By Bart Barry-

Saturday on ESPN+ Nebraska’s Terence Crawford won his first welterweight title the right way. He beat to relenting titlist Jeff Horn, the Aussie who upset Manny Pacquiao in 2017.

Crawford is everything.

He came in our collective consciousness the right way – making his television debut on short notice in a higher weightclass, then winning his first title in another country. He understands fighting at its genetic level; he is good enough at fundamentals to find space enough between confrontational moments to ask himself what-if questions that reveal new options, some of which improve him (the route to better ideas, firstly, comes of having more ideas). He has a high physical IQ; he senses another man’s intentions at least as soon as those intentions get set. He keeps his personality out the way – he knows what it is and requires to be great at something and knows th’t he, like most of us, hasn’t the resources to make a great spokesman. He takes chances, hitting and getting hit early in matches, the faster to assess the men across from him. He is ambitious; much lesser talents than “Bud’s” have made gainful livings staying in one weightclass to gorge on smaller men.

And he is mean.

There are myriad socioeconomic factors that make Crawford the perfect concoction this moment locates him as, but not one of them needs excavation here.

(Been thinking a good bit about machine learning lately, and its contemporary sexed-up alias, artificial intelligence, and the more seriously one considers such things the quicker and more frequently he returns to Arthur Samuel’s checkers-playing program, nearly 60 years-old now, and an idea occasionally lost in contemporary celebrations of Samuel’s other remarkable ideas like alpha-beta pruning. The idea goes like this: The entirety of any piece’s relevant history in a game of checkers is contained in its current position on the board. Human minds have way, way more processing and storage power than Samuel’s hardware did, obviously, and likely way more processing power than even today’s liberal approximations assign them, but the metaphor is instructive just the same: Everything that made Terence Crawford what he is was cumulatively contained Saturday in the 26 1/2 minutes he spent unbelting Horn.)

There may be contentment or at least satisfaction in relating things Crawford did to their histories but not joy. Here’s joy: When Crawford stuck Horn to the body in round 8 and an instant later you chucklecoughed or whistled alone in a room. That moment for one, other moments for others, canceled the argument – no conditions, no comparisons, no reductions, no history.

We are blessed as aficionados right now to have at the highest level of our sport – a level shared by Crawford and Vasyl Lomachenko, hard stop – two men who cancel the argument for those of us who enjoy sports primarily for their making us present, not giving us identities (I’m someone who knows things) or outlets (helps me forget the ways others have wronged me) or income.

Crawford did so many things so well Saturday. He placed fast, precise combinations – middle knuckle of fist within a quarter’s radius of intended target – and converted possibilities to openings. He bullied the larger man, walking Horn backwards without once pleading backwards for official intervention; he took Horn’s initiative, to remind Crawford every second he was in a fight, not an athletic spectacle, and amplified it, ensuring Horn felt in every clinch Crawford’s sinews. No give, no defensiveness.

He remanded Horn to a corner every three minutes for 60 seconds of doubting his handlers’ expertise – yes, I will leap off this stool filled with positive thoughts, I promise I will, but in another minute or two, that guy you told me wasn’t my better is going to start hitting me again, not you, so thanks for the water, I guess?

He lashed Horn’s belly with left crosses and hooks and uppercuts no one hit Horn with before. Horn reacted like a man prepared to be hit in ways he didn’t prepare for, prepared to remind his body everything was all right with stiffening thoughts galore, but since you can’t outthink a feeling no amount of thinking could enduringly offset what painful signals Horn’s body sent in torrents.

This is where physical IQ trumps intellect in every fight; Bud Crawford probably couldn’t put it in a poem or a paragraph or a painting (nor could Horn), but in hot blood Crawford’s mind knew where to put his knuckle on Horn’s body to stop the flow of actionable thoughts to and from Horn’s brain, a brain, one must remember, roted to continue that flow of actionable thoughts no matter how torrential the signals bubbling up from his body. Horn didn’t interrupt Crawford’s thoughts but a fraction so often.

Crawford enjoyed Horn’s diminishment. He felt Horn relenting and smiled.

This is what makes men like Crawford (or Mayweather or Marquez or Hopkins) exceptional; where something like empathy for a man being stripped publicly of his dignity begins to drain others, such a stripping makes the purest fighters euphoric. It transcends professionalism: I’m not doing this because it’s my job, no, I’m doing this because I like hurting you. You can’t really teach this; for who that knew how to teach it could conscience doing so? Those who would say they can teach it mistake sadism and chance for a template.

Herein lies the distinction between Crawford and Lomachenko, the world’s two best fighters, ranked numbers 1 and 1: Where one senses Lomachenko learned to hurt men for glory’s sake, Crawford glories in hurting men.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Follow all the action live as Jeff Horn defends the WBO Welterweight Title against 3-division world champion Terence Crawford.  The action kicks off at 9:30 PM ET / 6:30 PM PT /11:30 AM in Brisbane with a lightweight battle between Jose Pedraza and Antonio Moran.

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED.  THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Left from Crawford…Right by Horn..Right hook from Crawford..Good exchange..Crawford lands a combination

Round 2 Left to body from Crawford..Straight left..Left from Horn

Round 3 Right Hook from Crawford..Exchange in middle of ring..Double jab..Right from Horn…Left from Crawford,,Hard left..Jab..Left..Jab…good left and a combination..Blood over right eye of Horn

Round 4 Left by Crawford

Round 5 Combinations from Crawford…Horn trying but not getting much done

Round 6 3 punch combination..Uppercut with the left hand.Good body shot..Hard body shot

Round 7 Double right from Horn..Inside left from Crawford..Lead left..Left to body..Left uppercut

Round 8  Crawford lands a left to the body..left hook..Left..3 huge shots wobbles Horn..Huge shots Rocks Horn at the bell

Round 9 Left from Crawford…left..big RIGHT AND A BIG LEFT AND DOWN GOES HORN...2 BIG LEFTS..HORN GOING BACK TO THE ROPES AND THE FIGHT IS STOPPED

Round 1 Left from Pedraza..Right drives Moran off balance..Moran lands a body shot..Combination..Left..Right from Pedraza..

Round 2  Blood from the bridge of nose from Moran..Uppercut from Pedraza..Moran landing combinations..Good exchange

Round 3 Pedraza lands a right

Round 4 Over hand right from Pedraza..Moran lands a right over the top..Hard right..Body shot..Nice left from Pedraza

Round 5 Lead right from Pedraza..jab and right

Round 6 Right from Pedraza…

Round 7 Right from Moran..Right..Hard body shot and combination from Pedraza..Jab from Moran..Pedraza landsa left to the body

Round 8 Body shot from Pedraza..Right..Hard left..Double drives Moran back

Round 9 Pedraza lands a short left on inside..uppercut..Sweeping left

Round 10 

96-94 ON ALL CARDS FOR JOSE PEDRAZA

By Norm Frauenheim-

LAS VEGAS – Surprises came early for Jeff Horn. There was one on the scale Friday, more than 24 hours before the opening bell Saturday against pound-for-pound contender Terence Crawford.

Horn stepped on the scale once, then twice. First, he was a pound heavier than the welterweight limit at 148.

Off came the shorts and up came a long black curtain. Naked, Horn was back on the scale, but still a half-pound too heavy at 147.5 to defend the World Boxing Organization’s version of the welterweight title at the MGM Grand in an ESPN+ televised bout (6:30 p.m. PT/9:30 p.m. ET).

One more chance awaited. If he missed the weight a third time, however, he was out, an ex-champ before the heavily-favored Crawford would ever have a chance to turn him into one.

But after a warm shower and a trip to the bathroom, Horn was back 45 minutes later. No problem. No penalty. He even kept his shorts, along with his belt, this time, making weight without a digit to spare. The Australian was at 147-even. Crawford was at 146.5 in his first and only trip to the scale for his welterweight debut.

What exactly happened, however, wasn’t clear. The Queenslander from Brisbane didn’t blame the extra weight on a bit too much Vegemite on his morning muffin. He questioned the scale.

`We tested on the official set from Top Rank and my weight was fine,’’ Horn told Australian media moments after making the weight. “I think there was something up their sleeve because Crawford was just under the weight and I was just over. We thought we’d calibrated our scales to the correct weight, but they’ve tricked us. There was a bit of play with the scales.’’

Three fighters on the undercard also missed weight by small margins. The weigh-in drama, intentional or not, didn’t appear to rattle Horn, however. If anything, it emboldened him.

“I could see, face-to-face with Terence, he was a bit rattled,’’ said Horn, who will make a second defense of the belt he took from Manny Pacquiao Down Under in a controversial stunner last July. “He’s shaking. I’m calm. I’m fine. I think they think I’m a bit mentally weaker than I actually am. This stuff’s all part of it, I know it.”

Horn believes there’s a bit of play with the betting odds, too. Horn says he is surprised that Crawford is so heavily favored at minus-950.

“I’m the bigger fighter,’’ said Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs), whose contract filed with the Nevada Athletic Commission includes a $500,000 purse. Horn’s final check is expected to be $1.25 million.

Crawford’s contract with the Commission lists a $1.75 million check. He’s expected to wind up with $3 million.

The difference in size is said to be Horn’s biggest, perhaps only advantage against the multi-dimensional Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs), a former lightweight and junior-welterweight champion. The weigh-in left a question about whether Horn would try to maximize his advantage in size by adding as much weight as possible in the hours before opening bell.

“I expect to him to be about 70 kilos,’’ Horn trainer Glenn Rushton said.

That’s 154.3 pounds, if you believe the scale.

By Norm Frauenheim-

LAS VEGAS – Despite mounting doubts about his reflexes, speed and durability, there’s still plenty of power in Manny Pacquiao’s name. Celebrity is the last thing to go these days. But don’t mistake Terence Crawford for Pacquiao. Crawford doesn’t have any of Pacquiao’s celebrity. He’s not exactly the nice guy Pacquiao is, either.

Not that Crawford cares.

For now, at least, Crawford is not seeking Pacquiao’s kind of global celebrity or personal likability. It sounds as if another wicked stoppage would be enough. And that’s exactly what Crawford is pursuing Saturday night at the MGM Grand in his welterweight debut against Jeff Horn, once an unknown Aussie who is in Las Vegas this week because of his controversial decision over Pacquiao in Brisbane nearly a year ago.

“I’m not Manny Pacquiao,’’ Crawford said Thursday at a news conference in a matter-of-fact tone. “I’m bigger. I’m stronger.

“I’m in my prime. And that’s gonna show, come Saturday. A lot of people are comparing how he pushed around Pacquiao. But that’s not me.’’

Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs), who is ranked No.2 behind Vasiliy Lomachenko in most pound-for-pound debates, is heavily favored – minus-950 at Vegas books late Thursday — to take the 147-pound belt that Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs) took from Pacquiao last July. Some foresee the ESPN+ featured bout (6:30 pm PT/9:30 pm ET) as a showcase for the world’s next dominant welterweight. Errol Spence might have something to say about that. But more on him at a later date.

“We’re here to take over at 147,’’ Crawford trainer Brian McIntryre said. “Jeff just happens to be there, happens to be the first victim.’’

But there’s a theory that Horn’s size, rugged strength and bullish tactics will make the Top Rank-promoted Crawford regret that he decided to venture into a heavier division.

“We think Top Rank erred,’’ Horn promoter Dean Lonergan said. “We think Top Rank put Crawford in against the wrong guy.’’

It’s a matter of record that Top Rank put Pacquiao in against the wrong guy last summer. In a long, bruising 12 rounds Down Under last July, Horn punished Pacquiao in ways that nobody has. But it was a different Pacquiao. The Filipino Senator looked tentative. The fighter in all of those Bruce Lee-like poses from a decade ago look like a shrunken version of who and what he had been. He sure didn’t look like himself and it’s safe to safe he didn’t look anything like the Crawford Horn figures to see Saturday.

