LAS VEGAS (August 27, 2020) — Finally! After a pair of fight dates fell by the wayside, Unified WBO Junior Welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez and former world champion Viktor Postol are set to fight Saturday evening from the MGM Grand “Bubble” (ESPN+ coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. ET). They were scheduled to fight Feb. 2 in China and May 9 in Fresno, Calif., but the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled those plans.

In other action Saturday evening, junior welterweight contender Arnold Barboza Jr. will fight Canadian veteran Tony Luis, and Dominican knockout artist Elvis Rodriguez will look to extend his knockout streak to seven against Cody Wilson in a six-rounder at welterweight.

This is what Ramirez and Postol had to say at Thursday’s press conference.

Jose Ramirez

“After the big win against Hooker, I am ready to go and continue my journey to become undisputed champion. I know Viktor Postol stands in the way of that, and he is a very experienced fighter. I have been training very, very hard for this fight.

“Due to the pandemic, the fight got rescheduled, but I stayed at the gym. I remained composed and patient. I have a great team and my family behind me. I’m a man of faith. I believe everything happens for a reason, and now that I’m here, I can’t wait to showcase my talent on August 29. I want to show the world how much I have grown and matured as a unified champion. My goal is to become {undisputed} world champion.

“For the first date for this fight, I did a full training camp. The fight got rescheduled the same day I was supposed to depart, but luckily, I didn’t get to the airport. For the second date, I was in camp for five weeks before I got the call that the fight was going to get canceled again. Now, this is another nine-week camp that I’ve been on. My last fight was 13 months ago, but it feels like it was yesterday because I’ve been in the gym the whole year and with this fight on my mind the whole time.”

Viktor Postol

“The first training camp was tough because I came to the U.S. two months before the fight and we actually departed to China for the first fight date. It was a long flight. This camp has also been very long. I came three months before the fight date, but I feel good. I feel ready to fight.

“Jose is a good fighter. He is a good champion, but I know I have a good chance to win this fight. I have the motivation because this fight is for two belts. I’ll be ready.”

PHOTOS BY MIKEY WILLIAMS / TOP RANK

Ramirez-Postol, Take 3! The long-awaited showdown between Unified WBO Junior Welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez and former world champion and challenger Viktor “The Iceman” Postol will take place at the MGM Grand Conference Center Saturday, Aug. 29.

Ramirez and Postol were set to fight February 2 in China and May 9 in Fresno, Calif., but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both were subsequently canceled. This time, they will enter the “Bubble.

In the 10-round junior welterweight co-feature, unbeaten contender Arnold Barboza Jr., from South El Monte, Calif., will fight Canadian veteran Tony “Lightning” Luis in his toughest test to date. Ramirez-Postol and Barboza-Luis will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 10 p.m ET, with undercard action to stream live at 7:30 p.m. ET.

“Jose has stayed in the gym with his great trainer, Robert Garcia, throughout the pandemic,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “I have no doubt we will see the best version of Jose Ramirez, a wonderful young man and one of the world’s best fighters. He will need to be on his game because Postol is a worthy contender who has proven himself at the world-class level.”

Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) enters the fight coming off a career-high 13-month layoff. Last July, he knocked out Maurice Hooker to unify the WBC and WBO titles and stake his claim as the world’s best 140-pounder. Since winning the vacant WBC title against Amir Imam in March 2018, Ramirez defeated the previously undefeated Antonio Orozco, top contender Jose Zepeda and Hooker. The Orozco and Zepeda title defenses took place in front of more than 10,000 fans at Fresno’s Save Mart Center, a short drive from his hometown of Avenal.

During the early stages of the pandemic, Ramirez teamed up with Central Valley community leaders to assist the region’s agricultural workers. With Ramirez leading the way, they donated essential supplies and more than 1,000 wellness boxes, which included N95 masks, paper towels, toilet paper, rice, masa, beans and hand sanitizer. Ramirez now turns his focus to Postol (31-2, 12 KOs), a former WBC world champion whose only two losses have come against current IBF/WBA junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor and pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford. Postol has won two bouts since the Taylor defeat, most recently topping Mohamed Mimoune via decision last April in Las Vegas.

“I’m excited to finally be back. It’s always an honor stepping into the ring, fighting a guy like Postol and defending my belts,” Ramirez said. “God knows that my goal is to become the undisputed champion, and this gets me one step closer to my goal.”

