Weigh-In: Three WBO World Titles Bout on Saturday

Following Friday’s weigh-in, Terence “Bud” Crawford and Jose Benavidez Jr. had to be separated at the weigh-in. The trash talk led to Crawford (33-0, 24 KOs) being shoved, and then throwing a punch at the WBO welterweight world title challenger Benavidez (27-0, 18 KOs) – as they collide on Saturday at the CHI Health Center Omaha (ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 10:30 p.m. ET). (photo by Mikey Williams).

ESPN and ESPN Deportes (10:30 p.m. ET)

• Terence Crawford 145.4 lbs vs. Jose Benavidez Jr. 145 lbs
(Crawford’s WBO welterweight world title – 12 Rounds)

WBO Bantamweight World Champion Zolani Tete & Mikhail Aloyan make weight ahead of their Ali Trophy Quarter-Finals on October 13 at the Ekaterinburg Expo, Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Zolani Tete (30) (27-3, 21 KOs): 52,8 kg and Mikhail Aloyan (30) (4-0): 53,2 kg.

The fight will be streamed live on DAZN, WBSS website (http://worldboxingsuperseries.com), Facebook page World Boxing Super Series and Russia Match TV, starting at 18:00 🇬🇧 time

Weigh-In: WBO World Jr. Flyweight Champion 🇵🇷 Angel Tito Acosta (18-1, 17 KOs) 108 lbs, and challenger 🇲🇽 Abraham Rodríguez (23-1, 11 KOs) 107.8 lbs.

Watch the fight live tomorrow only on Golden Boy Fight Night Facebook page.The bout takes place in The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

October 13: Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford to Make Hometown Title Defense Against Jose Benavidez Jr. on ESPN

Crawford to defend WBO title at the CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska

Tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. CST

OMAHA, Neb. (Sept. 6, 2018) – Terence “Bud” Crawford will return to the scene of many of his greatest professional triumphs intent on stopping a man who has repeatedly lobbied for a fight. Crawford will make the first defense of his WBO welterweight world title against Jose Benavidez Jr. on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the CHI Health Center Omaha (formerly the CenturyLink Center). Crawford-Benavidez will air live and exclusively on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10:30 p.m. ET with undercards streaming live in the United States at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ – the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN.

It was Benavidez who challenged Crawford in Corpus Christi, Texas, this past February, accusing him of ducking a potential showdown. Crawford invited Benavidez to “step outside” before cooler heads prevailed. They will settle the score in front of a raucous crowd who will be cheering on their hometown hero.

ESPN’s coverage of the event starts Friday, Oct. 12 with the live Top Rank on ESPN Crawford vs. Benavidez Jr. Weigh-In show. Lineup (ET):

TV:
5:30-6:00 p.m., ESPN2 (LIVE, Main and Co-Main Events)
9:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; 1:30 a.m.-2:00 a.m., ESPNEWS (repeat)

Streaming on ESPN+:
5:00-6:00 p.m., ESPN+ (streaming LIVE, entire card)

Promoted by Top Rank, tickets to this world championship event go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. CST. Priced at $178, $103, $63, and $38, not including applicable fees, tickets can be purchased at the CHI Health Center Omaha box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 800-745-3000, or online at ticketmaster.com.

“The Crawford-Benavidez fight is an old-time grudge match. These are two elite fighters who don’t care for each other, to put it mildly,” said Bob Arum, Top Rank’s founder and CEO. “They will battle each other at a fever pitch. I can’t wait to watch the action.”

“This fight is the fight he has been calling for, and now he will get the chance to see what it’s like to be in the ring with a real champion,” Crawford said. I’ll happily give him his first L.”

“I’ve been wanting this fight for three years. I know I have what it takes to beat him, and I am going to beat him,” Benavidez said. “Crawford has been running his mouth and saying I’m a nobody. I’m going to take full advantage of this opportunity.”