It’s as if we’re only beginning to see Crawford’s many dimensions, including an evident like for the brutal task of breaking down an opponent. There’s a mean streak in eyes that elicit their damage with hands that Crawford delivers with equal speed and accuracy. Right or left doesn’t matter. Crawford uses both, leads with either in an almost seamless switch, with lethal precision. Then, he smiles. It’s a deadly combo.

Yeah, Horn is bigger. Crawford is shorter by about an inch, a listed 5-foot-8 to Horn’s 5-9, which was more than three inches taller than Pacquiao (5-5 ½). The more significant tale on the tape, however, is in reach. The shorter Crawford has that advantage by two inches, 70 to Horn’s 68, in an edge that figures to multiply very quickly with a two-handed attack.

LAS VEGAS (June 7, 2018) – After the months of trash talk, Terence “Bud” Crawford and WBO welterweight champion Jeff “The Hornet” Horn met face to face for the first time.

Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs), the pound-for-pound great from Omaha, Nebraska, is seeking a world title in a third weight class against the unbeaten Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs).

On the undercard, Jose Pedraza (23-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, will challenge Antonio Moran (22-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the WBO Latino lightweight belt; Shakur Stevenson (6-0, 3 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, will step up in class against Aelio Mesquita (16-1, 14 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight contest; light heavyweight prospect Steve Nelson (10-0, 8 KOs) will take on Dashon Webster (10-1, 6 KOs) in a six-rounder; and 18-year-old super featherweight sensation Gabe Flores Jr (7-0, 5 KOs) will face Jorge Rojas (4-3-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round bout.

And, in a battle of unbeatens, welterweight contender Jose Benavidez (26-0, 17 KOs) will face the iron-fisted Frank Rojas (22-0, 21 KOs) of Caracas, Venezuela, in a 10-rounder.

This is what the main event fighters had to say at Thursday’s press conference.

Terence Crawford

“He’s viewing me as this small welterweight. Come fight night, he’ll see otherwise. I just feel like that’s good for him. He’s coming in hungry and determined, and that makes for a good fight. I’m going to be prepared for whatever he brings. Come Saturday, he might get hurt.”

“I’m bigger. I’m stronger. I’m in my prime. And that’s gonna show come Saturday. A lot of people are comparing how he pushed around Pacquiao, but that’s not me. Pacquiao is 5’5, I believe, 5’6. I feel like you’re viewing that and comparing the Gamboa fight, when I got hurt, to this fight. I’ve seen him get hurt. I’ve seen him get dropped. We’re gonna see come Saturday night who’s gonna be getting rocked and dropped.”

“I got a strong will as well. Pressure breaks pipes. A lot of people came into the ring with me with a strong will, and they left with their tail tucked in.”

“I’m going to let the referee {Robert Byrd} do his job, and I’m going to do my job.”

Jeff Horn

“I’m surprised I’m as big of an underdog as I am for the fight. I’m not surprised I am the underdog. Terence Crawford is a great fighter, pound-for-pound, wiped out the super lightweight division. That’s a tough division as well. I’ve made this mistake before. I underestimated a guy that was slightly smaller than me – in the amateurs – and he knocked me down a couple times. I won’t be making that same mistake. Terence, I know he’s put on the size. He’s going to be a nice, strong welterweight. I can’t wait to get in there and prove the doubters wrong.”

“That guarantees a win if you knock the other guy out. If you search for it too much, that’s when it doesn’t come. You can’t just be looking for the knockout all the time, and I just have to fight the best fight I can and rely on even scoring. I feel like back home {against Pacquiao} it was even scoring, and I feel like it will be the same here.”

“I’ve just got to fight my heart out, and that’s all I can do.”

###

Crawford vs. Horn and Pedraza vs. Moran will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET., while the undercard, including Stevenson-Mesquita, Benavidez-Rojas, Nelson-Webster, and Flores-Rojas will be shown on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Remaining tickets for Crawford vs. Horn, priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50 (limited availability), can be purchased online through axs.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts box office.

Use the hashtag #CrawfordHorn and #PedrazaMoran to join the conversation on social media.
About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to boxing content, fans can watch thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ has debuted its newest boxing brand, Camp Life, a series that takes fans inside the training camps of today’s biggest fighters for intimate and penetrating looks at boxers’ lives as they prepare for battle. The premiere episode visits pound-for-pound elite Terence “Bud” Crawford at his training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and gives fans an opportunity to take a peek behind the curtain of one of boxing’s modern greats as he prepares for his bout against WBO welterweight champion Jeff “The Hornet” Horn, June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“Camp Life” is available now live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+ — the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs), a former lightweight and undisputed junior welterweight champion, is moving up in weight to challenge Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs), the Brisbane, Australia, native who won the title last July with a thrilling unanimous decision victory over living legend Manny Pacquiao.

Crawford vs. Horn and Jose Pedraza vs. Antonio Moran will stream live and exclusively in the United States Saturday, June 9 at 9:30 p.m. ET. on ESPN+. Undercards will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo,facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing,twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo,@ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtag #CrawfordHorn to join the conversation on social media.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks.

The ESPN+ lineup includes 18 exclusive, live Top Rank events per year, dozens of fights from other Top Rank undercards, an unmatched library of the greatest fights in boxing history, and two exclusive, original boxing programs: The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays) and In This Corner (twice monthly).

It also features hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of the completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

LAS VEGAS (June 6, 2018) – Terence “Bud” Crawford looks to conquer yet another weight division Saturday evening, when he challenges WBO welterweight champion Jeff “The Hornet” Horn at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

On the undercard, Jose Pedraza (23-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, will challenge Antonio Moran (22-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the WBO Latino lightweight belt; Shakur Stevenson (6-0, 3 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, will step up in class against Aelio Mesquita (16-1, 14 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight contest; light heavyweight prospect Steve Nelson (10-0, 8 KOs) will take on Dashon Webster (10-1, 6 KOs) in a six-rounder; and 18-year-old super featherweight sensation Gabe Flores Jr (7-0, 5 KOs) will face Jorge Rojas (4-3-1, 2 KOs) in a six-round bout.

And, in a battle of unbeatens, welterweight contender Jose Benavidez (26-0, 17 KOs) will face the iron-fisted Frank Rojas (22-0, 21 KOs) of Caracas, Venezuela, in a 10-rounder.

Many of the fighters from Saturday’s card worked out for the media Wednesday at the MGM Grand.

This is what they had to say.

Terence Crawford

“I feel like I’m in the same boat right now as when I was coming up in weight. Thomas Dulorme was a 147-pounder and he came down in weight to fight me for the title and everybody was saying he was this big, strong puncher and saying that I was too small. But I went for it and I prevailed, and I feel like I’m in the same predicament when I was moving up from 135 to 140.”

“I just try to get the victory. I need to go in there and be focused and not overconfident and do what I’ve got to do to get the job done.”

Jeff Horn

“It has definitely been a hard road to get to where I am. I had to fight very hard. The mindset is that I am coming in as an underdog even though I am a world champion. I have had to fight some messy fights and when I can start showing myself to everyone around the world is when I can start thinking differently.”

“I don’t think about the underdog status. I had that before in the Manny Pacquiao fight. I will do what I did for that fight and that is not worry about that and just worry about what I’m going to do in there and make a fight of it and be competitive and win. Just keep thinking along those lines.”

Jose Pedraza

“I am ready for this moment. We are going to take things step by step, calmly but also with confidence. Once we get this fight out of the way, we will continue our route to another world championship. But, first things first.”

Shakur Stevenon

“I’ve been in the ring with a lot of different styles in the amateurs that have prepared me for this point. People should expect my best performance as a pro. I’m going to put on a show and knock this guy out.”

Gabe Flores Jr.

“I fought my first seven pro fights while attending high school. I eat, sleep and breathe boxing. I have the experience, and I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

Steve Nelson

“It’s fight week. It’s time to have fun in the ring. The hard work is done.”

“I learn so much from Terence and training with him. We came up together, and I’m pushing to get where he’s at.”

###

Crawford vs. Horn and Pedraza vs. Moran will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET., while the undercard, including Stevenson-Mesquita, Benavidez-Rojas, Nelson-Webster, and Flores-Rojas will be shown on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Remaining tickets for Crawford vs. Horn, priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50 (limited availability), can be purchased online through axs.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts box office.

Use the hashtag #CrawfordHorn and #PedrazaMoran to join the conversation on social media.
About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Tuesdays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to boxing content, fans can watch thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

BOB ARUM: I want to welcome you all to this conference call, and I’m looking forward to a great fight on Saturday night. Jeff Horn has shown what a great fighter he is and what a strong athlete everybody – 5 million people in the United States – say when they watched his fight with Manny Pacquiao, and he is not coming to just make an appearance. He is coming to defend his title, and he is a strong and determined boxer. I am looking forward to a great fight.

GLENN RUSHTON (Trainer, Jeff Horn): We are really looking forward to the fight and we obviously appreciate everything that Top Rank has done to make this fight happen. It’s a brilliant fight between two unbeaten fighters. These two are both 30 years of age, both in their prime and it’s going to be a phenomenal fight on Saturday night when two unbeaten forces collide here. It’s going to be exciting. We are looking forward to the fight very much, and we’re ready.

JEFF HORN: I’ve been working very hard in the preparation for this fight. It has been a long preparation, and I think that’s worked wonders for us. We’ve had pretty much double prep. I am feeling super fit, in the best shape that I have been for any fight in the past. Right now, we are just training – tapering down for the fight, sharpening up the skills and things – and getting ready for a big, massive fight here in Vegas.

How hard was it to convince you to come to the United States to make this fight as opposed to home where you had your fight with Pacquiao and other professional fights?

JEFF HORN: It wasn’t that hard, I guess. The money was right for this fight. I was always thinking that I was going to go to America anyway and have a fight, so why not now? It’s not like we were trying to stay in just Australia. We know we need to fight all around the world to build my reputation.

GLENN RUSHTON: It wasn’t that at all. Jeff has always traveled all around the world. As an amateur, he fought all over the world, and as a professional, he has gone to New Zealand to fight. We are used to traveling. We know how to travel. We can adapt quickly in the different time zones, so for us, it’s not a problem. We anticipated it would take us three or four days to settle in properly to get back to his very best. Now he is back to his very best. We are good to go come Saturday night, and it going to be a heck of a fight.

When did you arrive?

GLENN RUSHTON: We arrived last Wednesday.

Would your fight against Pacquiao still be the biggest win of your career if you win Saturday night? Or would a Crawford win?

JEFF HORN: They are both massive fights in my mind. It is hard to split them apart. The Pacquiao fight was a massive win in a full stadium in my hometown and it is a very difficult one to beat in my mind just because of what it was worth to me as well. It has always been a dream to come over to America to fight in one of these massive casinos in Las Vegas and put on a massive show.

Bob, can you give me an idea of what the winner of this fight does in a welterweight division stocked with talented guys?

BOB ARUM: The welterweight division has been, going back to the 80s, with Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, a top division. Now there are a lot of great welterweights out there. Two of them are fighting on Saturday, and there’s Errol Spence, who is a terrific fighter, {Keith} Thurman, {Shawn} Porter and {Danny} Garcia, and there is a guy that you should be looking at also who will be on the card. He is recovering from this incident where he was shot in the knee and he is coming along really strong – Jose Benavidez – and he may be ready to fight the winner, which we will see. There is Carlos Adames who fought on the May 12 card with Lomachenko and Linares in the co-feature, and he would be available to fight the winner. So we are not lacking for talent in the welterweight division. There is {Egidijus} Kavaliauskas – the undefeated Lithuanian fighter. There are a lot of good, good welterweight fighters.

Bob, you didn’t even mention Pacquiao…

BOB ARUM: There is Manny Pacquiao (laughing), well, he is more of a politician, but he is a fighter, I guess.

