makes his 2015 ring debut looking to build on his star-making 2014 which featured three world championship victories as well as Fighter of the Year honors from the BWAA and major media alike. He began his career-best year last March 1, just 13 days short of the sixth anniversary of his professional debut. Crawford 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 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 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.

Dulorme (22-1, 14 KOs), of Carolina, Puerto Rico, graduated to the professional ranks in 2008 after a stellar amateur career which included a sterling 140-2 record. He has long been a fan-favorite of Puerto Ricans for his slick all-action fighting style. Dulorme enters this fight riding a two-year six-bout winning streak, with his career-best victories coming in back-to-back fights in 2014 and both televised on HBO. He opened up 2014 with a 10-round unanimous decision victory over undefeated contender Karim Mayfield to capture the NABF super lightweight title and ended the year unifying his NABF title with the NABO junior welterweight title via an exciting 10-round decision over Hank Lundy. A consensus Top-Five contender, Dulorme is world-rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), No. 3 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and No. 4 by the WBO and the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

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

ARLINGTON, TX (March 4, 2015) — Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) World Lightweight Champion and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s (BWAA) 2014 Fighter of the Year TERENCE CRAWFORD and THOMAS DULORME, the No. 2 world-rated junior welterweight contender, will host a Dallas/Fort Worth area press conference announcing their world championship rumble, Tomorrow! Thursday, March 5, on the arena floor of the College Park Center, located on the campus of the University of Texas Arlington (600 South Center St., Arlington, TX 76010-1814). The press conference, which will be open to the public, will begin at 1:30 p.m. CT.

Joining the fighters will be Todd duBoef, president of Top Rank, and Gary Shaw, president of Gary Shaw Promotions, who promote Crawford and Dulorme, respectively. All the participants will be available for one-on-one interviews.

Media may enter through the main entrance, located on the north side of the building. Media parking will be available in the garage, also located on the north side of the building

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Gary Shaw Promotions, Foreman Boys Promotions and Tecate, Crawford and Dulorme will be battling for the vacant WBO junior welterweight world title, Saturday, April 18 at College Park Center. The world championship fight will be televised as part of a split site doubleheader live on HBO Boxing After Dark®, beginning at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Crawford (25-0, 17 KOs), of Omaha, NE, boxing’s brightest young star, captured the WBO lightweight title last March, dethroning Ricky Burns in the defending champion’s native Scotland, with a virtuoso performance. Crawford successfully defended the title twice in 2014, knocking out undefeated Cuban superstar and former world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa — a Fight of the Year nominee — and a one-sided unanimous decision over one-time world title contender and mandatory challenger Ray Beltran last November.

Dulorme (22-1, 14 KOs), of Carolina, Puerto Rico, is a fan-favorite in one of boxing’s hottest and most passionate markets. He enters his first world championship fight riding a two-year, six-bout winning streak, including his most recent victory, an NABF/NABO junior welterweight title victory over Hank Lundy, which was televised on HBO last December. Dulorme is world-rated No. 2 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), No. 3 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) and No. 4 by the WBO and the International Boxing Federation (IBF).

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

According to Dan Rafael, Lightweight titlist Terence Crawford has been named 2014 Fighter of The Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

“It’s a surprise to me because that’s something I never thought I’d be able to accomplish,” Crawford said. “Now that it’s happened, it kind of feels like it’s not real. But I will say that my performance in the ring on those three nights last year brought the best out of me.

“I was as sharp as I could be. Everything fell into place at the right time, and I’m looking for a big year again in 2015.”

“I’m going to continue taking the biggest and best fights out there. I don’t want to take no step down,” said Crawford, a native of Omaha, Nebraska. “I want to prove I’m the best fighter in and around my division and one of the best in any division. To be great, you got to set your sights on the Pacquiaos and the Mayweathers. Those are the kind of guys I want to fight and beat.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraskan lightweight champion Terence Crawford decisioned Mexican Raymundo Beltran lopsidedly, 119-109 and 118-110 and 119-109, in a match that was not large as its superlatives but demonstrated Crawford should stay at lightweight, which he won’t, Beltran was overrated, which no rater will admit, and Crawford should be 2014’s fighter of the year, an award that instead will go to a Russian who decisioned a 49-year-old last month.

