Crawford fights this weekend on ESPN.Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford is one of many high pound-for-pound fighters within the game on the present time. He’s a 3-division world champion, and he is no longer steadily lost a single professional prizefight.
The 33-year-frail from Omaha, Nebraska, returns to the ring this Saturday to face popular titleholder Kell Brook in a really worthy 147-pound bout that would aid dispute up big superfights down the line for Crawford.
The champ sat down with Bleacher Sage this week to chat about his sizable replace on ESPN, future doable showdowns against other high boxing superstars, and whether or no longer he’d truly fetch within the cage to fight Conor McGregor beneath MMA tips.
B/R: You are 36-0. You were lineal champ at gentle-weight and undisputed champ at junior welterweight. You are on the 2d the WBO champion at 147 kilos. So disclose me the vogue you retain spirited down on The Ring magazine’s pound-for-pound checklist?
Crawford: I fabricate no longer know. That’s a inquire of I am unable to retort…every person’s purchased their dispute of fighters that they offer credit ranking to or loyal abilities staring at more than others, so they offer more credit ranking to them. That’s loyal the vogue it is.
B/R: You are one of many few professional boxers I’ve noticed within the game who looks to be offended when he fights. Is that the vogue you truly feel within the occasion you fight? Why does it give you the results you want?
Crawford: Nah, no longer all. I mean in most cases…in most cases I even bear blended emotions, so I truly can’t recount.
B/R: It looks to be to be like savor you are looking to interpret your level or one thing within the occasion you fight. Or am I making all this up?
Crawford: On occasion, or no longer it is that I am proving a degree. On occasion or no longer it is that chip on my shoulder.
B/R: Why attain you bear a chip to your shoulder?
Crawford: It be loyal one thing I have been born with. All these objects, me being the underdog, me being undersized, I always had to work extra spirited to fetch the attention that I rightfully deserved.
B/R: Your next opponent, Kell Brook, is a popular world champion. He beat Shawn Porter at 147 and has most efficient lost two fights. He lost to Errol Spence Jr. at welterweight and Gennady Golovkin at middleweight. Aloof, all I’ve discover about main as a lot as this fight with Brook is who you are no longer combating. What’s up with that?
Crawford: I fabricate no longer know. Lots of of us savor to discredit me and create a memoir about my opponents, but if somebody else change into once combating Kell Brook right this moment straight away, they’d fetch the entire credit ranking within the sphere for combating him. He’s coming off of three victories [in a row]. He’s no longer injured. He’s within the supreme form of his life he acknowledged. We are ready for a 110-p.c Kell Brook advance fight night time.
B/R: You are one of many supreme boxing superstars of the HBO technology, and now you are portion of ESPN’s boxing machine. How are issues varied on the present time with ESPN than they were with HBO?
Crawford: It be loads varied. Your entire thing is varied, but on the the same time, or no longer it is the entire the same [for me].
B/R: What relating to the attain of ESPN?
Crawford: ESPN is free and HBO change into once top rate TV, so that you bought to mediate there would possibly perhaps be a entire lot more of us who’re going so as to peek you in bars and whatnot in self-discipline of being on HBO. You fabricate no longer seek for bars exhibiting HBO that in overall, no longer much less than as in overall as they attain for frequent fights on ESPN.
B/R: Your promoter, Bob Arum, educated Barbershop Conversations at some stage in a most up-to-date interview that he would possibly perhaps maybe well foresee you leaving his company some day soon to switch to Premier Boxing Champions. Is that one thing that you would be succesful to well seek for yourself doing?
Crawford: Uh, I heard he acknowledged a comment savor that, but I fabricate no longer know. I fabricate no longer know (laughs)… Yeah, I am no longer centered on that.
B/R: Can bear to that you would be succesful to well execute any single fight occur next after Brook on Saturday, what would or no longer or no longer it is and why?
Crawford: Manny Pacquiao. Because that’s the fight that I have been calling for at some stage within the last few years.
B/R: What’s going to you attain to make certain that that that fight happens?
Crawford: I loyal gotta dangle my fight, and we will seek for what happens after that.
B/R: There would possibly perhaps be a viral video of you and unified welterweight champion Errol Spence agreeing to a $1 million wager within the occasion you two ever fight. Is that legit, though? Are you truly going to wager 1,000,000 bucks?
Crawford: Hi there, peek, me and that man know what it is. I ain’t even purchased to chat about it.
B/R: What’s it savor seeing the entire adverts supreme weekend on the UFC card that helped promote your fight within the boxing ring this weekend?
Crawford: It be cool, man. We’re all in fight sports, and I am barely obvious that we’re all supporting every other on the high of the day. It be deal of UFC fighters which will likely be looking to fetch into boxing being that I feel or no longer it is a safer sport and it’ll pay more.
B/R: Arum revealed earlier this year to ESPN that he’d savor to seem at you sign a two-fight deal with UFC superstar Conor McGregor. He acknowledged that you would be succesful to well fight him once in a boxing ring and again within the Octagon beneath UFC tips. Is that one thing you’d critically retain in mind doing?
Crawford: Needless to claim. Why would no longer I?
B/R: You’d fetch within the Octagon and fight McGregor beneath MMA tips? Worship, for accurate?
Crawford: Yeah, I would possibly perhaps maybe well.
Crawford vs. Brook takes self-discipline on Saturday, November 14. The most distinguished card will be televised are residing within the united states on ESPN at 10 p.m. ET. The undercard fights beginning at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Kelsey McCarson covers fight sports for B/R and Heavy.