Do you believe you will have a size advantage since Terence will be coming up from junior welterweight?

GLENN RUSHTON: Personally, I do not believe we will have this huge size advantage that everybody is saying. We do have a one-inch height advantage, and that is something Terence cannot change. I would not be surprised, and I do expect Terence to come in about the same size as Jeff. What we will have is the advantage of having been consistently fighting welterweights since we started. But for Terence, this is the first step up for him. We are used to having a strength advantage rather than a size advantage coming into the fight. That is my opinion, since I think Terence will come in here a lot bigger than a lot of people think so there will not be an incredible size advantage. And Jeff is incredibly strong.

The Pacquiao fight, there were not Australian judges and this fight there is one Australian judge. Do you feel you can win a fight here against Crawford?

JEFF HORN: I should be able to win a decision in America. If they are judging fairly and I am throwing more punches and landing more punches, then the judges should be seeing that and scoring me the rounds. The judges will be watching Terence Crawford and watching me as well. That can be the tricky part with judging if you try and watch two guys – you normally can put your eye on one guy and see what he’s doing. It will come down to the exchanges between me and Crawford and who they are watching.

Glenn, can you comment on that as well?

GLENN RUSHTON: I believe that we can win a decision I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I do believe that the judges all around the world are very good. Judges are incredibly competent, and they do their very best to arrive at an accurate round-by-round verdict. So, we should not have a problem with the fighters, but I do hope that {referee Robert} Byrd lets the fighters fight because the people want to see a great, entertaining fight. We don’t want the fight stopped every second that the fighters get close. We’d like to see the fighters fight freely, and if so, it’s going to be an incredible fight on Saturday night. That’s all we hope for, and we don’t foresee any problems from any of the officials.

For many fighters, it takes a lot of hard work to get to the top then they have to find another level to stay there. Can you tell me what that’s like?

JEFF HORN: It has definitely been a hard road to get to where I am. I had to fight very hard. The mindset is that I am coming in as an underdog even though I am a world champion. I have had to fight some messy fights and when I can start showing myself to everyone around the world is when I can start thinking differently.

How tough is it to train for a guy like Crawford who can switch styles and stances throughout the fight?

JEFF HORN: Crawford can fight any style and switch positions. It is a little bit easier to have a southpaw that you just chase around the whole time, whereas Crawford is switching back and forth all the time. We can have orthodox and southpaws in sparring as with any type of fighter that may not have the skills, but will have that style that can stop, move and switch and bang you on the head.

How do you prepare yourself for the adjustments that Crawford makes throughout the fight?

JEFF HORN: I have just prepared myself my whole career to fight in a way that the other guy doesn’t know what you’re doing. I’m hoping he can’t figure me out throughout this whole fight because what if I change up and hopefully he’s still trying to figure me out in round 12? That’s the plan, to keep changing things up and he can adjust and try to figure out what I’m doing.

How do you feel about being a heavy underdog?

JEFF HORN: I don’t think about the underdog status. I had that before in the Manny Pacquiao fight. I will do what I did for that fight and that is not worry about that and just worry about what I’m going to do in there and make a fight of it and be competitive and win. Just keep thinking along those lines.

Many people think this should be on ESPN TV instead of the app – ESPN+. Looking back to the Pacquiao fight where millions watched. What do you say to them?

BOB ARUM: Well, you can’t hold back the future and the future is direct to consumer. The future is ESPN+, where I believe in the next 10 to 20 years everyone will be watching their entertainment on direct to consumer platforms. Like Netflix in entertainment, ESPN+ will be the place for sports in abundance. To fans now in the United States and around the world, it is the future. Get used to it. Jeff Horn and Terence Crawford will go down in history as the two fighters who are the first to fight in this direct to consumer sports entertainment space.

Did you doubt the injury to Terence Crawford that delayed this fight that was scheduled for April?

JEFF HORN: It was frustrating at the time because I was in hard training and it was only a few weeks out and it was cancelled, and it was frustrating because I knew I had to do that hard training all over again. I didn’t see any evidence that there was any damage, so it may have been just a tactic. So, I had to start over again.

The training camp for Pacquiao must have been very difficult – would you say that this training camp was tougher? Will you try to press him?

JEFF HORN: I only train for the fight preparation that I get pushed for from Glenn, and he is only going to push me as hard as he needs to push me. I guess I learned from that preparation how to push my body really hard and this preparation was technically the hardest. I have pushed my body and that’s why I feel like I am in super condition. I have had two preparations on top of each other for this fight.

Were you surprised that Pacquiao didn’t pursue harder trying to get you back in the ring for a rematch?

GLENN RUSHTON: Personally, I looked at it like this. We wanted the rematch and the only reason we wanted the rematch was because I wanted Jeff to be the only guy to beat Manny Pacquiao twice, and I knew he would beat him. He beat him measurably in that first fight and he was in great physical condition, and I knew Jeff would win that fight after all the people complaining about the decision. On the other hand, I felt for Manny Pacquiao and he is a legend, and if I was Pacquiao’s trainer, I would tell him not to fight Jeff Horn again. Jeff will be bigger, stronger, younger and better – you can’t beat him.

JEFF HORN: It was a tough first fight and I do think I learned a lot from that, and I won even though they thought they got the decision. We had many people watch the fight again and took out the commentary and they can see that I won the fight so there are no complaints there. I think I would do better the second time against him, and I think he knows that as well.

Bob, were you surprised he was not more adamant about doing it again?

BOB ARUM: Well, for whatever reason, he didn’t want the fight again. I can’t speculate at the reason. Glenn has said what he believes the reason is. Jeff said the same thing. Maybe it was the reason or maybe it was something else. I couldn’t get him to commit to a rematch and it’s as simple as that.

The Terence Crawford Portion of the Call Begins…

BOB ARUM: Terence Crawford in my mind is the superstar in boxing. He dominated as a lightweight champion, won all of the belts as a junior welterweight champion and now he goes up to fight the welterweights. The first step is Jeff Horn, who is a big, strong welterweight from Australia, and Terence believes he is up for the challenge, and every obstacle that Terence has faced he has overcome. He is in my mind like one of the throwback fighters to the 80s. We compare him to the great Sugar Ray Leonard, and I think the skill and artistry of Terence in the ring is something to see and I look forward to his great performance on Saturday night against a tough, young welterweight in Jeff Horn.

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Preparation is going A-1. We had a tough training camp. We took no shortcuts. We got a little stronger and are ready to put on a performance on Saturday.

RED SPIKES (Assistant Trainer, Crawford): I have been with Terence throughout his maturation as a professional boxer, and I believe we have not seen the best of Terence yet. You all should look forward to seeing him on Saturday night.

How anxious are you too get in the ring after the long layoff?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I am real anxious, but it is a process, you know. I am more relaxed and focused more than anything because I know the day will come. I am just sitting back waiting for my moment to come on Saturday.

Any special sparring since this is your welterweight debut?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well, like I said, we are going to make our adjustments in the ring during the fight. He is nothing that I haven’t faced before in the ring. The only thing we have to focus on is him using his head and his elbows.

How does fighting on ESPN+ affect you?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: ESPN has faith in me being the next big star. They are putting me in this big platform that’s going to take off here. What better way to kick ESPN+ off than by putting one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on there? I am delighted to be in this predicament right now. I’m just ready to go out there and fight.

You are up against Jeff Horn, the man the beat Pacquiao. What does this mean to you?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It means a lot. After I capture the WBO title, I am going to be a three-weight division champion. I am going to beat the man that beat Pacquiao and my career is going to move forward.

Jeff doesn’t think he will have a size or weight advantage on Saturday night. What is your perspective on that?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I don’t know, I have never seen the guy. I have never seen him personally. I don’t know how much he hydrates or whatnot, and you know like I said before, it does not matter.

Do you have an idea of what you will come in yet?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Not yet. I haven’t weighed in at 147 and hydrated back up to my natural fight weight. I really don’t know yet.

Earlier, Glenn Rushton said he hope the referee lets the fighters fight. They seem to want to allow Jeff to do some of the things he normally does. What is your perspective on that?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: He wants Robert Byrd to let him head butt and hold and use his elbows? I just laugh at it. I don’t know. I don’t care.

He said, ‘Jeff doesn’t head butt’ – that was an exact quote…

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Well, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the tactics that he uses in the ring, but that’s his word on how his fighter fights in the ring. Of course, he is going to back his fighter up on whatever his fighter is doing in the ring.

Have you trained differently since it’s almost been a year since your last fight and also for the move up to welterweight?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: No, not at all. We just sharpened up the tools and got our rounds in and getting back in the groove. Come fight night, it will almost be a year since I last fought, and I feel like that’s not going to be a big factor. I feel like I’m sharp right now and I will be ready to go.

Is there anything during the last year you have done that you may not have done in the past?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: No, not at all, even though I am not fighting, I am doing something active.

In the past when your opponents talk trash they would end up paying for it. Has Jeff Horn gotten to that place yet?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Of course, of course, no doubt. I’m just tired of hearing all of their excuses on gloves and the referee. You can only hear so much, and I’m just ready to go out there and shut him up.

Horn’s trainer mentioned that Gamboa hit you with some good shots that may have stunned you and that was at 135 and he feels that Horn at 147 can do some damage.

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Everybody keeps resorting back to the Gamboa fight. If you look at the Gamboa fight, that was in 2014, and it’s 2018 right now. They can’t label me as being hurt. I felt like I went in that fight, and I made an error in that fight and he made me respect it. It’s not like I didn’t learn from that moment. It hasn’t happened since, so if they want to go back to that Gamboa moment, then so be it.

Since you’re moving up in weight, is camp easier since you don’t have to cut as much weight?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It’s always the same. Camp is never easy. If camp is ever easy, then your trainer is doing something wrong. You’ve got to have friction. You got to have those arguments. Those days when your coaches are getting on your nerves and you don’t want to do something and they just make you do it… so camp should never be easy.

Tell us about living in Colorado Springs.

TERENCE CRAWFORD: It’s real special having training camp in Colorado Springs. The atmosphere and the people and the oxygen level. The whole thing around Colorado is good. The people around there are so sweet and generous. I have family in Denver. It is peaceful – I don’t have a lot of people running up to me or bothering me. I don’t have to worry about any distractions. I bought a house out there this year. I should have bought a house out there before, but I was being arrogant. It’s a spot where I will take my kids when I’m not even in training and go on a vacation just to get away.

Is this move different than moving up from lightweight to junior welterweight?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I feel like I’m in the same boat right now as when I was coming up in weight. Thomas Dulorme was a 147-pounder and he came down in weight to fight me for the title and everybody was saying he was this big, strong puncher and saying that I was too small. But I went for it and I prevailed, and I feel like I’m in the same predicament when I was moving up from 135 to 140.

Do you worry about moving up to the next weight division?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I just try to get the victory. I need to go in there and be focused and not overconfident and do what I’ve got to do to get the job done.

Was it frustrating to have to stop then resume camp due to your injury?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Actually, I wasn’t frustrated. I had an injury, so I’m not going to go in there not 100 percent healthy with no right hand and handicap myself.

What can the fans expect to see from you at 147 that may be different than at 140?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: I am going to be stronger. I am going to be faster. My boxing ability and my IQ are already there. I’m going to be a lot stronger. Will he be ready is a key factor. My speed is still there. My power is better. I am only going to keep getting stronger and stronger. I am going to be ready, and come Saturday, I will answer all of the questions.

What’s your message to the young kids?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Stay positive and keep being around positive people. Have some dreams and goals out there and pursue them and don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t be what you want to be.

How long do you plan to fight?

TERENCE CRAWFORD: Right now, I am focusing on building my brand on things outside of boxing, so I don’t have to box forever, but right now, my life is boxing and I can’t think about retirement. Retirement isn’t on my mind right now. I just want to be great right now.