In this, the final month of this, one hell of a dreadful year for our beloved sport, there are clear factions established among aficionados, anymore, and these factions predict with unfortunate accuracy the way each HBO main event will be seen. There are the sturdy optimists, identifiable by their collective disgust, creatively and diversely expressed; and there are the evangelists, using to describe today’s middling fare what words once adorned feats by Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran – and almost always with a financial incentive for imposing such overwrought modifiers.

The sturdy optimists saw Saturday on HBO two mediocre featherweights followed by one good lightweight and one very good lightweight. The sturdy optimists, who are optimistic for their refusal to call a counterfeit the true coin, saw nothing great happen. The evangelists, contrarily, saw the possible future of Puerto Rico prizefighting score a questionable draw with a Russian fighter – and if this year taught us little more, it taught us a former-Soviet-bloc fighter has amazingness as his birthright – followed by a future great with every tool establishing lightweight lineality against a very good contender (who should be champion!) before 12,000 Nebraskans, which is an astounding number when one considers it is 30-percent more fans than Gennady Golovkin’s record breaker of a ticketselling feat comprised in October.

The less written about undefeated Russian featherweight Evgeny Gradovich and undefeated Puerto Rican Jayson Velez’s remaining undefeated against one another, the better – as each man would be better served fighting the other man six more times than getting axed by Jamaican Nicholas Walters, and so let’s just wait for their third rematch before returning to them.

Terence Crawford is much better than most of his peers, both better at fighting than they are and better at interesting the townspeople of his native city in prizefighting, and promoter Top Rank deserves credit for working to build Crawford as an attraction in Omaha, a city not identifiable by anyone as interested in boxing till recently. Crawford’s large ticket sales in his hometown are surprising as the paucity of tickets he would sell in Las Vegas if he took his show on the road, which he oughtn’t do.

Crawford needs offensive-minded opponents to entertain best, and the more offensively basic and defensively suspect such athletic men are when they move forward, the better. Raymundo Beltran, a Mexican who fights out of Arizona and California, often as a sparring partner to the stars, was nearly right for Crawford’s style as Yuriorkis Gamboa was for Crawford’s ascension-making performance in June. Beltran fought gamely but ultimately succumbed to a sparring-partner ethic that makes meaningful effort, and the good work it gives one’s customer, nearly valuable as victory. When Beltran whacked away at Ricky Burns a couple Septembers ago, he used his Mexican suspicion of others’ acclaim to test the Scotsman and find him wanting, before treating Burns like an impostor. Saturday Beltran began with the same Mexican suspicion, one that grows in another man’s hometown, serendipitously enough for Mexican prizefighters and aficionados, to test Crawford, and land what was a jarring righthand in round 3.

But this time the man across from Beltran was a customer, not an impostor, and it remanded Beltran to nine rounds of hard labor and meaningful effort and what satisfaction and acclaim he received immediately afterwards despite losing 10 rounds unanimously. So dismal has boxing become that Crawford’s sporadic efforts to knock-out Beltran in rounds 11 and 12 met with near breathlessness from HBO’s broadcasting crew, as if endeavoring to land the decisive blow on a man whom you’ve outclassed for a solid half hour is a new and abstract form of courageousness. Alas. Evangelists are not culpable for lapses in quality control; their job is enthusiasm, not discernment, and their craft is craftily wording homages and tributes to whomever gets placed before them, not choosing those men.

Now Terence Crawford, who has the skills, potentially, to be a great lightweight but lacks the physical strength to be more than a good junior welterweight and a mediocre welterweight is summoned to 140 pounds, which is unfortunate because he fought Saturday at 153 pounds and did not carry in either fist power enough to stretch a man who began his career at 126. Barring nifty matchmaking, Crawford may well have scored his career’s last meaningful knockout in the very year aficionados happened to get excited about him, a phenomenon becoming too common in prizefighting to be called phenomenal.