Postol said, “I’m just looking forward to fighting. I’m coming to win those world titles. I have been training since this fight was first announced, so I’m focused and ready to go.”

Barboza Jr. (23-0, 10 KOs) makes his 2020 debut following a 2019 campaign that saw him climb the world rankings with three statement-making wins. He knocked out former world champion Mike Alvarado on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Anthony Crolla undercard at Staples Center, stopped veteran Ricky Sismundo in four rounds at Banc of California Stadium, and scored a body shot knockout over William Silva last November in Las Vegas. Barboza is currently ranked eighth by the WBC and 10th by the WBO at 140 pounds.

“Tony Luis is as tough as they come. He won’t lay down for me. He sees this as a big opportunity, and I can’t let him take it,” Barboza said. “To be honest, the whole no fans thing, I’m more curious than anything. I’ve fought in front of limited fans deep on undercards before. Once you’re in the ring, there’s no difference. I am happy to be part of this ‘Bubble’ experience because it will go down in history.”

Luis (29-3, 10 KOs), from Cornwall, Canada, is a volume puncher with a knack for upsetting undefeated fighters. Since 2014, he has taken the ‘0’ from three then-unbeaten prospects, including a nationally televised decision over Karl Dargan in January 2015. Luis has won 10 consecutive fights since an April 2015 decision loss to Derry Matthews for an interim lightweight world title in Matthews’ hometown of Liverpool, England.

Luis said, “I want to thank Top Rank and my promoter, Liveco Boxing, for this amazing opportunity. I’m proud of myself for not giving up throughout all the uncertainty over the past several months. I knew this pandemic would be a test of character, and I forced myself to stay dedicated, knowing that if an opportunity arose, I’d be ready to strike. I have not lost in over five years, I’m in the best shape in my life, and I feel that Arnold Barboza Jr. is the perfect opponent to showcase my skills and take my career to the next level. Everyone dreams of fighting in Las Vegas. On August 29, my dream will come true, and I plan to make the most of this opportunity. For a small-town kid, we proved a lot of people wrong. Let’s get it on.”

Use the hashtag #RamirezPostol to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing.

FRESNO, Calif. (March. 9, 2020) — It took a little longer than expected, Unified WBO Junior Welterweight champion Jose Ramirez, the pride of California’s Central Valley, is set to return. Ramirez will defend his titles against mandatory challenger and former world champion Viktor “The Iceman” Postol Saturday, May 9 at Save Mart Center in Fresno, a short drive from Ramirez’s hometown of Avenal. Ramirez and Postol were set to fight Feb. 1 in China, but the bout was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Ramirez-Postol and a 10-round super lightweight battle between former two-weight world champion Jose “Sniper” Pedraza and surging 2008 U.S. Olympian Javier “El Intocable” Molina will be televised LIVE on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 10 p.m. ET, with the undercard bouts scheduled to stream in English and Spanish on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with TGB Promotions, tickets priced at $206, $131, $96, $66 and $31 go on sale Tuesday, March 10 at 10 a.m. PT and can be purchased at the Save Mart Center box office, Ticketmaster.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

“We are pleased that Ramirez and Postol will finally fight May 9 from the great city of Fresno,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Viktor is a worthy mandatory challenger who earned his title shot, and Jose will be fully prepared to make a statement. And for Jose, this could be his last fight in Fresno for a long time, so I expect the Central Valley faithful to fill up the Save Mart Center for a special evening.”

Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs) is one of two unified junior welterweight champions. He won the WBC world title in March 2018, prevailing via 12-round shootout against Amir Imam in New York City. He defended that belt twice before stepping up to fight Maurice Hooker in a highly anticipated title unification bout. In one of the best fights of 2019, Ramirez knocked out Hooker in six rounds. A 2012 U.S. Olympian, Ramirez has headlined at Save Mart Center five times previously and has drawn a total of 65,794 fans through the arena’s turnstiles. Last time he fought at Save Mart Center — February 2019 against Jose Zepeda — he drew a career-high turnout of 14,034.

“It is always a blessing to fight at Save Mart Center in front of my loyal fans,” Ramirez said. “I prepared for Postol once, and I will be in top form May 9. My trainer, Robert Garcia, will have me ready for whatever he brings to the table. He is a former world champion who I cannot underestimate.”

Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) has spent the majority of his 12-year career as a super lightweight and nearly a decade at, or near, the top of the division. He stunned the boxing world in October 2015 when he dethroned Lucas Matthysse via 10th-round KO to win the WBC world title. In his next fight, he was blunted over 12 rounds by Terence Crawford in a unification bout. He is 3-1 since the Crawford defeat, dropping a 2018 decision to Josh Taylor, who is now the division’s other unified champion. He earned the WBC’s mandatory shot at Ramirez in April with a unanimous decision over Mohamed Mimoune.

“I am glad the new fight date is set. I’m already in gym, and camp is going really well,” Postol said. “I was ready to fight on Feb. 1 and now I’m focused on May 9. The fight is taking place in his hometown, but that does not bother me because I have the experience to fight on away soil. I am looking forward to become a champion again.”

💥TONIGHT December 28th – Vacant WBO NABO Jr. Featherweight Championship: Angelo Leo Vs. César Juarez @ State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia.

💥Five WBO Bouts on December 31st @ Ota-City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan:

Main Event – WBO Jr. Bantamweight World Champion Kazuto Ioka Vs. Jeyvier Cintron

Co-Main Event – WBO Flyweight World Champion Kosei Tanaka Vs. Wulan Tuolehazi

WBO Jr. Bantamweight Female World Champion Miyo Yoshida Vs. Li Ping Shi

Vacant WBO Asia Pacific Jr. Featherweight Championship: Yusaku Kuga vs. Jhunriel Ramonal

WBO Mini-Flyweight Asia Pacific Champion Ginjiro Shigeoka Vs. Rey Loreto

💥January 10, 2020 – For vacant WBO Jr. Middleweight Female Championship Claressa Shields Vs. Ivana Habazin @ Ocean Resort Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.

💥January 11, 2020 – Vacant NABO Light Heavyweight Championship title Jesse Hart vs. Joe Smith, Jr. @ Mark G Etess Arena, Atlantic City, NJ.

💥January 18, 2020 – Vacant WBO Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Eleider Alvarez vs. Michael Seals @ Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, NY

Also, WBO Asia Pacific Jr. Middleweight Champion Takeshi Inoue Vs. Cheng Su @ Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

💥January 30, 2020 – WBO Middleweight World Champion Demetrius Andrade Vs. Luke Keeler @ Meridian at Island Gardens, Miami, Florida.

💥February 1, 2020 – Unified WBO Jr. Welterweight Champion José Ramirez Vs. Viktor Postol @ Mission Hills Haikou, Haikou, China.

💥February 20, 2020 – WBO NABO Jr. Welterweight Champion Yomar Alamo Vs. Kendo Castaneda @ Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, Florida.

💥February 20, 2020 – Vacant WBO European Featherweight Championship David Oliver Joyce Vs. Lee Haskins @ Ulster Hall, Belfast.

More to come…

HAIKOU, China (Nov. 21, 2019) — Unified WBO junior welterweight world champion Jose Ramirez, the pride of California’s Central Valley, will cross an ocean to defend his belts. Ramirez will face former WBC world champion Viktor “The Iceman” Postol Saturday, Feb. 1 at Mission Hills Haikou in Haikou, Hainan, China.

Ramirez unified world titles in July with a sixth-round knockout over Maurice Hooker in a Fight of the Year contender. Ramirez-Postol will be the first Top Rank on ESPN event to be contested on Chinese soil.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with SECA and TGB Promotions, Ramirez-Postol and a co-feature will be televised live by ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m ET/7 p.m. PT (Sunday, Feb. 2 local time), with undercard action slated for ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

“Boxing is a global sport, and it is with great pleasure that we bring one of the sport’s great champions, Jose Ramirez, to the beautiful Mission Hills Haikou,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Jose is coming off a career-best victory, but he can’t afford to overlook Postol, who is a tremendous former world champion.”

“I am excited to defend my belts against Viktor Postol to kick off my 2020 schedule,” Ramirez said. “I am a world champion, so it is my honor to defend my titles in front of the great fans in China. It is going to be a great experience, and I am glad that my fans back home will be able to watch me live on ESPN. As a unified champion, I am hungrier than ever.”

“I would like to thank the WBC, WBO, Tom Brown and TGB Promotions, Top Rank and everyone involved for making this fight happen,” Postol said. “It’s a big opportunity for me and a big honor to share the ring with one of the best fighters in my division. I know Ramirez, as we sparred together in the past. I’m looking forward to a great fight in China.”