About ESPN+
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Crawford vs. Horn and José Pedraza vs. Antonio Moran will stream live exclusively on ESPN+ (in the United States) this Saturday, June 9 beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

The entire undercard, including Shakur Stevenson, Steve Nelson, Jose Benavidez, and Gabe Flores Jr. will stream on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 pm. PT.

For more details on ESPN+’s coverage for the Crawdford vs. Horn fight, click here.

Below is the transcript from the call.

THE MODERATOR: Hi, everyone. Thank you for joining our conference call with ESPN boxing commentators and analysts Joe Tessitore, Mark Kriegel, and Tim Bradley to discuss this Saturday’s super fight between Terence Crawford and Jeff Horn.

Crawford and Horn will battle for the WBO Welterweight World Title streamed live on ESPN+ in the United States along with the entire undercard, which includes Jose Pedraza, Antonio Moran beginning at 9:30 p.m. Eastern. Following will be Shakur Stevenson, Aelio Mesquita, Jose Benavidez, Frank Rojas, and other undercard bouts beginning at — on ESPN starting at 6:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+. With that, I’ll go ahead and open it up for questions.

Q. Tim, (indiscernible) how do you think it will pan out?

TIM BRADLEY: How do I think the fight will pan out?

Q. Yeah.

TIM BRADLEY: What’s that the question? How I think the main event’s going to pan out?

Q. The main event, yeah.

TIM BRADLEY: Yeah, how do I see the fight. Yeah, I’m trying to understand. I’m waiting on a response. But anyway, how do I see the fight going? Well, I see the fight starting off kind of rough, honestly. I think Horn, being a bigger guy, likes to move in quick, likes to get inside early, likes to work the pace and dictate the pace.

I think he’s going to try to close the gap on Terence really early and show him that, hey, this is a different weight class, this isn’t 140 pounds now, this is a different weight class and different type of weight. I think he’s going to try to push Terence back. Honestly, I think he is.

I think Terence is going to struggle in the beginning only until he finds his rhythm. Once Terence finds his rhythm, meaning Horn’s rhythm, then I think things will open up and Terence can control the distance from the outside and time Horn as he comes in.

At the end of the match, I think it’s going to be Terence Crawford with his hands raised. I think that Horn will put up a good fight, but I think Terence Crawford has too much precision, too much boxing IQ. He’s a great counterpuncher. He can punch in between shots. There are just so many dimensions to him as opposed to a guy like Jeff Horn.

Q. (Indiscernible) were you impressed with him?

JOE TESSITORE: I was. I’ll tell you, Timmy and I were down there ringside in Australia. My big takeaway with Jeff Horn — and then Mark and I had the pleasure of calling his title defense in December as well, but my big takeaway of being with him in person in Australia, covering his title fight in December is that this is a very sturdy, rugged, mauling kind of guy who is going to put forth a physical presence.

He is going to always try to do things on his terms. I completely agree with the champ’s assessment as to what this fight is going to look like early.

I will add on that although I think it’s easy to fall in line with the camp of saying Terence Crawford, too much skill, too much boxing IQ, too much raw athleticism, and elite status; that this is a guy in Jeff Horn who is very, very tricky and makes a fight out of a fight.

When we were there ringside, and I know for those who watched back in the States, they felt a certain way about the outcome of that fight last summer, we didn’t have the same feeling sitting there ringside. We saw a mauling, physically imposing, very big welterweight who I almost questioned how he possibly gets to 147 pounds. And because of that, I think this is a fascinating fight, first and foremost. Because when I look at the records next to the two names, I see two zeros in the loss column.

MARK KRIEGEL: We said much the same a year ago about Horn versus Pacquiao. I think that in terms of the disparity of size, experience, skill level — experience and skill level, that at the end of the day I think that it was Horn who made us aware that Manny was coming up against the limits of his size and his age.

All that being said, in regard to Tim’s point, and I’ve watched Crawford now spar with big guys, 178-pounders, I think that once he does find his rhythm and the timing, the punch that will cause the great damage to Horn will be the right hook. Almost like a check hook when he’s on his way in. But that’s the one shot that I’ve seen him sparring bigger guys with.

Q. In regards to Jeff Horn, do you think that Terence Crawford fight is going to be a tougher fight than the Pacquiao fight?

JOE TESSITORE: Yes, is this fight going to be tougher than Pacquiao is the question?

Q. Yes.

TIM BRADLEY: For Horn? I agree. I believe that this fight will be a tougher fight than Manny Pacquiao because there is so much more dimensions to Terence Crawford than to Manny Pacquiao. You know what you’re going to get when you fight a guy like Manny Pacquiao. He’s coming to get you. Terence, on the other hand, is multi-dimensional. So he can make adjustments on the fly without his corner even telling him to make adjustments.

I’ve had the opportunity to have two training camps with Terence Crawford before Terence Crawford became — before anybody knew who he was. One of the things that I took from him during that training camp was that this is a kid that flew down here by himself to my hometown, came (indiscernible) without a coach, without a trainer, getting fed a little bit of information about myself, gets in the ring, basically puts on a show. Beats me up in front of my own people — beats me up, comes back the next day.

I come back with a plan. He comes back and completely — he comes back and he’s a completely different fighter than he was the day before. And he kept making adjustments, and he kept making adjustments on the fly.

So this guy, Terence Crawford, is going to be tough, a tougher fight, in my opinion, than Manny Pacquiao.

MARK KRIEGEL: Another thing to bear in mind is that Pacquiao has seen better days. He’s not — he’s at the far end of his prime, and Crawford is just entering his. I don’t think we’ve seen close to what the best Terence Crawford we can get.

JOE TESSITORE: I don’t think it’s even close. I think Pacquiao in so many ways was the perfect storm for Jeff Horn with everything timing up just right, and that is not the case here in coming to the Vegas fight with Crawford. It doesn’t mean in any way I’m dismissing Jeff Horn as a live dog here, as much as I understand that this is the biggest mountain that he could possibly be asked to climb compared to what he just did last July.

TIM BRADLEY: I mean, completely two different styles. I’ll give Horn the benefit of the doubt, because what he was able to do Against Manny Pacquiao, I haven’t seen anybody be able to dominate him and bully him the way he did. And when I say dominate, I just mean in the physical form. You know, he pushed him back. He was grinding there, and he was very dirty at times. He had Pacquiao’s back against the ropes and he was working him.

I haven’t seen that — a guy do that Against Manny Pacquiao at all, and he was able to do that. With that being said, this is a completely different guy. Styles make fights. Terence can fight from the forward and backing up. Terence can switch left-handed and he can go right-handed. He can knock you out with his left hand and his right hand. This is a kid that can make adjustments on the fly. He has a high IQ. If you watch the replay with him and Indongo, you will see Terence punch in between punches.

If Horn comes rushing in with wide shots, I’ve sparred him, it’s dangerous. It’s dangerous for Horn. It’s danger. That’s all I’m going to say.

Q. Tim, if he does pull the upset, what’s that mean for Jeff Horn? Does he go down as one of the greatest fighters in the world right now?

TIM BRADLEY: If he beats Terence Crawford would he go down as the greatest fighter in the world? I don’t know. He’ll be a top guy, yeah, absolutely. He’d be top three. Top three or four, top five. I know he’d be pound-for-pound then, absolutely. Because in order to be pound-for-pound, you’ve got to beat a great fighter.

Terence Crawford, however you put him, number one, number three, he’s in the top five pound-for-pound in the world. If you beat a top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, guess what? You’re top pound-for-pound now.

JOE TESSITORE: I didn’t get the name of the journeyman writer who just asked that question there, and we appreciate that question, because I think it exposes one of the deep veins that runs through this fight. That is that the Jeff Horn side still looking for and demanding respect, especially stateside. This is an undefeated, welterweight champion at the end of the day who conquered a living legend, defended his title, and now has a willingness to come to America and take on our best pound-for-pound fighter.

That’s what Terence Crawford is. He is American-born, best pound-for-pound fighter, where you have Vasyl Lomachenko number one, as our network does, or whether you go with a guy that’s now a three-time Fighter of the Year between ESPN and the Boxing Writers of America in Terence Crawford.

If Jeff Horn wins this fight, you know the thing that matters most in this sport? Results. He would have had two signature wins, including a victory over arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. So, yes, he would be — he would have that respect, and he would be thought of in that way. Even though there will be critics that look at him and see commonplace, ordinary, straightforward, thudding, bullying, not prettiest, not the most athletic, he would be that because the results deem him that.

So, yes, he wins this weekend, that’s what we will say of him and that’s what he will be.

Q. Bradley, I followed your career for a very long time. Thought you had a very wonderful career as a boxer and now commentator. In terms of for Jeff Horn, you know, you’ve kind of been in a similar situation with Manny Pacquiao how you had to prove that you belonged in the ring with him. Obviously you got that win in the first one and obviously had to prove that again with the next fight. Do you feel that Jeff Horn is going to be in a similar position even though he’s the champ, he’s going to have to show that he deserves respect? Because a lot of people thought that first Manny Pacquiao fight was controversial. Do you feel that he is in the same situation as you?

TIM BRADLEY: Absolutely. He’s in the same situation as I was similar. A lot of people felt that I didn’t win the first fight against Pacquiao, but I felt I did win the fight and everyone around me thought I won the fight.

But at the same time, Jeff Horn, he’s pretty new to me, in my opinion, to America. You know what I mean? Very known in Australia and everything and what he’s done by beating Manny Pacquiao, but he still has a lot to prove. He’s taken his step up fighting against like Tess said, the best American, number one, pound-for-pound in the game.

Now, he beats a guy like Terence Crawford, I mean, you know, this is a guy that needs to be respected. So, yes, he still needs to gain everyone’s respect by him coming to America to defend his title in Las Vegas, it shows you that he wants to be great. It shows you that he’s willing to take that challenge and that step up and wanting to be great.

So, absolutely. He needs to continue to prove himself. Just one fight doesn’t justify your career. It’s all the other fights in between as well. It’s the fight after he won the championship Against Manny Pacquiao, you know? It’s the next fight after this one, you know what I mean? That’s what defines your career. Not one fight.

MARK KRIEGEL: If Horn takes it as personally as Tim did, the lack of respect he got from beating Pacquiao, we’re in for a hell of a fight. If you look at how Tim reacts and how personal and the desperation with which he came out, not from winning but from not getting his respect, if Horn brings something like that, we’re in for a hell of a night.

JOE TESSITORE: I think there’s something also interesting with this fight in that we keep talking about how Jeff Horn wants to get the respect here stateside because of how the outcome was viewed by American fight fans. But let me tell you something about Jeff Horn, and we’re seeing it true already early on this week with now the promotion of this fight here in the U.S., as, Mark, I’m thrilled to see your feature piece, excellent feature pieces, leading off ESPN.com, and I’m sure will be read by so many mainstream sports fans, not just the endemic boxing fan. It’s an excellent piece I would recommend, especially our Australian friends, to get your hands on on ESPN.com, Mark Kriegel’s feature piece on Bud Crawford. But Jeff Horn, as much as he has not earned the respect of American fight fans, they are very aware of him. He’s notable. In fact, you could make a strong argument that more mainstream sports fans, non-boxing fans know exactly who Jeff Horn is than know many of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world, including American fighters like Errol Spence or Keith Thurman.

Because last year when he fought on Saturday night and the shift in the business of boxing, the paradigm shift happened, and that fight was on ESPN pre-TV compared to being stuck in the corner of Pay-Per-View the way it normally would be for a decade and a half of Manny Pacquiao, so many mainstream sports fans experienced Jeff Horn’s Rocky Balboa moment.

So there was buzz. All you have to say to somebody now is, hey, Jeff Horn, the guy who beat Pacquiao last summer is fighting Bud Crawford, they know instantly who Jeff Horn is. Respect, different story. Awareness, very high.