Crawford (33-0, 24 KOs) is a three-division world champion, a pound-for-pound elite who was recently named “Fighter of the Year” at the 2018 ESPY Awards. In his first bout of 2018, June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, he defeated defending WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn via ninth-round TKO. Crawford did not miss a beat against Horn despite a nearly 10-month layoff due to a hand injury. Prior to dominating Horn, Crawford became only the third fighter of the four-belt era to unify all the belts when he knocked out fellow unified 140-pound champion Julius Indongo in the third round. Crawford has drawn a total of 44,360 fans in four bouts at the CHI Health Center Omaha, including nearly 11,000 when he knocked down Yuriorkis Gamboa four times en route to a ninth-round TKO to retain the WBO lightweight title in one of the best fights of 2014. Five months after the Gamboa win, Crawford cruised to a wide unanimous decision against Ray Beltran, who went on to win that title more than three years later. In his most recent CHI Health Center Omaha appearance, Dec. 10, 2016 against John Molina Jr., 11,270 fans packed the building as Crawford battered Molina before stopping him in the eighth round. Crawford is 11-0 with eight knockouts in world title bouts and is ranked by many boxing experts as the world’s best fighter.

Benavidez (27-0, 18 KOs), a former WBA interim super lightweight champion, turned pro in 2010 following a standout amateur career that included a 2009 National Golden Gloves gold medal at 141 pounds. His road to this career-defining fight has been anything but smooth, as he was shot multiple times in an August 2016 incident in his hometown of Phoenix. After a nearly 18-month layoff, Benavidez returned on Feb. 3, 2018 in Corpus Christi with an eighth-round TKO against Matthew Strode. It was before the weigh-in for the Strode bout that Benavidez confronted Crawford. Benavidez last fought on the Crawford vs. Horn undercard, knocking out the previously undefeated Frank Rojas at 1:23 of the opening round.

Undefeated records will be on the line when Jeff Horn and Terence Crawford clash for the WBO welterweight world title June 9 in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Horn, the current champion, has a career record of 18-0-1. The Australia native claimed the title last July in his hometown of Brisbane after a unanimous decision over Manny Pacquiao.

Crawford, who hails from Omaha, Neb., is the challenger despite having a 32-0 record. With titles in the 135 and 140 pound divisions, Crawford will attempt to become a three-weight world champion when he fights Horn at 147 pounds.

Here is some more key information on the fight, courtesy of Opta:

Horn is set to make his first appearance in the United States. All of his previous 19 bouts as a professional have taken place in either Australia or New Zealand.

Crawford got his hands on a world title for the first time back in 2014; he travelled to take on Ricky Burns in Glasgow, beating the Scotsman on the cards in the champion’s backyard.

Since recording a unanimous decision over Ricky Burns, Crawford has forced a stoppage in seven of his nine outings, the exceptions being Ray Beltrán and Viktor Postol. Each of those fights have been with a world title on the line.

Crawford is regarded as a consensus top three pound-for-pound fighter at the moment alongside Gennady Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko. His ability to switch hit seamlessly from orthodox to southpaw is one of his signature attributes.

This will be Horn’s third world title bout compared to Crawford’s 11th. Crawford has been away from the ring for 10 months, the longest absence of his career to date. Horn’s last fight was in December 2017, a TKO over Gary Corcoran.

This bout was postponed, originally set to take place in April 2018. But it was rescheduled because of an injury picked up by Crawford. Horn was involved in a car accident on May 24, but he remains able to fight after not suffering an injury.

Although both are the same age, Crawford turned professional five years before Horn and has racked up 168 rounds across 32 fights while Horn has only been involved in 19 bouts. But unlike Crawford, Horn represented his country at an Olympics Games (London 2012) prior to turning over into the paid ranks.

http://www.sportingnews.com/boxing/news/jeff-horn-terence-crawford-boxing-wbo-title-manny-pacquiao-las-vegas/1c3wf93yv012s1njxs17cxl5mz

By Christian Shimabuku

By Karl Freitag
Photos: Mikey Williams / Top Rank –

Undefeated junior welterweight champions Terence “Bud” Crawford and “The Iceman” Viktor Postol faced off at the final news conference for their WBO/WBC world title unification fight on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum hosted the proceedings.