It is hard to imagine Sergey Kovalev’s decisioning of a 49-year-old Bernard Hopkins evinces greater merit than Crawford’s three decisive victories over men in the primes of their careers, but as Kovalev’s decisive victory happened in front of more American boxing writers than the aggregate of Crawford’s three victories, well, one needn’t be a pessimist to know which way the nod will go, as the optimists look middle-distance, detached, and the evangelists make sure someone is looking at them for a quiet fist pump.

*

Editor’s note: After a one-week Spanish hiatus, Bart Barry’s column will return on Dec. 15.

LONDON (Nov 28) – Rising middleweight sensations Chris Eubank Jr and Billy Joe Saunders will be out to steal the show on a truly mouth-watering evening of boxing this Saturday, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Taking place at a 20,000 sell-out at ExCel London the pair have not minced their words in the run up to this year’s biggest and best British card, headlined by Dereck Chisora and Tyson Fury’s world title eliminator.

But despite the heavyweight hitmen topping the bill, it is Eubank Jr’s and Saunders’ clash which could prove the fight of the night on a card stacked from top to bottom.

The duo have shown little regard for one another in the build up to their eagerly anticipated clash, with Eubank Jr adamant that the current British, Commonwealth and European champion has not got under his skin.

“I can see he is not mentally ready to face what is going to be brought to him on Saturday night,” said Eubank Jr. “I could see he’s not ready at the press conference, with his nervous laughing and talking like he is a school kid. It’s going to be complete domination on my part in this fight.

“From day one of my professional career I have had people saying all types of things to me – from social media to trolls to haters. They have always been insulting me, whether it’s because they doubt my abilities or they didn’t like my dad so they don’t want me to succeed.

“So I’m used to insults and immune to any bad words that are directed towards me. He is not getting to me but I am getting to him by not reacting to the dumb things he says,” said Eubank Jr.

Despite both men having around the same number of professional fights, with the unbeaten Saunders’ 20 wins to Eubank Jr’s 18, it is the Brighton speedster who is seen as the less experienced of the two.

However, the 25-year-old is looking to follow in his father’s famous footsteps but says he is his own man when in the ring and has vowed that he will stop the highly-touted Saunders.

“I don’t take advice – I know what I’m going to do. If I feel like I have to change a certain strategy or start doing something different I will do it. That’s the difference between me and Billy Joe he needs someone to tell him what he needs to do – I don’t,” said Eubank Jr.

“I never pick a round or say when I’m going to take someone out in but he will not go the full 12 rounds with me – I’m going to knock him out. He’s not going to have enough to deal with the firepower which I’m going to bring to him,” he said.

Saunders, though, is in equally defiant mood and despite the fact he could have gone on to challenge for world honours he felt he has unfinished business back at home.

“I think you get more respect from the fans by taking on fights like this, where people can’t split you. I want to make sure everyone in Britain is beat so when I do move to world level people can say he beat everyone at his weight back home now he’s gone onto the world,” said Saunders.

“This is a fight the fans have been calling for and I’m happy we’ve managed to get this fight done – I honestly cannot wait to get in the ring,” he said.

The fight will allow the victor to go on to challenge the biggest names in the division next year, with Saunders, also 25, certain that Eubank Jr doesn’t know what is coming his way.

“It’s been a long time coming. The talking is done. This fight doesn’t need hyping up. I’m fit and ready to rock and roll. I’m going to poleaxe Chris Eubank Jr. Believe me I’m going to knock him out cold,” Saunders said.

“He says he’s going to break my heart. He wouldn’t break my heart with an AK47. So he isn’t going to break my heart – that’s definitely sure. I know what I need to do in there. I’m relaxed, all the hardwork has been done and the job is going to get done on Saturday,” he stated.

Also featuring on the night’s brilliant bill is Birmingham’s Frankie Gavin who will be looking to bounce back against the undefeated Bradley Skeete, with super-featherweights Liam Walsh and Gary Sykes challenging for the British and Commonwealth belts.

Super-middleweight ace Frank Buglioni is also appearing on the card as he takes on Andrew Robinson for the vacant WBO European title.