Terence “Bud” Crawford looks to conquer a third weight class when he battles WBO welterweight champion Jeff “The Hornet” Horn, Saturday, June 9 at 9:30 p.m. ET exclusively on ESPN+—the recently-launched multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment and ESPN. In anticipation of this superfight, Teddy Atlas sits down with Crawford for “Inside The Ring with Teddy Atlas and Terence Crawford,” a one-hour special analyzing the pound-for-pound superstar’s biggest fights and his progression to becoming one of the world’s best fighters today.

Teddy’s Takeaways

“Whether through the actual physical experience or the magic of television, most people have stepped into the batter’s box on a baseball diamond, visited–or at least peeked–into the huddle on the gridiron and shot a few free throws on the hardwood of a basketball court, but few to none have ever been inside that squared circle called a boxing ring. This new show takes you into that seemingly black hole where most have never ventured, and shines a revealing light, so that you walk away saying, ‘I’m glad I did.’ And even better, you can do it without getting a bloody nose.”

“I knew that Terence Crawford had both the physical skills and the mental fortitude it takes to be a special fighter. I also appreciated his ability to be diverse in the ring. What I wasn’t sure of before, was whether the great things he was able to do were part of his innate ability or just part of his consciousness. Did he realize what he was doing at times or did he just do them? What I found out may surprise you and I’m hoping it sheds a better light on what makes him tick and so well. I spent a day with him breaking down film of his most important and formative fights.”

Highlighted Fights include:

Crawford vs. Breidis Prescot, March 30, 2013

Crawford’s major American TV debut and a dominant performance against the fighter who knocked out British superstar Amir Khan in the first round.

Crawford vs. Ricky Burns, March 1, 2014

Crawford traveled to Scotland to meet Burns and won his first world title, the WBO lightweight crown.

Crawford vs. Yuriorkis Gamboa, June 28, 2014

In his hometown of Omaha, Crawford made his first title defense against 2004 Cuban Olympic gold medalist and former unified featherweight titleholder Gamboa. Crawford stated at the time that Gamboa was his toughest fight to date.

Crawford vs. Viktor Postol, July 23, 2016

The highly anticipated Super Lightweight unification fight. Both fighters entered the ring a perfect 28-0. With the victory, Crawford staked his claim to division supremacy and set himself up for bigger fights.

Crawford vs. Julius Indongo, August 19, 2017

The Super Lightweight unification fight between Crawford and WBA (Unified) and IBF champion Indongo.

Crawford became the first boxer to hold all four major world titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) in any weight class in more than decade.

Inside The Ring with Teddy Atlas and Terence Crawford on ESPN2 and ESPNEWS

Date

Time (ET)

Network

Tues. June 5

9:00 p.m.

ESPN2

Wed. June 6

10:00 p.m.

ESPNEWS

Thurs. June 7

2:00 a.m.

ESPN2

5:00 a.m.

ESPNEWS

Fri. June 8

10:00 p.m.

ESPNEWS

Sat. June 9

9:55 a.m.

ESPN2

4:00 p.m.

ESPNEWS

–30–

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. ESPN+ offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Mondays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In additional to boxing content, fans can watch thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

By Bart Barry-

Three fights happen across nine timezones Saturday in a crescendo of sorts before boxing’s summer ritual ends much of our fun. Going least essential to most, Tyson Fury returns against someone named Sefer Seferi in England, Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares finally rematch in Los Angeles, and Jeff Horn defends his fraction of the world’s welterweight championship against Terence Crawford in Las Vegas. If none of these events is great or particularly consequential, none is bad either, and all three should entertain.

This was going to be a piece about how much better than the rest of us a gay novelist can describe the movements of a man’s body – for glancing through a lens of avarice – then a glance at next week’s docket undid those plans. As we round the bend and race towards our seasonless sport’s annual doldrums wisdom advises against spending boxingless ideas the week before three compelling things happen. Fear not, though, an attempt to explore and celebrate a sexualized description of the male form will happen at least before GolovCanelo 2 does.

MGM Grand becomes Hornet’s Nest Northern Hemisphere this week as Aussie hoards ascend on Las Vegas, one hopes, to see their man defend his WBO title against one of today’s two best fighters. This marks Terence Crawford’s debut at 147 pounds, and it’s not a particularly easy one mainly for this reason: Horn’s first prizefight happened against a man who weighed 154 1/2 pounds, while Crawford’s first opponent weighed 138.

This three-weightclasses difference might mean less if Horn were a boxer or a slugger – since Crawford could slug his way through a long cutie or use defense and footwork to dissuade a onetrick puncher. But Horn’s a volume guy, a physical one, who expects to get hit often by men who likely punch harder than, if not accurately as, Crawford. The angles and stanceswitching tricks Crawford uses to disarm then attack smaller men mightn’t make much difference to Horn. So long as some part of Crawford is somewhere in front of Horn, regardless which part is in front of the other, expect Horn to hit that part. Horn cuts easily, and Crawford is very good at what he does, so there’s little chance Horn makes it to the closing bell, and even littler chance Vegas judges give him what doubtful benefits judges do in Brisbane, but the match should be fun.

The competing priorities of ESPN’s app launch and < $5.99 pay-per-view price (if you combine “Nature Boy”, noticeably better than “Andre the Giant”, for an adult anyway, with Horn-Crawford, you’re paying 95-percent less than you paid for Crawford-Postol) leave only one worry, which returns, as usual, to commentary. If ESPN plays it straight, tempering the crew’s admiration for Crawford with investigative stories about Horn’s having a father, all will be fine, regardless of outcome. But if ESPN has already decided Crawford must win because promoter Top Rank promised he would and having the world’s two best fighters on the network overwhelms every other consideration, things could go staggeringly sideways, the way they did when Horn narrowly upset Manny Pacquiao and widely upset Teddy Atlas.

Nothing so untoward will happen on Showtime when boxing’s best broadcast team covers Santa Cruz-Mares 2, a rematch no one considers anymore essential but everyone has a reasonable expectation will be safe and busy as their first match. Neither man has suffered an unavenged loss in the nearly three years since their first fight, but their promotional and managerial situation precludes either man from maintaining professional momentum. Santa Cruz now fights every eight months – a rate of activity at which Mares gazes lustfully. After PBC paid ESPN to televise the men’s first scrap, aficionados suspected the delay that followed was attributable to PBC’s having to save up to buy another broadcaster for the rematch, but evidently we were wrong. Santa Cruz would return six months later to beatdown Kiko Martinez and Mares would go underground for 16 months.

Much as both men rely on activity the more active fighter will win Saturday, and that should be Santa Cruz. The gloves will look too big and the rounds will meld together, but the match will have action enough for someone to mistake it for 2018’s fight of the year, until at least July.

That leaves only the return of boxing’s clown king, Tyson Fury, on a Saturday afternoon card illegally streaming from Manchester. It has been 2 1/2 years since England’s enormous lunatic decisioned Wladimir Klitschko and everything has changed about the heavyweight division except Fury. There have been suspensions and cancellations and rehabilitations and protestations, but Fury is unbowed, genuine and loony as he was ages ago when he became heavyweight champion of the world. He’s either out of shape or in the shape of his life for his return against an unknown man with whom he hopes to log rounds. He is publicly vulnerable in a way one does not expect a 6-foot-9 and 247-274-pound professional fighter to be, and so he wins fans’ forgiveness for being likable. He is capable of decisioning any man in the world, too, including Anthony Joshua, and likely as not to denude Deontay Wilder, 120-108, if ever PBC’s poverty forces such an encounter.

Frankly Wilder-Fury is the fight we deserve, whatever better match we happen to want, a reasonable man who fights crazy against a crazy man who fights reasonable, and both men grasp their division is about spectacle much as merit – while AJ’s dignity precludes his being less or more than a rolemodel, however little boxing fans honestly ever want such a thing.

Writing of which, let’s see if we can collect some clicks in this, our new, legalized-sports-betting country:

Crawford stops Horn on cuts in round 11.

Santa Cruz decisions Mares 115-113, 113-115, 115-113.

Fury TKOs Seferi with a somersault punch in round 7.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

By Norm Frauenheim-

Stalled negotiations for a Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin rematch are diverting attention and headlines away from two intriguing fights – Abner Mares-Leo Santa Cruz II in Los Angeles and Terence Crawford’s welterweight debut against Jeff Horn in Las Vegas, both on June 9.

It reminds me of an old line: The only thing killing boxing is boxing. It is the flaw, the proverbial glass jaw, that always seems to undercut a chaotic business that just can’t get out of its own way.

Television ratings have been promising this year, especially on ESPN. There’s an audience of young fans in America’s changing demographics. There’s looming interest in Crawford, Mikey Garcia, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Santa Cruz, Mares, Oscar Valdez Jr., Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

But today the business is being held hostage by talk that has been about percentages. According to various reports, GGG wants an equitable split, 50-50, since Canelo’s positive PED tests and subsequent withdrawal from a rematch that was supposed to happen on May 5. Canelo’s Golden Boy reps are reportedly standing by numbers they said were the terms of the initial deal, 65 percent for Canelo and 35 for GGG.

Those are numbers that are interesting only if you’re shopping for a new mortgage. Fans, I suspect, only want to know there’s a date and place for an opening bell.

In the here and now, who knows. There has only been a chilling silence for the last week. As I write this, there have been no reports talks have resumed.

I keep thinking back to GGG’s comment a couple of days before his swift, second-round stoppage of Vanes Martirosyan on May 5 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. Then, he said there was only a 10 percent chance that a rematch of their controversial draw last September would happen.

Then, it sounded like an opening line in re-setting the table for a new deal in the controversial wake of the Canelo PED controversy, which includes an ongoing, Nevada Athletic Commission-imposed suspension that will end in mid-August. Now, it sounds like a prediction,

I can only hope he’s wrong. At the time, there appears to be some sympathy for his attempt to get more favorable terms. Fifty-fifty looks unlikely. Canelo still ranks as the bigger draw and becomes more of one because of the controversy that now surrounds him.

But a better deal for GGG only seems fair, especially after the cancellation of the May 5 bout. GGG had no hand in the cancellation and, in fact, fought for a reported $1 million guarantee against Martirosyan on the same day. GGG’s promotional rep, Tom Loeffler of K-2, suggested that the Nevada Commission should have levied a fine against Canelo in addition to the suspension. The Commission said a fine was not possible, because Canelo’s positive PED tests in February were not related to a fight that had already happened in the state.

Still, Loeffler said damage had been done to GGG. The only way to get some of it back is through negotiations. Thus far, however, Golden Boy has yet to buy any of it. Hard to know where it goes next, if anywhere.

No rematch is a loss for just about everybody. Hardcore fans will eventually move on to Crawford, Lomachenko, Garcia, Santa Cruz, Mares, Valdez, Joshua and Wilder. But causal fans will again have another reason to stay away.

Meanwhile, no deal for a sequel on September 15 is reason to wonder whether there will ever be a rematch. GGG has bigger global footprint than Canelo. The Kazak fighter, whose pro career started in Germany and includes stops in Monaco, could go to Tokyo for good money against Ryota Murata.

There are also opportunities for Canelo, although the rumored one is bound to get only boos. Spike O’Sullivan? Really? Arguments over a proposed purse split are more interesting.

Billy Joe Saunders also has been mentioned. But both GGG and Canelo need to be careful about the emerging UK middleweight. Saunders has a chance to beat both. GGG has begun to display some wear and tear. At 27, Canelo continues to fight in spurts. Fatigue just might be part of his genetic make-up.

But it’ll get him beat, just as surely as time will eventually beat GGG, who will be 37 next April.

A year or two from now, GGG and Canelo could come back to talk with a loss or two between them and a lot less on the table.

The time is now.

GUAYNABO, P.R. (May 30, 2018) – The “Sniper” has its sights set on another world title. Former world champion José “Sniper” Pedraza longs for the opportunity to be crowned as champion in a new weight category, but before that, on June 9 he will have to pass a tough test.