Ramirez (25-0, 17 KOs), from Avenal, Calif., is one of two unified junior welterweight champions. He won the WBC world title in March 2018, prevailing via 12-round shootout against Amir Imam in New York City. He defended that belt twice at the Save Mart Center in Fresno before stepping up to fight Hooker. His return was slightly delayed, as recovered from surgery on his left hand to repair an ongoing injury. A 2012 U.S. Olympian, Ramirez fought in China in 2015 at Cotai Arena in Macau, improving to 15-0 with a third-round stoppage over Ryusei Yoshida.

Postol (31-2, 12 KOs) has spent the majority of his 12-year career as a super lightweight and nearly a decade at, or near, the top of the division. He stunned the boxing world in October 2015 when he dethroned Lucas Matthysse via 10th-round KO to win the WBC world title. In his next fight, he was blunted over 12 rounds by Terence Crawford in a unification bout. He is 3-1 since the Crawford defeat, dropping a 2018 decision to Josh Taylor, who is now the division’s other unified champion. He earned the WBC’s mandatory shot at Ramirez in April with a unanimous decision over Mohamed Mimoune.

Date:   Saturday, June 23, 2016

WBO/WBC JR. WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE BOUT

Location:   MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Promoter:   Top Rank / Bob Arum

Supervisor:  Francisco Valcarcel, Esq.

Referee:  Tony Weeks

Judges: Guido Cavalleri (118-107), Don Trella (118-113), Dave Moretti (117-108)

Results:  WBO Junior Welterweight champion Terence Crawford boxed his way to a boring 12 round unanimous decision over WBC champion Viktor Postol  to win Postol’s WBC belt at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

TV:    USA HBO PPV

crawford-postol-fight (13) (720x480)Photos by Mikey Williams –

Unbeaten Terence Crawford punched his way to a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision over Viktor Postol on Saturday to unify the World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Council super lightweight world titles.

crawford-postol-fight (26) (720x500)Crawford, who improved to 29-0 with 20 knockouts, dropped Postol twice in the fifth round to seize control of the bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with two judges scoring it 118-107 for the American and the third seeing it 117-108.

crawford-postol-fight (18) (720x491)In handing Postol his first defeat in 29 fights, Crawford not only added the Ukrainian’s WBC belt to his own WBO title, he put himself in line for a potential date with Manny Pacquiao in the Filipino’s return to the ring likely later this year in Las Vegas.

crawford-postol-fight (16) (720x548)“It’s whatever,” Crawford said of a possible fight with Pacquiao. “I let my coaches handle that. I’m a fighter. I’ll fight anybody. I’m looking forward to the biggest and best fights to get me to that next level.”

crawford-postol-fight (25) (720x532)Crawford, 28, was content to feel Postol out over the first three rounds, before landing a series of damaging lefts in the fourth.

crawford-postol-fight (17) (720x542)He had Postol’s knee on the canvas in the opening seconds of the fifth with a right hook, and sent him down again in the same round with another left.

crawford-postol-fight (10) (720x542)As Postol struggled to deal with Crawford’s quick, erratic movement, the American won round after round, staggering Postol again in the ninth.

crawford-postol-fight (6) (720x544)Postol tried to pour it on in the 12th, but Crawford didn’t yield.

crawford-postol-fight (2) (720x496)

“I just stick to what I knew – boxing,” Crawford said. “They say he’s got the best jab in my division, I proved different today.”

crawford-postol-fight (3) (720x585) crawford-postol-fight (14) (720x571) crawford-postol-fight (5) (720x504) crawford-postol-fight (2) (720x496) crawford-postol-fight (24) (720x483)  crawford-postol-fight (20) (720x480) crawford-postol-fight (11) (720x494) crawford-postol-fight (19) (720x501) crawford-postol-fight (15) (720x510) crawford-postol-fight (21) (720x517) crawford-postol-fight (720x517)

www.boxingscene.com/photos-crawford-dominates-postol-unify-huge-gallery–107020?print_friendly=1

crawford-mikey680

By Bill Green
Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank –

It’s all too rare in the sport of boxing to see the number one and number two fighters in a division face one another, especially while risking unbeaten records. But, on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, we’ll witness exactly such a confrontation. WBO jr welterweight champion and Pride of Omaha Terence “Bud” Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) faces Freddie Roach-trained, WBC super lightweight champion Victor “The Iceman” Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) from Ukraine in a highly anticipated unification showdown on HBO PPV.

Fightnews.com® has been covering Terence “Bud” Crawford since his fifth professional fight and we sat down with him Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas before he left for his nightly conditioning workout.