Once the enthralling bill is over from London, BoxNation will bring viewers live and exclusive coverage of one boxing’s hottest young superstars in the slick and exciting Terence Crawford who will defend his WBO lightweight world title against Raymundo Beltran.

In front of a full house at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska, the 27-year-old Crawford returns home for his second fight in a row, as he takes on the man who contentiously lost in his last world title bid against Ricky Burns last year.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) for only £12 a month (plus registration fee) please visit www.boxnation.com.

-Ends-

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HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise visits Omaha, Neb. for the second time in less than six months to present an all-action doubleheader of world title bouts when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: TERENCE CRAWFORD VS. RAY BELTRAN AND EVGENY GRADOVICH VS. JAYSON VELEZ is seen SATURDAY, NOV. 29 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from CenturyLink Center, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: Nov. 30 (8:15 a.m.) and Dec. 1 (12:15 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: Nov. 30 (5:45 p.m.) and Dec. 2 (12:15 a.m.)

Last June in Omaha, lightweight titleholder Terence Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs) made his long-awaited hometown debut on HBO, scoring a spectacular comeback KO victory over the previously undefeated Cuban star Yuriorkis Gamboa. The 27-year-old has fast-tracked through the 135-pound division, scoring three victories on HBO last year and adding a world title belt in March 2013.

Ray Beltran (29-6-1, 17 KOs) of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico is a formidable opponent on a five-fight winning streak. No stranger to the spotlight, the 33-year-old fought on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. undercard last April, winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Arash Usmanee.

The night from Omaha opens with two undefeated fighters hoping to become breakout stars when Evgeny Gradovich (19-0, 9 KOs) of Russia and Jayson Velez (22-0, 16 KOs) of Puerto Rico clash in a 12-round featherweight title fight. Making his fourth title defense, the 28-year-old Gradovich has shown a willingness to meet anyone, anywhere, having fought three times in Macau, China. Like Gradovich, the 26-year-old Velez has a fan-friendly style that should make for a compelling encounter.

The telecast begins with a replay of the Manny Pacquiao-Chris Algieri welterweight title fight from Macau that featured a dominant performance from Pacquiao in his 17th HBO Pay-Per-View event.

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 HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

OMAHA, NEB (October 3, 2014) — Tickets to the TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD vs. RAY BELTRAN WBO lightweight championship fight have been flying out the window — literally — since going on sale today at 10:00 a.m. CT. Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs), Omaha’s favorite son, will be defending his world title against No. 1 contender Beltran (29-6-1, 17 KOs), of North Hollywood, Calif., Saturday, November 29 at Omaha’s CenturyLink Center. The fight will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

“In just the four hours of being on sale, we are close to selling out the ringside seats and the next highest priced tier tickets sales are not too far behind that,” said Hall of Fame Promoter Bob Arum. “Terence’s fans are taking no chances on missing the opportunity of seeing their world champion defend his title live. The atmosphere on fight night is going to be even more electric than his last fight!”

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, remaining tickets to the Crawford vs. Beltran World Lightweight Championship event, priced at $127, $77 and $52 and $27, are available for purchase at the CenturyLink Center Omaha box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. To charge-by-phone call 800-745-3000. To order online, visit Ticketmaster.com.

Crawford successfully defended his title on June 28, at the CenturyLink Center, knocking out previously undefeated world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in front of an energized crowd. The fight, a candidate for Fight of the Year honors, was televised live on HBO®, and according to Nielsen Media Research, garnered an average audience of 1.208 million viewers to the live, first-time airing, making it the second most-watched fight of the year so far. Crawford vs. Gamboa was the first world championship fight the city of Omaha had hosted in 42 years when Joe Frazier defended his World Heavyweight Championship crown against Ron Stander in 1972.

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 #CrawfordBeltran to join the conversation on Twitter.

