Photos: Terence Crawford, Felix Diaz – Go Face To Face at MSG

NEW YORK — Undefeated World Junior Welterweight Champion and top pound for pound fighter TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD will make his 2017 debut, Saturday, May 20, at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden.  This will also be his debut headlining in the big room — a testament both to his talent and his growing popularity.  Photos by Ed Mulholland.

Crawford will be defending his unified World Boxing Organization (WBO) / World Boxing Council (WBC) / Ring magazine titles against former Olympic gold medalist and top-rated contender FÉLIX DÍAZ in a marquee all-action fight.  It will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing, beginning at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.

“Crawford vs. Díaz was made for The Garden and I anticipate a battle between these two warriors worthy of its moniker as the Mecca of Boxing,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

“Come May 20, I will be ready for whatever Félix Díaz brings to the ring that night,” said Crawford.  “It’s going to be a great experience fighting at Madison Square Garden in the big arena where all the greats have fought.  I’m looking forward to that night.”

“We’ve got our work cut out for us fighting against another Olympic gold medalist,” said Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s trainer and co-manager.  “It’s an honor to fight in the arena at Madison Square Garden.  It’s a step up going from The Theater into the big room.”

“First, I would like to thank the man upstairs for making my dream come true.  I would also like to thank Lou DiBella, Al Haymon, HBO and my manager Jose Nuñez for working around the clock to get me to this point,” said Díaz.  “The time has finally come. I will share a ring with one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and I tip my hat to Crawford for accepting me as an opponent on May 20 because I am no pushover. I’m coming to bring my A-game and I couldn’t be more grateful to be able to showcase my skills on HBO and at Madison Square Garden, which is just 15 minutes from where I live.  I will take full advantage of this opportunity.  I respect Crawford and believe he is a great fighter, but every king can be dethroned.”

“Félix Díaz is an Olympic gold medalist, a seasoned professional and the best fighter Terence Crawford has ever fought.  We have been chasing this fight for a year because Felix and our team believe we can win.  The fans will win when they see a terrific, competitive fight on May 20th,” said Lou DiBella, the promoter of Díaz.

“On May 20, unified champ Terence Crawford faces gold medalist Félix Díaz in a fight to light up Madison Square Garden,” said Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports.  “Holding two belts and a place on any top pound for pound list, Terence Crawford looks to have his 2017 debut make a big statement in the Big Apple.  Fans will see both fighters’ mettle tested at the Mecca of Boxing.”

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Here’s an update from WBO junior welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and his trainer Brian McIntyre for the HBO-PPV unification clash between Crawford and WBC champion Viktor Postol on July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Will Postol be the toughest test of your career? Why did you decide to take such a dangerous fight?

Terence Crawford: “On paper you could make a case that Postol will be the toughest man I have faced inside the ring, but I won’t really know that until I fight him on July 23. When I go into camp, I always assume the opponent I’m training for will be my toughest test. It’s the only way I know how to train. I respect any fighter who laces up the gloves and enters the ring to battle with me. I take no opponent for granted and I take nothing in training camp for granted. We are by the book in camp. We skip nothing in gym training or conditioning. It’s a fulltime job. 

“You have no idea what it takes on a daily basis to get myself to the level I achieve on fight night. I cannot afford an off night. It’s unacceptable and it’s dangerous. No one is going to give me anything in a fight. I have to earn it the old-fashioned way and that’s by taking the fight to my opponent and winning it. Against Postol, I’m not just defending my belt, I’m out to take his too. That’s the reason for taking such a tough fight. It is because I wanted to fight the best fighter out there. To beat the best fighter out there. To show that I am the best fighter in the division.”

Brian McIntyre: “We won’t know if Postol will be the toughest until we get into the ring with him. He does have some good victories, he has a title and he is undefeated. So if you look at those credentials, you can’t ask for a stronger opponent than that for Terence. Both fighters are risking their titles and their undefeated records — everything that have worked so hard to earn — and that is something that appeals to us and appeals to fans who are looking for the best to fight the best.

“A victory on July 23 will lead to bigger and tougher tests and we welcome that too. I know Terence is the best fighter in boxing. We want him to have the opportunities to prove it. Regarding the July 23rd fight, I’m not worried about what Postol will be doing. I’m only concerned about what Terence does in training camp. And right now, Terence is having an amazing camp. Because Terence is training so strong, my gut is telling me this may be an easy fight for us.”

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/terence-crawford-training-camp-blog-3-345844

Photos: Chris Farina / Top Rank –

Terence Crawford made his next world title bout against Dierry Jean official today during a press conference at Omaha’s CenturyLink Center in an event open to the public.

