Terence Crawford has hit back at claims that his boxing resume does not cut the mustard.
Crawford may be unbeaten in his 39 fights with 30 KOs, but the caliber of his opposition has been called out in the run-up to his fight with Errol Spence Jr. on July 29th, 2023.
During their press tour at ‘The Beverly Hills Hotel,’ Spence downplayed Crawford’s achievements by stating that he had ‘fought nobody.’
And yet, Crawford’s ability to dominate fighters has worked against him. Victories over Kell Brook and Shawn Porter were dismissed, even though ‘Bud’ stopped the latter, something which Spence couldn’t do.
But for Crawford, this is all familiar territory.
“I feel like Roy Jones Jr when they said he wasn’t fighting nobody, and he said I ain’t fighting nobody and he just said, ‘I just made ’em look like nobody.’ Because every time I fight somebody they got something negative to say after the fact.
“But prior to be fighting [them], it’s a whole lot of, ‘I don’t know if Crawford’s ready, this guy’s too big [for him], this guy’s fought this guy, he’s got the better resume.’ You hear a lot of things but after the fight you hear, ‘he wasn’t nothing, he was washed,” Crawford
Nevertheless, the star could face similar accusations if he were to beat Spence. The latter is a naturally bigger welterweight, with question marks over how long he can stay at 147.
After all, Spence has not hidden his desire to move up to 154 lbs. Not only that, but Spence’s 15-month lay-off since his win over Yordenis Ugas, coupled with his two car accidents, may prove pivotal.
That is why Crawford expects further excuses if Spence were to come second best.
“When I fought Shawn Porter, everyone was saying, ‘Oh, Bud too little, Shawn’s gonna rough him up, or Bud’s not on that level, he ain’t fought nobody.’
“But now, after I fight Shawn, it’s ‘washed,’ his dad called the fight, he [Porter] was retired already.’ I hear a lot of things. So July 29th I’m gonna hear a lot of things as well,” Crawford