OMAHA, NEB (September 30, 2014) — Undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) lightweight champion TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD, Omaha’s favorite son, will make an encore hometown title defense on the heels of his wildly successful victory over previously undefeated world champion and Cuban sensation Yuriorkis Gamboa. Crawford will defend his title against No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger RAY BELTRAN on Thanksgiving weekend, Saturday, November 29, at the CenturyLink Center. The fight will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark, beginning at
10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Tecate, tickets to the Crawford vs. Beltran World Lightweight Championship event will go on sale This Friday! October 3, at 10:00 a.m. CT. Reserved seat tickets start at just $27, with remaining tiers priced at $52, $77 and $127. They will be available for purchase at the CenturyLink Center Omaha box office and all Ticketmaster outlets. To charge-by-phone call 800-745-3000. To order online, visit Ticketmaster.com.

Crawford successfully defended his title on June 28, at the CenturyLink Center, knocking out previously undefeated world champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in front of an energized crowd. The fight, a candidate for Fight of the Year honors, was televised live on HBO®, and according to Nielsen Media Research, garnered an average audience of 1.208 million viewers to the live, first-time airing, making it the second most-watched fight of the year so far. Crawford vs. Gamboa was the first world championship fight the city of Omaha had hosted in 42 years when Joe Frazier defended his World Heavyweight Championship crown against Ron Stander in 1972.

“It’s an honor to fight in my hometown during the holiday season in front of my fans and family who will be traveling to Omaha,” said Crawford. “It’s great that Top Rank and HBO are coming back into town to promote another show on one of the biggest weekends of the year. Beltran feels I have something – a world title belt – which belongs to him. He thought he beat Ricky Burns and I thought Beltran won too. But he didn’t and I did. Beltran can fight. We know that. I am going to fight him like a bad dog, fight fire with fire. Let’s see if he really has a will to win in Omaha. My will to win is off the charts. He won’t be coming straight at me the way he did against Ricky Burns. My team and I are training hard to put on a good show for everyone. No one will be disappointed.”
“Crawford has shown to be a talented fighter, someone I respect.,” said Beltran. “But I see this fight as an opportunity for me to achieve the recognition in the boxing world and the public’s eye. This fight is Champion vs. Champion. It’s not about the belts. It’s about us. Crawford is talented, has skill, but I have the ability to adapt and will be ready for what he brings. The situation against Burns made me stronger, I felt the love of the crowd and all of their respect that night. I feel blessed with my family and friends. All of that will be with me when I fight Crawford in Omaha. I am the No. 2 fighter in the world. Crawford is No. 1. That is what this is all about. I believe in me. This is my moment.”

“This fight between Crawford and Beltran could very well be the fight of the year. The styles and skills of both fighters guarantee as much,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

“When Terence Crawford fought in front of his Omaha hometown crowd last June, the atmosphere produced one of the most spectacular fights of 2014 on HBO,” said Peter Nelson, vice president, programming, HBO Sports. “The spotlight returns to the American heartland November 29, as the undefeated champ faces Ray Beltran, a challenger who has earned more opportunities than he’s been given and always gives the fans his all.”

“CenturyLink Center Omaha is honored to have the opportunity once again to host this world championship boxing event,” said Roger Dixon, President and CEO of the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority. “The atmosphere was electric in June and we expect even more excitement this time around.”

Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs), of Omaha, returns to the ring fresh from his dramatic and critically-acclaimed knockout victory of Gamboa. Not only did Crawford retain his title, he also made himself a contender for Fighter of the Year. He 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. After a short but impressive amateur career, which included victories over future world champions Danny Garcia, Mikey Garcia and one-time world title challenger Diego Magdaleno, Crawford made his professional debut on March 14, 2008 – a first-round knockout victory of Brian Cummings. On March 1, 2014 – just 13 days short of the sixth anniversary of his pro debut, Crawford captured the WBO lightweight title, dethroning defending champion Ricky Burns on Burns’ home turf of Glasgow, Scotland. Scoring a powerful and unanimous decision, Burns put the boxing world on notice that with his virtuoso performance. Crawford pulled out all stops in dismantling Burns as he rocked the defending champion throughout the fight, while switching back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stances.