Pedraza (23-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, who made his debut at 135 pounds March 17, is preparing to battle for the WBO Latino lightweight title against the Mexican warrior Antonio Moran (22-2, 15 KOs) in the co-main event of the Terence Crawford vs. Jeff Horn world championship event, June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“I feel very happy and excited about this great opportunity. Now I will make the most of it and see what other good opportunities come our way,” said Pedraza. “What is happening right now with my career is exactly what we were expecting and that was the reason that we signed with Top Rank. We want to fight in great stages like this card that will be headlined by Terence Crawford.”

Pedraza, the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior lightweight champion, returned from a 14-month layoff on March 17 to earn a unanimous decision victory over Jose Luis “La Boa” Rodriguez. If he is successful against Moran, Pedraza would come even closer to a potential world title fight.

“I’m ready to fight for a world title. I know what I have to do,” Pedraza said. “I was a world champion. So I take things calmly, but at the same time I’m picking up the pace.”

Crawford vs. Horn and Pedraza vs. Moran will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets for Crawford vs. Horn, priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50 (limited availability), are on sale now and can be purchased online through axs.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts box office.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing, Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: @trboxing, @ESPN,@ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtag #CrawfordHorn and #PedrazaMoran to join the conversation on social media.

The ESPN App and ESPN+ are available on mobile and TV-connected devices and on ESPN.com. The new ESPN App with ESPN+ is available on devices and platforms including Amazon (Fire TV, Fire Stick, Fire Smart TVs, Fire tablets), Android (Android phones, Android TV), Apple (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and supported in the Apple TV App), Chromecast and Roku.

About ESPN+

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment, in partnership with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.

WBO Welterweight champion Jeff Horn was involved in a car accident, but it was not serious enough to affect his June 9th defense against Terence Crawford, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“We don’t let little things like car accidents or bruised hands stop us unlike those (expletive) American fighters, who if it was them they would be crying right now they would have to delay the fight,” Duco Events promoter Dean Lonergan, who co-promotes Horn with Top Rank, told ESPN in a text message.

“No one was badly hurt but it stunned me,” Horn told the Australian newspaper the Courier Mail. “Fortunately, I was in the car alone and my wife Jo and baby Isabelle were home. The man in the center of the crash just had his head buried in his hands. He was really upset, really in shock. I jumped out of the car to make sure everyone was OK. The ambulance people came but thankfully there weren’t any serious injuries. It could have been much worse. The accident was a shock but nothing is going to derail me from beating Terence Crawford. I’m very fit. I feel I’m going to peak right at fight time.”

Next up is Crawford, and Carl Moretti, vice president of Top Rank, Crawford’s promoter, was happy to hear that Horn was OK.

“We’re thankful Jeff was not hurt in the accident,” Moretti said. “However, come June 9 he’s gonna run head straight into something that hits like a Mack truck and is as fast as a Lamborghini — ‘Bud’ Crawford.”

LAS VEGAS (May 22, 2018) – Jose “Sniper” Pedraza is nearing a title shot while Shakur Stevenson is well on his way. Pedraza and Stevenson will see action June 9 on the Terence Crawford vs. Jeff Horn world championship event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Pedraza (23-1, 12 KOs), from Cidra, Puerto Rico, will challenge Antonio Moran (22-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the WBO Latino lightweight belt, while Stevenson (6-0, 3 KOs), the 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, will step up in class against Aelio Mesquita (16-1, 14 KOs) in an eight-round featherweight contest.

And, in a battle of unbeatens, welterweight contender Jose Benavidez (26-0, 17 KOs) will face the iron-fisted Frank Rojas (22-0, 21 KOs) of Caracas, Venezuela, in a 10-rounder.

Crawford vs. Horn and Pedraza vs. Moran will be streamed exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET., while Stevenson vs. Mesquita, Benavidez vs. Rojas, and other undercard bouts will be shown on ESPN+ starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets for Crawford vs. Horn, priced at $500, $300, $200, $100, and $50 (limited availability), are on sale now and can be purchased online through axs.com, charge by phone at 866-740-7711 or in person at any MGM Resorts box office.

Pedraza, a former IBF super featherweight champion who made two successful title defenses, returned from a 14-month layoff on March 17 to score a shutout, eight-round decision over Jose Luis Rodriguez. Moran is riding a three-bout winning streak since a split decision defeat to Emanuel Lopez.

“I am excited because this will be my first fight in Las Vegas, which everyone knows is the fight capital of the world. I am determined to give a great performance,” Pedraza said. “I know Moran is a good fighter and coming to upset my plans, but I have worked very hard to make sure that does not happen. I expect to be victorious on June 9 and will continue to show I am a force at lightweight.”

Benavidez, who once held the interim WBA super lightweight title, will be fighting for the second time since returning from an 18-month layoff. Rojas has knocked out 19 opponents in a row and has fought all but one of his pro bouts in his native Venezuela.

“I have 21 knockouts in 22 fights. On June 9, I will add another knockout to my record,” Rojas said. “I’m coming for you, Benavidez! I’m 100 percent ready to give the fans a great fight. I hope you are ready because I’m going to knock you out. I’m going to rip his head off. Get ready.”

“I hope that Rojas trained hard and that he comes well prepared because I’m determined to stop him,” Benavidez said. “Rojas will not touch me at all. He will not rip my head off because I’m going to rip his head off first.”

Stevenson is coming off a career-best performance on April 28 in Philadelphia, when he knocked out the previously undefeated Patrick Riley in the second round.

“I’ve gotten the chance to fight at Madison Square Garden, and now I’m ready for my Las Vegas debut at MGM Grand on June 9,” Stevenson said. “There have been so many historic fights in that arena and now it’s my turn. It’s always fun to fight on Terence’s undercards. The Crawford family has adopted me, so I’m going to put on a great performance for them and everyone watching at MGM and on ESPN+.”

Also appearing on the undercard will be Maxim “Mad Max” Dadashev (10-0, 9 KOs), an Egis Klimas-managed fighter, who will be fighting former WBA lightweight champion Darleys Perez (33-3-2, 21 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the vacant NABF super lightweight title.

Light heavyweight prospect Steve Nelson (10-0, 8 KOs), who is trained and managed by Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, will face Dashon Webster (10-1, 8 KOs) in a six-rounder.

Gabe Flores, Jr. (7-0, 5 KOs) will fight the unbeaten Dustin Southichack (4-0-1, 1 KO) in a six-round featherweight bout. The 18-year-old Flores, who made his pro debut just after his 17th birthday, will be making his third ring appearance of 2018.

Top prospect David Kaminsky (1-0) will see action in a six-round super welterweight bout against Trevor Lavin (1-0, 1 KO) of Topeka, Kan.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing, Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: @trboxing, @ESPN, @ESPNBoxeo, @ESPNDeportes. Use the hashtag #CrawfordHorn to join the conversation on social media.

The ESPN App and ESPN+ are available on mobile and TV-connected devices and on ESPN.com. The new ESPN App with ESPN+ is available on devices and platforms including Amazon (Fire TV, Fire Stick, Fire Smart TVs, Fire tablets), Android (Android phones, Android TV), Apple (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and supported in the Apple TV App), Chromecast and Roku.

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment and ESPN. ESPN+ also offers fans two exclusive, original boxing programs The Boxing Beat with Dan Rafael (Mondays, weekly) and In This Corner (twice monthly). In addition to boxing content, fans that subscribe to ESPN+ get thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks – for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year).

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment, in partnership with ESPN. It offers fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App is the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App curates all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ is also available through ESPN.com.
# # #

Former world champion Jose Pedraza and undefeated featherweight prospect Shakur Stevenson have been added to the June 9th Terence Crawford – Jeff Horn card in Las Vegas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

Pedraza will face Antonio Moran in a 10-round, lightweight fight.

“I am excited because this will be my first fight in Las Vegas, which everyone knows is the fight capital of the world. I am determined to give a great performance,” Pedraza said. “I know Moran is a good fighter and coming to upset my plans, but I have worked very hard to make sure that does not happen. I expect to be victorious on June 9 and will continue to show I am a force at lightweight.”

Stevenson will face Aelio Mesquita (16-1, 14 KOs), 26, of Brazil, in an eight-round bout.

“I’ve gotten the chance to fight at Madison Square, and now I’m ready for my Las Vegas debut at the MGM Grand on June 9,” Stevenson said. “There have been so many historic fights in that arena, and now it’s my turn. It’s always fun to fight on Terence’s undercards. The Crawford family has adopted me, so I’m going to put on a great performance for them and everyone watching at MGM and on ESPN+.”

ESPN and Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International today announced today an extensive line up of exclusive boxing programming for ESPN+, the new direct-to-consumer sports streaming service launching April 12. Additionally, through an expansion of ESPN’s agreement with Top Rank, ESPN+ will add 12 exclusive world-class Top Rank on ESPN cards to the annual line up.

The monthly live ESPN+ events start Saturday, June 9, with a world championship bout showcasing pound-for-pound superstar Terence “Bud” Crawford as he seeks to win a world title in a third weight class when he challenges welterweight world champion Jeff “The Hornet” Horn at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. ESPN+ will also exclusively stream six international Top Rank on ESPN cards per year, giving subscribers access to some of the sport’s best international fights. The first international live event to stream on ESPN+ will be Saturday, April 21, when former unified junior welterweight world champion Amir Khan faces Phil Lo Greco in a welterweight battle, live from Liverpool, England.

The agreement sets the table for an integrated alliance between Top Rank and ESPN’s industry-leading networks and platforms to allow all forms of Top Rank content, including additional original programming and library content, to reach more fans in a variety of new ways.

The 12 additional Top Rank on ESPN cards and six international live events are exclusive to ESPN+. Subscribers of ESPN+ will also have access to a variety of new and existing boxing content throughout the year, including:

· A consistent studio show covering all the latest news, results and storylines

· The unmatched, on-demand treasure chest of the greatest fights of all time, including hundreds of fights from the ESPN Big Fights Library and the Top Rank archive, including Ali vs. Frazier I-III, Ali vs. Foreman, Leonard vs. Duran I-III, Hagler vs. Hearns and Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, among many, many more

All Top Rank on ESPN undercard fights
· Re-airs of all Top Rank on ESPN and Top Rank on ESPN PPV bouts

· Weigh-ins, post-fight interviews and press conferences

· News, information and opinion across ESPN platforms

“ESPN is thrilled to take our relationship with Top Rank to a new level via this innovative and exclusive distribution on ESPN+,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN Executive Vice President of Programming and Scheduling. “By distributing more Top Rank events and boxing content than ever before, we are showing fans our commitment to boxing through a more personalized and targeted manner.”

“Top Rank is thrilled to extend our agreement to include these additional world-class events for ESPN+,” said Todd duBoef, Top Rank President. “This addition offers a 360 approach to the entire boxing vertical, including live world class events, unparalleled coverage, as well as access to historical moments in the sport.”

Launching April 12, ESPN+ will be an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App. Already the leading sports app, the new ESPN App will be the premier all-in-one digital sports platform for fans and is a showcase of the company’s culture of innovation. With a richer, increasingly more personalized experience, the new ESPN App will curate all of ESPN’s incredible content into an experience unique to each fan’s individual tastes. ESPN+ will also be available through ESPN.com.

ESPN+ is the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International in partnership with ESPN and featuring ESPN branded content. It will offer fans thousands of additional live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks. This includes hundreds of MLB, NHL and MLS games, Grand Slam tennis, Top Rank boxing, PGA Tour golf, college sports, international rugby, cricket, the full library of ESPN Films (including 30 for 30) and more. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $4.99 a month (or a discounted annual price of $49.99 per year) and cancel at any time.