Viktor Postol: Hopefully this is going to be an exciting fight. I’ll do everything I can for that.

Terence Crawford: I had a great camp, nice sparring, nice everything, went well on weight, I’m just ready to go out there and display my talent. A lot people aren’t giving me enough credit to the point where everybody’s talking about Postol’s jab. Well we’re gonna see who’s got the better jab come Saturday. Everybody stay tuned. It’s gonna be a great fight.

Bob Arum: This fight I think is the best fight certainly that’s been offered to date [in 2016] to fight fans. It matches two terrific young fighters, each a champion, each with the same record, 28 wins and no defeats, each holding a belt from their respective organizations. It has everything that great fights have had for all the years I’ve been associated with boxing. I’ve been in boxing for over 50 years, and I’ve been associated with great, great fights. This fight, to me, is up there with any of the fights that I’ve promoted. I remember a number of years ago down in Florida at the Orange Bowl I promoted a great, great 140lb championship fight between Aaron Pryor and the late, great Alexis Arguello. And that was a fight for the ages. Look it up. Watch it. One of the great, great fights you’d ever want to see. And I really believe that this fight will be the equal of that unbelievable fight so many years ago, I guess it was in 1981. I really am looking forward to a tremendous fight here on Saturday.

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/crawford-postol-press-conference-quick-quotes-347777

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

By Miguel Maravilla
Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Undefeated WBO jr welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs), of Omaha, Nebraska, will have his toughest test when he takes on undefeated WBC champion “The Ice Man” Viktor Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) of Kiev, Ukraine, in a unification bout on July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

“It’s going to be big. I’m going in there and putting on a spectacular show and showing everybody that I belong here,” Crawford told Fightnews.com®. “I have to make a statement on July 23rd.”

Crawford will be training for the fight in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska under the watchful eye of his longtime trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre.

Coming off a devastating knockout over Hank Lundy this past February in New York City, Crawford was impressive in defending his WBO title for the second time. Last year saw Crawford score knockouts against Thomas Dulorme in April, as he won the vacant WBO super lightweight title. and in October when he stopped Dierry Jean in his first title defense.

Since coming to the United States Postol has been 4-0 with 3 KOs. He won the WBC world title with an impressive tenth round knockout over the tough Lucas Matthysse last October. “I feel Matthysse gave up because he was frustrated. It wasn’t because he hurt him with a punch, it was because Matthysse was tired. Postol was holding, elbowing, his jab was irritating him every time Matthysse would get in. There was more frustration than hurt,” Crawford said.

“Postol’s style is more European,” he continued. “Straight right, jab, clinch, hold, elbows here and there, but there is nothing he’ll be able to do come fight night to keep me from taking that belt. I’ve seen a lot in my time of boxing on this level. I feel I will do real well!”

A win over Postol would open a new chapter in Terance Crawford’s career. “This is just the beginning. It’s my first pay-per-view and I want to put on a great performance. I want to be the next superstar,” Crawford said.

For years Nebraska has been known for its strong college football tradition in Lincoln, Nebraska about 50 miles south of Omaha, for hosting the NCAA College Baseball World Series in Omaha, and the home of American businessman philanthropist Warren Buffet. Since his 2014 homecoming knockout win over previously undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa, Crawford has become the pride of Omaha, Nebraska.

“When you talk Omaha, you talk Terence Crawford if you aren’t talking Warren Buffet,” Crawford said. “When I fought in Omaha against Gamboa everyone was like, WOW! This is what we have been waiting on!”

Crawford expects a large number of his hometown fans to make the trek to Vegas for the Postol fight. “They will show up and chill out. A lot of people are coming to show their support,” Crawford said.

On July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, it will be champion vs. champion.