Beltran (29-6-1, 17 KOs), a native of Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, who now lives in North Hollywood, Calif., is one of the lightweight division’s toughest and most experienced fighters. A former NABF and USBA lightweight champion, Beltran enters this fight riding a two-year five-bout winning streak, which includes a disputed draw against defending WBO lightweight champion hometown favorite Ricky Burns in Glasgow, Scotland last year. In that fight, Beltran fractured Burns’ jaw in the first two rounds and dominated the fight, consistently landing the harder punches. Beltran scored a knockdown in the eighth round and finished the fight strongly. Ringside observers and television viewers alike screamed “home cooking!” when the fight was declared a draw. Beyond his professional fight, Beltran has had the benefit of being a main sparring partner for Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao for several years before becoming a top-rated contender in his own right. In his last fight, on April 12, he claimed the NABO lightweight title, winning a 12-round unanimous decision against once-beaten Arash Usmanee on the undercard of the Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr world welterweight championship rematch.

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 #CrawfordBeltran to join the conversation on Twitter.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, IBF Featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich will defend his title against Jayson Velez on November 29 as part of the Terence Crawford – Ray Beltran undercard in in Omaha, Nebraska.

“It’s a real good fight, I think,” said Gradovich’s promoter Bob Arum. “Gradovich and this kid Velez both come to fight. It’s hard for me to pick a winner. If you had to pick a winner I guess you’d have to go with Gradovich based on his experience.”

“It’s two guys who aren’t big sluggers who fight like they are big sluggers, which always makes for a great action fight,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti said.

“Velez has given a good account of himself and he’s Miguel Cotto’s fighter, so we moved him into the title fight with Gradovich,” Arum said. “Velez, Miguel and [Cotto adviser] Gaby [Peñagaricano] are ecstatic to get the fight and we’re happy to put it on.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com. WBO Lightweight champion Terence Crawford will make the 2nd defense of his title against Raymundo Beltran on November 29 in Crawford’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.

“After the way the people of Omaha responded to the June fight, there is a hunger now there for boxing, especially for Terence Crawford,” said Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum told ESPN.com. “We had over 10,000 for the fight in June and we’ll have another big crowd for this fight.

“And I think we have a good fight with Beltran, an interesting fight. It’s a style contrast that should make it an exciting fight with Beltran putting on pressure and Crawford being the better boxer, but a guy who can also put on pressure.”

“It’s gonna be great. The feeling that I get when I’m at home is unreal, especially not being able to fight in my hometown before [June] and coming off a great victory like I did in my last go-round,” Crawford said. “To bring this one home also, it will be great.”

“In the view of every rational viewer, Beltran beat Burns,” Arum said. “In a fair world Crawford would have been the challenger to Beltran for the title. At least Beltran is getting the opportunity as the challenger, but it’s not the same thing as getting the fight as the champion because of the disparity in money.”

“No question about it, my next opponent ain’t a bum,” Crawford said. “He’s tricky, he’s smart, he’s a veteran. He’s tough and he can take a punch. I’m not cutting any corners.

“I saw the fight because I was the No. 1 contender and going to fight the winner for the title,” Crawford said. “I felt Beltran did more than enough to win that fight. Unfortunately, he didn’t get that victory over there. I went over there and did my job and got the victory. Now we’re fighting.

“I know coming into the fight he feels like I have something that belongs to him. He feels like that belt belongs to him and he will train extra hard to get what he thinks belongs to him, and that makes for a good fight.”

“I should be defending my title. But only God knows why it happened,” he said. “I just focus and try to stay positive. I’ve been through a lot in boxing.”

There was some discussion in the Crawford camp about a possible move up to junior welterweight for his next fight, but he is staying put at lightweight for at least one more bout.

“He’s going

“Right now my body is getting bigger and I am filling out a little more, but as I have said, my next goal is to move up in weight and win more titles,” Crawford said. “But as of right now, me and my managers and promoter feel like a couple of more at 135 and then move up. I wanted to move up, but this is not just my decision. We’re a team and my team felt it would be better to take another fight at 135 and then think about moving up and that’s what we’re doing right now.

“So we are focused on Beltran. I can still make 135 and be strong, so our main focus is on Beltran. Moving up is later on in the future.”