Last August, ESPN and Top Rank announced a vast and exclusive, multimedia agreement to make ESPN the home of Top Rank in the U.S. and Canada. Under the agreement, ESPN currently televises live fights on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and streams them on the ESPN App. It also airs all Top Rank content in English and in French on Canadian sister networks TSN and RDS.

–30–

About Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International

Comprised of Disney’s international media businesses and the Company’s various streaming services, the Direct-to-Consumer and International segment aligns technology, content and distribution platforms to expand the Company’s global footprint and deliver world-class, personalized entertainment experiences to consumers around the world. The recently announced segment is responsible for The Walt Disney Company’s direct-to-consumer businesses globally, including the ESPN+ sports streaming service, programmed in partnership with ESPN; the upcoming Disney-branded direct-to-consumer streaming service; and the Company’s ownership stake in Hulu. As part of the Direct-to-Consumer and International segment, BAMTECH Media, developer of the ESPN+ and Disney-branded streaming platforms, oversees all consumer-facing digital technology and products across the Company.

About ESPN

ESPN, Inc. is the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia sports assets with over 50 business entities. Based in Bristol, Conn., ESPN Plaza includes 950,000 square feet in 16 buildings on 123 acres (116 contiguous), with additional office space (400,000 sq. ft.) rented nearby. The company is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The Hearst Corporation holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN. For more information, visit www.espn.com/boxing, @ESPN and @ESPNBoxeo.

About Top Rank

Innovation has been the mantra at Top Rank since it was established in 1966 by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. The boxing industry’s leading promotional company, Top Rank has shaped, developed and promoted the careers of top international pay-per-view superstars and Hall of Famers, including Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tommy Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto, Erik Morales, Terence Crawford, and Vasiliy Lomachenko. Known for creating strategic collaborations between athletes, sponsors and television networks, Top Rank launched in 1980, Top Rank on ESPN which ran for a historic 16 years. Top Rank then launched another very popular televised boxing series in 1996 titled Solo Boxeo.

Some of the most legendary and spectacular events in boxing history were promoted by Top Rank, including: 26 Muhammad Ali events; Leonard vs. Hearns, Arguello vs. Pryor, Duran vs. Leonard; Hagler vs. Hearns, Leonard vs. Hagler, Foreman vs. Holyfield, Morales vs. Barrera, De La Hoya vs. Trinidad, and the most lucrative fight in boxing history, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. In addition to the previously mentioned super fights, Top Rank possesses one of the largest sports libraries, which includes nearly 10,000 fights and dates back over 50 years.

Top Rank has been an architect of the global growth of the sport by staging high profile events in landmark settings around the world, including every major arena in Las Vegas, The Venetian Macao, Yankee Stadium, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden, The “Fabulous” Forum and AT&T Stadium. Top Rank has also been the leader within the boxing industry in creating unforgettable in-arena experiences for fans while also producing live telecasts that generate high ratings for television partners.

For more information, visit www.toprank.com, @TRBoxing, and www.facebook.com/trboxing.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Jeff Horn will defend the WBO Welterweight title against Terence Crawford on June 9th at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“It’s exciting to see ‘Bud’ Crawford move up to the welterweight division. In Jeff Horn, he fights a big, rough, tough welterweight who won the title from one of the greats, Manny Pacquiao,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said.

“I cannot wait to get back in the ring on June 9 and win the WBO welterweight championship,” said Crawford, who has remained in training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado, since the injury. “Jeff Horn and his team better be ready, because they are going to see a bigger, stronger and more powerful Terence Crawford. I am going home with that belt.”

“We are excited to be fighting at MGM Grand and attempting to win another world title in a higher weight class, the welterweight division, which is stacked with talent,” McIntyre said. “We are looking forward to fighting a really aggressive and determined fighter in Jeff Horn. June 9 will be another great night for Team Crawford in Las Vegas.”

“Defending the world title successfully a second time is a must,” said Horn, who was a 2012 Olympian. “Crawford is a very talented fighter and deserves his accolades. I will be on a mission to prove the doubters wrong. Obviously, I am a very competitive guy who works really hard to achieve his goals.

“Crawford is a brilliant boxer, but I am coming to win, and I will win. Crawford’s trash talk has only inspired me that much more to shock the world once again.”

The postponed WBO Welterweight title bout between Jeff Horn and Terence Crawford has been rescheduled for June 9th at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

The bout was postponed last week after Crawford injured his right hand in training.

Terence Crawford hurt his right hand, which will force the postponement of his April 14th Welterweight title bout with undefeated champion Jeff Horn, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“He hurt his hand hitting a guy on top of the head gear,” promoter Bob Arum said. “We’ve gotten him treated by the best hand doctors. He had an MRI, and there is no ligament tear, thank God. The doctor prescribed two weeks of rest, and then he should be ready to go. We’ll put the fight sometime in late May or early June, but that depends on how Terence’s hand is feeling.”

“The hand is in the process of healing and one thing with Terence is he loves to train so he’s been training and running and doing what he can do without using the hand,” McIntyre said. “This is a little road bump. We’re gonna stay out here in Colorado Springs and once we get word from the doctor we’ll be ready to go. We’ll see how Terence feels and we’ll talk to Top Rank about a new date, but we’re definitely going to stay in camp and keep training. The guy he was sparring with has a hard head. When we do come back we’ll come back stronger and more determined.”

“This is his first injury,” Arum said of Crawford. “He was disappointed but he didn’t want to take a risk and go in without having a bad wing.”

PHILADELPHIA, PENN./ORANGE, Calif. (March. 1, 2018)- Undefeated and world ranked welterweight contender Taras Shelestyuk is ready to go big game hunting in 2018.

The 2012 Olympic Bronze medal winner from Sumy, Ukraine, who now fights out of Los Angeles, California, has won the major regional titles, and he feels he has been overlooked by the perceived elite of the 147 pound division.

Shelestyuk, 16-0 with 10 knockouts, continues to work on his craft while he waits for a major fight to materialize.

“I want to fight Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter, Errol Spence or the winner of the Jeff Horn – Terence Crawford fight,” said Shelestyuk.

“I know that I have the skills and pedigree to beat those guys. I just need my opportunity, and I know that will be coming soon. I have been working hard in the gym, and I sparred with Viktor Ortiz for his bout with Devon Alexander, as well as WBA Super Welterweight Champion Brian Castano.”

Shelestyuk also has been helping with the career of his wife Alina. Alina is a runway model, who has done numerous photo shoots in Los Angeles.

Shelestyuk is co-promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing.

After being widely rumored to be heading to Madison Square Garden, The proposed Pay-Pew-View card featuring Jeff Horn defending his WBO Welterweight title bout between Jeff Horn and Terence Crawford will be staged at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Although the fight, long in the works, has not been officially announced, Bob Arum said it is now agreed to on both sides. The site, though, will be Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas as the main event of a pay-per-view card Top Rank is putting on in conjunction with ESPN as part of their long-term deal.

“Mandalay Bay is a great venue and we’re happy to put this card on there,” Arum said. “You’ve got a lot of boxing in New York coming up, so it made sense to move the fight to Las Vegas when Mandalay Bay became available.”

Arum said that he is in the process of finalizing the co-feature between Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao, the former eight-division world champion, and former junior welterweight titlist Mike Alvarado (38-4, 26 KOs), 37, of Denver.

Arum said there would also be another world title bout on the card. It will pit junior featherweight world titleholder Jessie Magdaleno (25-0, 18 KOs), 26, of Las Vegas, in his mandatory defense against hard-hitting Isaac Dogboe (18-0, 12 KOs), 23, of Ghana.

Arum said he initially was going to make that fight the main event of his April 28 ESPN card but decided to move it to the April 14 show to beef up the pay-per-view.

“That’s going to be a really good fight,” Arum said. “It’s a 50-50 fight, I think. Both guys can really hit.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the April 14th card featuring WBO Welterweight champion Jeff Horn defending against Terence Crawford plus an appearance by Manny Pacquiao is close to fruition.

The proposed Pay-Per-View show would take place at Madison Square Garden.

Crawford, during an interview at ringside on Saturday night on ESPN’s telecast of the Gilberto Ramirez-Habib Ahmed super middleweight world title fight in Corpus Christi, Texas, said, “We’re real close. I’d say 90 percent done deal. Right now, my main focus is on Jeff Horn.”

Bob Arum said he was close but then added, “But I don’t do percentages. Close is not there. There is signed contracts. But we’re working hard to get the thing done and, hopefully, we’ll get it done pretty soon.”

Besides working to finish a deal with Crawford, Arum is also working to iron out a deal with Pacquiao. One potential opponent for Pacquiao is the long-faded former junior welterweight titlist Mike Alvarado (38-4, 26 KOs), 37, of Denver.

LAS VEGAS, NV (December 28, 2017) — Boxing enjoyed an outstanding 2017 and before the crystal ball drops in Times Square to begin an even better year, Top Rank asked some of its fighters for their New Year’s resolutions. Here are their responses:

TERENCE CRAWFORD (32-0, 23 KOs) / Two-division world champion / 2017 BWAA Fighter of the Year nominee / 2014 BWAA Fighter of the Year

“My 2018 resolutions are to win a world title at my new welterweight division, making me a three-division champion, and to open the fully renovated B&B Boxing Academy here in Omaha for all the kids in my community to enjoy.”

VASILIY LOMACHENKO (10-1, 8 KOs) / Two-division world champion / 2017 BWAA Fighter of the Year nominee
“First I want to wish world peace on earth, good health and Happy 2018 to all. For me, I want to get back into the ring at least three times and fight the best fighters and biggest names available.”

ÓSCAR VALDEZ (23-0, 19 KOs) / WBO featherweight world champion

“Thanks to God, this was a year full of emotions and victories for our team. I’m going to keep working hard to defend my title and have an even better 2018”

GILBERTO RAMÍREZ (36-0, 24 KOs) / WBO super middleweight world champion.

“First, I want to successfully defend my title in Corpus Christi on February 3 and give the fans a good show. I want to start 2018 the right way. I also want to unify titles and clean up the division, so I can show the world that I’m the best fighter at 168 pounds. Finally, I want to be the king of the super middleweight division and be one of the best pound for pound fighters. That is my dream”

JOSEPH PARKER (24-0, 18 KOs) / WBO heavyweight world champion

“My New Year’s resolution is to give the fans an undisputed world heavyweight champion by beating up Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder as well as bringing honor to New Zealand, Samoa and the sport of boxing. The world deserves a heavyweight champion who isn’t afraid to fight on his opponents’ home turf.”

JEFF HORN (18-0-1, 12 KOs) / WBO welterweight world champion

“I would like to have a healthy baby and to be a great dad. I would like to earn millions from the sport of boxing. I would like to keep proving the doubters wrong and remain undefeated and world champion against top competition.”

RYOTA MURATA (13-1, 10 KOs), WBA middleweight world champion

“For this coming year I hope to have my title defenses lead to big fights. But first I will put my utmost effort to win the fights, that Top Rank and Teiken Promotion have put together for me, and to win them impressively.”

RAY BELTRAN (34-7-1, 21 KOs) / WBO No. 1 world-rated lightweight contender

“My New Year’s resolution is to be the best father, husband I can be, to continue to provide for my family, to be an ambassador to this sport, to be a model citizen of America, to represent this great country, and Mexico in and out of the ring, and to prove on February16th that I am the best and the most dangerous lightweight in the world.”

JOSE RAMÍREZ (21-0, 16 KOs) / WBC No. 3 world-rated super lightweight contender

“My New Year’s resolution is to continue to fight on immigration. To focus more on priorities including family and business plans. To stay active in the gym all year so I can I fight at least three fights. To become world champion. To worry less about what I don’t have and enjoy more what I do have. To practice my faith a bit more. And last, to spend less time on the phone including Social Media.”