“When I look at this fight, I look at it as #1 vs. #2, the best in the division, two undefeated fighters,” Crawford said. “I’m not thinking of who I want to fight next. Who I got in front of me now is Viktor Postol. Come fight night, we’re waiting for the victory!”

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/terence-crawford-i-want-to-be-the-next-superstar-341097

By Glenn Erby – Terence “Bud” Crawford (26-0 18 KO’s) last night became a two weight world champion and a rising star — when he overcame Thomas Dulorme (22-2 14 KO’s) to win the vacant WBO Light Welterweight title at the University of Texas, Arlington.

Crawford — the man Bob Arum refers to as the next big thing in boxing — won the vacant WBO junior welterweight title with a sixth-round technical knockout Saturday night, knocking down Dulorme three times in quick fashion after a slow start.

“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.”

Crawford remained undefeated — 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.

Crawford is scheduled to be in New York to accept his 2014 fighter of the year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America this coming week.

Crawford came out slow — feeling out Dulorme — who entered the ring wearing a gladiator helmet and breastplate.

The action sped up a bit in third round — with Crawford grwoing in confidence because Dulorme could never hurt him. By rounds four and five — Crawford taunted him, and at the end of the fourth had him back into a corner and delivered two big rights.

“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.”

Arum this week called Crawford a new superstar on the horizon, and said this fight was a “very, very crucial first step” towards becoming an elite fighter.

http://blacksportsonline.com/home/2015/04/terence-crawford-continues-his-rise-to-stardom-with-tko-of-dulorme/

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

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

“It’s an honor to fight in my hometown during the holiday season in front of my fans and family who will be traveling to Omaha,” said Crawford.  “It’s great that Top Rank and HBO are coming back into town to promote another show on one of the biggest weekends of the year.  Beltran feels I have something – a world title belt – which belongs to him.  He thought he beat Ricky Burns and I thought Beltran won too.  But he didn’t and I did. Beltran can fight. We know that.  I am going to fight him like a bad dog, fight fire with fire. Let’s see if he really has a will to win in Omaha. My will to win is off the charts. He won’t be coming straight at me the way he did against Ricky Burns.  My team and I are training hard to put on a good show for everyone. No one will be disappointed.”

“Crawford has shown to be a talented fighter, someone I respect,” said Beltran.  “But I see this fight as an opportunity for me to achieve the recognition in the boxing world and the public’s eye.  This fight is Champion vs. Champion. It’s not about the belts. It’s about us.  Crawford is talented, has skill, but I have the ability to adapt and will be ready for what he brings.  The situation against Burns made me stronger, I felt the love of the crowd and all of their respect that night.  I feel blessed with my family and friends.  All of that will be with me when I fight Crawford in Omaha. I am the No.  2 fighter in the world. Crawford is No. 1. That is what this is all about.  I believe in me.  This is my moment.”

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

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

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

Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs), of Omaha, returns to the ring fresh from his dramatic and critically-acclaimed knockout victory of Gamboa.  Not only did Crawford retain his title, he also made himself a contender for Fighter of the Year.  He is only the second Nebraska native to be recognized as a boxing world champion.  Perry “Kid” Graves, from Rock Bluff, captured the welterweight crown, knocking out Johnny Alberts in Brooklyn, in 1914, according to the Omaha World-Herald.  After a short but impressive amateur career, which included victories over future world champions Danny Garcia, Mikey Garcia and one-time world title challenger Diego Magdaleno, Crawford made his professional debut on March 14, 2008 – a first-round knockout victory of Brian Cummings.  On March 1, 2014 – just 13 days short of the sixth anniversary of his pro debut, Crawford captured the WBO lightweight title, dethroning defending champion Ricky Burns on Burns’ home turf of Glasgow, Scotland. Scoring a powerful and unanimous decision, Burns put the boxing world on notice that with his virtuoso performance.  Crawford pulled out all stops in dismantling Burns as he rocked the defending champion throughout the fight, while switching back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stances.

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

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-terence-crawford-ray-beltran-go-face-face–82695