Dierry Jean Manager Camille Estephan: “I am happy to announce the rematch will be right back here in Omaha. Dierry asked for this fight and when we told him it would be in Omaha he said ‘all the better.’ Dierry has the style and power to beat Crawford. Dierry only wants to fight and beat the best.”

Dierry Jean Trainer Mike Moffa: “Omaha is a great city. It will be a honor for Dierry to take Crawford’s world title belt back to Canada where it really belongs”

Terence Crawford Trainer Brian McIntyre: “This is getting personal. All Dierry Jean will be getting is a good ass-whipping. He will be no factor against Terence.”

Terence Crawford: “Wow – he asked to fight me. That’s good. I like it. I will be 100% prepared -probably more than 100% because of the way Dierry’s team has been talking.”

Note: Dierry Jean lost his passport two days ago and was unable to board his flight. He will be issued a new passport this week.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/crawford-jean-presser-quick-quotes-302749

Terence Crawford knocks Thomas Dulorme down in the sixth round.

Terence Crawford landed a stunning right that Thomas Dulorme never really saw.

Soon after that, Crawford was a two-time WBO champion, winning the latest title in his first fight since moving up in class.

Crawford won the vacant WBO junior welterweight title with a sixth-round technical knockout Saturday night, knocking down Dulorme three times in quick fashion after that big blow.

“I knew I hurt him, I felt it,” Crawford said. “I knew he was hurt real bad. I wanted to just jump on him. … He was woozy.”

With Dulorme stunned, Crawford hit him again and knocked him down for the first time. Then Crawford delivered a flurry of punches, leading to another knockdown. When Dulorme got back up, Crawford unloaded again — and the fight was stopped as Dulorme staggered against the ropes near his corner.

“Basically a shot that I didn’t see, and the shot got me,” Dulorme said through an interpreter.

Crawford remained undefeated, winning as a heavy favorite in his first fight moving in the 140-pound class. He won the WBO lightweight title 13 months ago and defended in the 135-pound division twice in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.

The scheduled 12-round fight in North Texas came a week before Crawford, now 26-0 with 18 knockouts, is scheduled to be in New York to accept his 2014 fighter of the year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America.

After the fight ended, promoter Bob Arum shouted “That’s why he’s the fighter of the year!”

Dulorme, the 27-year-old Puerto Rican, is 22-2. He had won his last six bouts since moving down in class after being knocked out by Luis Carlos Abregu at 147 pounds in a welterweight fight in October 2012.

“It was a great opportunity for us,” Dulorme said. “It wasn’t the best night. We were winning in the cards, it’s something that basically happened. … We did the fight that we came here to do.”

Crawford seemed measured in his approach the first two rounds against the quick-starting Dulorme, who entered the ring wearing a gladiator helmet and breastplate. Dulorme was clearly the aggressor early against Crawford, who went with a red Nebraska Cornhuskers cap for his entry.

But in round 3, there was a quick exchange of punches, and later a hard body blow by Crawford.

There were times in the fourth and fifth rounds when Crawford either smiled or shook his head after taking blows from Dulorme. Crawford taunted him, and at the end of the fourth had him back into a corner and delivered two big rights.

Crawford was also smiling at the end of the fifth round, then came out in the sixth and ended the fight.

“Just having fun with it,” he said. “When I’m having fun, I don’t think nobody can beat me because that means I’m in my rhythm.”

Crawford’s trainer, Brian McIntyre, said the first couple of rounds were just a matter of Crawford getting his timing down. McIntyre said they knew the punching Dulorme would wear out, though he lasted longer than they expected.

Arum this week called Crawford a new superstar on the horizon, and said this fight a “very, very crucial first step” for Crawford to join the truly elite group of fighters.

Arum was at the bout halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth that came only two weeks before the long-awaited fight in Las Vegas between another of his boxers, Manny Pacquiao, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

In an earlier eight-round lightweight matchup of previously unbeaten fighters, Ismail Muwendo from Minneapolis improved to 17-0 with a majority decision over Rolando Chinea from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. One judge had the fight as a draw, while the others had it in favor of Muwendo. Chinea dropped to 10-1-1.

Benjamin “The Blaxican” Whitaker from San Antonio improved to 9-1 as a pro with a unanimous decision over Skender Halili, a boxer from nearby Fort Worth whose had won each of his previous eight professional fights by knockout.

Michigan’s Anthony Barnes won a unanimous decision over Fort Worth’s Martinez Porter in a six-round super middleweight bout.

http://www.foxsports.com/boxing/story/terence-crawford-beats-thomas-dulorme-to-win-wbo-junior-welterweight-title-041815