MICHAEL CONLAN (5-0, 4 KOs) / Two-time Olympian / 2012 Olympic bronze medalist / 2016 World Amateur Champion

“My New Year’s resolutions for 2018 is to sell out Madison Square Garden again on St Patrick’s Day, sell out a fight in Boston, and also sell out my homecoming show in Belfast, towards the end off the year. I’d like to push on into big fights and hopefully pick up some sort of title on my way! 2017 has been a fantastic year, thank you to Top Rank, ESPN, my management MTK Global and of course all my supporters all around the world. Let’s bring The Conlan Revolution into 2018 with a bang!”

ANDRE WARD (32-0, 16 KOs) / Retired IBF / WBA / WBO super middleweight world champion / Co-manager of Shakur Stevenson

“Shakur has the potential to be one of the greats in the sport. My resolution for him in 2018 is to stay focused on his craft, listen to the strong team of people he has in his life, and to stay on the right path so he can ultimately get to the finish line.”

SHAKUR STEVENSON (4-0, 2 KOs) / 2016 Olympic silver medalist

“My resolutions for 2018 are to be as active as possible in the ring, continue to make my family and Brick City proud and prove that I am the best prospect in boxing.”

OLEKSANDR GVOZDYK (14-0, 12 KOs) / WBO No. 1 light heavyweight world-rated contender / 2012 Olympic bronze medalist

“I want to become a world champion and then keep busy fighting 3-4 times in 2018. n I want to wish everyone happy and safe holidays.”

ALEX SAUCEDO (26-0, 16 KOs) / No. 3 WBO and No. 4 WBA super lightweight world-rated contender

“It is my New Year’s resolution to make 2018 a big year. To battle hard every time I get into the ring, and ultimately win at least one 140 pound world title.”

CHRISTOPHER DIAZ (22-0, 14 KOs) / No. 4 WBO world-rated junior lightweight contender

“My goal in 2018 is to become a world champion and give boxing fans the best action-packed fights.”

FÉLIX VERDEJO (23-0, 15 KOs) / 2012 Olympian

“My new year’s resolution is to let my actions in the ring speak for me. I want to bring a world title to my Island and I know this will be the year that I become a world champion”

TEÓFIMO LÓPEZ (7-0, 6 KOs) / 2016 Olympian
“My 2018 resolution is nothing but to just keep on winning. Unleashed Savage!”

MIKAELA MAYER (3-0, 2 KOs) / 2016 Olympian / Three-time U.S. National Amateur Champion

1. Practice gratitude even when there’s a reason to be unhappy or to complain
2. Take my dogs on more adventures even when I’m tired from training
3. Eat less meat and incorporate new vegan recipes into my diet more often
4. Design a Mikaela Mayer glove with Everlast
5. Extend my sponsor partnerships
6. Find new ways to give back to my fans
7. Showcase my skills on a MAIN card on ESPN
8. Fight my first 10 rounder
9. Capture all the 130 lb belts!

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

Top Rank on ESPN makes its season debut on Super Bowl weekend, Saturday, February 3, at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, TX, with an exciting world championship doubleheader. GILBERTO “Zurdo” RAMÍREZ of Mazatlan, Mexico, defends his World Boxing Organization (WBO) super middleweight world title against Top-Five world-rated contender HABIB “Wild Hurricane” AHMED (22-0, 17 KOs) from Accra, Ghana. The co-main event will feature Filipino fireball and Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao protégé JERWIN “Pretty Boy” ANCAJAS (26-1-1, 18 KOs), of Cavite City, Philippines, in his U.S. debut. Ancajas will be making the fourth defense of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior bantamweight world title against Top-10 contender ISRAEL GONZALEZ (20-1, 8 KOs), of Cabo San Lucas, México. Both fights will be televised live and exclusively at 10:15 p.m. EST on ESPN and ESPN Deportes and stream live on the ESPN App.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with Zapari Boxing Promotions, MP Promotions and Joven Sports, remaining tickets to the Ramírez – Ahmed / Ancajas – Gonzalez world championship doubleheader event are priced at $152, $102, $62, $42, and $27, including facility fees. They may be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, at the American Bank Center Box Office, Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

For more information visit: www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing,facebook.com/espndeportes; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, @ESPN @ESPNBoxeo

@ESPNDeportes.

By Norm Frauenheim-

It’s a move up, on the scale and to the top of the ballot.

Terence Crawford’s bid to own next year opens with a jump to welterweight and a convincing campaign for Fighter of the Year.

Call it a win-win, at least that’s what it looks like from this corner.

After dominating the 140-pound division, Crawford moves up to 147, with his debut at the new weight probably against Jeff Horn, who followed up his controversial stunner over Manny Pacquiao with an 11th-round stoppage of somebody named Gary Corcoran in Brisbane Wednesday.

If the deal gets done for a bout sometime this spring perhaps in Las Vegas, promoter Bob Arum says Horn has a better chance than anybody will ever give him.

Fair enough. Arum warned everybody that Horn had a chance against Pacquiao, too. But Pacquiao looked to be as unprepared as he is over-the-hill.

Crawford is neither. He’s motivated and near his prime in terms of instinct, athleticism and motivation. Add what appears to be a mean streak, and you’ve got a fighter very hard to stop for at least the next year.

I know, I know, there is Vasiliy Lomachenko, who is being marketed as boxing’s cutting edge of newfound creativity.

His complement of footwork and angles is thing of beauty, to be sure. Still, there’s some debate about whether there’s more form than function to what he does.

Maybe, we’ll get better judge of that against the fundamentally efficient Mikey Garcia.We sure didn’t get to see it against Guillermo Rigondeaux, who quit after six rounds Saturday in a hyped bout that proved to underwhelming.

Don’t blame Lomachenko, who did exactly what he had to. This on is on Rigondeaux, the sad-faced Cuban who surrendered for what was reported to be a bruised hand. Rigondeaux surrendered, perhaps because he knew defeat was inevitable.

Net result: It denied Lomchenko the chance to finish a fight that might have embellished his own candidacy for Fighter of the Year.

For now, Lomachenko is still that proverbial work in progress. Meanwhile, he’s as likable for his footwork as he is for his honesty and quick wit. His post-fight take on his name — “No-mas-chenko” — is a classic.

He continues to say he wants to fight Mikey Garcia, despite Garcia’s biter split with Top Rank, still the Ukrainian’s promoter. Lomachenko’s priorities are in order.

He’s the boss. In the end, the promoter is there to get him fights he wants. And in this case, Lomachenko-versus-Garcia is a fight the public wants to see too.

A year from now, Lomachenko’s clear business agenda and evolving ring style could make him Fighter of the Year.

In the here-and now, however, it’s Crawford, who exercised his dominance in a stunning third-round stoppage of Julius Indongo in August. Unlike Rigondeaux, Indongo was never the story in that one. Only Crawford was.

Now, there’s Crawford’s move to welterweight. There are interesting fights for him at 147. But the guess here is that he would beat Keith Thurman. He’d beat Shawn Porter. He’d blow out Pacquiao. Of all the possibilities at welterweight, the best might be the young Errol Spence. But that one looks to be at least a year away, a year after one that will belong to Terence Crawford.

OMAHA (December 13. 2017) — Undefeated two-division world champion TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (32-0, 32 KOs), from Omaha,is ready to move out of the junior welterweight division and up to the welterweight class. Crawford, the 2014 Fighter of the Year, became boxing’s first undisputed world champion in 15 years when he knocked out fellow unified world champion Julius Indongo over the summer. Tune ups may be good for engines but they have no place in Crawford’s repertoire. After unifying the four major junior welterweight titles this year, Crawford, who has been designated the mandatory challenger to World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight world champion JEFF “The Hornet” HORN, is ready to challenge for the 147-pound title. Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs), from Brisbane, Australia, successfully defended his title earlier today, stopping Top-10 contender Gary Corcoran (17-2, 7 KOs), of London in the 11th round. The two undefeated world champions will face each other next, in the spring of 2018. Televised live in the U.S. on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, the Horn-Corcoran title tilt will be replayed today on ESPN2 at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT

Here is what Terence had to say after watching the Horn – Corcoran title fight on ESPN:

“Jeff Horn did what he had to do to get the job done tonight but I’m a totally different fighter than Gary Corcoran. I have more power and more speed than Corcoran. When he steps in to the ring with me, it’s going to be a very different story.

“When I move up to the 147 pound division, everyone is going to see a bigger, stronger fighter and a harder puncher than they saw at 140 pounds. I plan to do the same thing at 147 that I did at 135 and 140 and clean out the division.

“2017 has been a huge year for me with stoppages over Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz and fellow undefeated unified World Champion Julius Indongo, my move to the number one spot on the pound-for-pound list and becoming the undisputed Junior Welterweight Champion of the World.

“In 2018, I’m going to continue to be successful. I feel like I’m getting better each and every time I step foot in to the ring and I know that will continue next year in my new weight division.”

On Glenn Rushton’s (Horn’s trainer) comments:

“There are holes in everybody’s game. There’s a lot of holes in Jeff Horn’s game and everyone will see that when he gets in the ring with me.”

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

2017 was another banner year for Crawford, who successfully defended his titles by knockout while being rated No. 1 in many pound for pound fighter polls. Crawford laid waste to Olympic gold medalist and top-rated welterweight contender Félix Díaz (19-1, 9 KOs), at Madison Square Garden, and International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Association (WBA) world champion Julius Indongo (22-0, 12 KOs), at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, on May 20 and August 19, respectively. Both telecasts were among the highest-rated of the year.

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@ESPNDeportes.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, undisputed 140 pound champion Terence Crawford will move to welterweight and already has been installed as the mandatory challenger for the winner of WBO champion Jeff Horn and Gary Corocoran that will take place in December.

“Crawford literally dominated and cleaned out a division,” Top Rank Vice-President Carl Moretti said. “There are no more challenges left for him at 140 pounds and, physically, his body is ready to move to 147 pounds and do the same thing he did at 135 and 140 — dominate a division.

“Now he’s pound-for-pound the best in the world and I think you’ll see more of that at 147 pounds. So he has vacated the WBO title and he will be notifying the WBC and WBA shortly.”

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who also co-promotes Horn, said Crawford would travel with him to Australia for Horn-Corcoran, which he said would be televised live on an ESPN network in the early morning United States time.

“I want Terence to see Australia and I want the people in Australia to see Terence,” Arum said.

“I think Crawford is an enormous talent,” Arum said. “I know that if he wins the welterweight title I am going to look to match him with him a number of fighters that are managed by Al Haymon, like (former titlist) Danny Garcia, (unified titleholder) Keith Thurman and a huge fight would be one with (titleholder Errol) Spence. That would be a big pay-per-view fight.”

The IBF has ordered a bout between Sergey Lipinets and Akihiro Kondo to fight for the vacant 140 pound title that was recently vacated by Terence Crawford, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

According to the sanctioning body, both boxers have indicated in writing that they are willing to participate in the bout, and it ordered negotiations to begin immediately.

The sides have until Sept. 30 to make a deal, otherwise the IBF will order a purse bid to determine who gains promotional control of the fight.

Undefeated undisputed 140 lb champion Terence Crawford vacated the IBF verison of the title, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“On behalf of Top Rank and Terence Crawford we would like to thank you and the IBF for allowing Terence to participate in the historic four-title unification bout on August 19. As always it was a pleasure working with the IBF,” Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti wrote to IBF president Daryl Peoples to inform him of Crawford’s decision to vacate the belt. “It had been a lifelong dream of Terence’s to win an IBF world championship and to be recognized as undisputed, unified world champion.

“Top Rank and Terence realize that the IBF is in a complicated situation with respect to the mandatory defense for the title, given prior exemptions leading into the August 19 bout. Unfortunately, the timing of the purse bid and the mandatory defense do not permit Terence and Top Rank sufficient time to consider the next step in his career. In light of that, and wanting to spare the IBF unnecessary and prolonged procedural steps, Terence respectfully relinquishes his IBF title. Thank you once again for the opportunity and we look forward continuing our relationship in future endeavors.”