Hello, champ. We have covered you for so long, it’s a real privilege to see you reach your goals and to finally be center stage. Does being on PPV and have the so called “next guy” tag put too much pressure on you?

Not at all, I mean..this is what I wanted, I just thought it would happen sooner. The pressure is always there but that’s just part of the sport. My job is to get my body and mind ready for whatever stage they tell/ask me to get ready for. But yeah most definitely it’s surreal. I’ve always seen myself as a main event guy.

I believe you are now on your fourth straight fight at 140lbs. How much have those five pounds made a difference in your preparation, training and strategy?

The move up in weight was perfect, it was huge. I don’t feel drained, it’s nice to be able to eat the week of weigh-ins and cutting in camp is no longer life and death (laughing). Ya’ll have no idea how much fighters go through to make weight, especially if they are already fit guys. I’ve been doing this since eight years old.

This will be your first fight at the MGM Grand. The venue has a rich history of mega fights that produced huge stars. Will we see another one come Saturday night?

I don’t know, it really depends on how the fight goes, what my opponent can and wants to do. I know that I’m prepared to box if necessary, bang if necessary, or even get in a dog fight if that’s what it takes to be victorious. I’m a big fan of the sport and fighting here at the MGM is going to be electric.

A couple more questions champ and we will let you do your thing. A lot of speculation and talk has been about Victor Postol’s dissection of former champion Lucas Matthysse. It seems as if everyone has fell in love with Postol’s jab. We know you have a darn good jab as well. Does it bother you that he gets credit for his jab but others fail to mention yours?

Yeah, it’s kind of funny hearing it. I’m like reading and hearing ‘his jab this, his jab that…’ If that’s all he has, he’s in trouble. I do feel like my jab is definitely underrated and I take pride in working on everything in the gym. I feel like my boxing IQ, ring generalship, power/speed along with my own jab hopefully makes me a complete fighter.

What does Terence Crawford need to do in order to take another man’s title that means so much to his country and himself?

I need to follow the game plan, the plan we worked on in camp. I need to adjust as the fight goes and convince him that tonight it’s not going his way. I just need to be me, to be myself and let those hands go. We are definitely going to find out who has the better jab.

www.fightnews.com/Boxing/crawford-we-are-definitely-going-to-find-out-who-has-the-better-jab-347996#more-347996

Terence Crawford

 

Discuss the pressure on being seen as one of the NEW faces in boxing.

TERENCE CRAWFORD – “There is no pressure on me being looked at as boxing’s next superstar, but there is a lot of hard work in becoming one.  I’m really excited to be on the big stage and I’m on that big stage because I paid my dues in the gym and in the ring.

That’s the reason I have accomplished so much as a fighter — pride of performance — and that’s why I am going to win on July 23.  If I’m going to solidify my position as the new face of boxing it starts by unifying the 140 pound division.”

terence-crawford (5)_2

“I’ve been fighting people taller than me and larger than me all my life.  I’ve been short for 28 years and I haven’t been stopped yet.  Postol is nothing to me. He’s just another guy that I’m fighting.

I’m not training for Postol, I’m training for myself — to be the best I can possibly be.  I do that, then no one can beat me.  I’m confident in my abilities and I am confident that I am going to destroy Postol.”

Undefeated junior welterweight champions TERENCE “Bud” CRAWFORD (28-0, 20 KOs) and “The Iceman” VIKTOR POSTOL (28-0, 12 KOs) will go mano a mano in a 12-round world title unification fight to determine the lineal king of the exciting 140 pound division.

www.boxingscene.com/terence-crawford-im-confident-i-destroy-viktor-postol–106855?print_friendly=1

crawford-mikey680

Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

WBO junior welterweight world champion Terence Crawford was joined by Top Rank’s Carl Moretti and co-manager and head trainer Bryan McIntyre in a roundtable with reporters. Here’s what he had to say in advance of his world title clash against WBC champion Viktor Postol on July 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The bout will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.

What did you think about Viktor Postol’s performance against Lucas Matthysse and did it surprise you at all?

I feel as though Postol did what he needed to do to win. I think he did a lot of holding and using his elbows that the ref didn’t see. But all in all he did what he had to do to get the job done. I picked him to win in that fight anyway so it was a good victory.

There have been stories about Manny Pacquiao coming back and you were mentioned as an opponent recently. Does it up the stakes for you since he may return?

I am not thinking about Manny Pacquiao at all. I am focusing on Viktor Postol and that’s it – that is all.

There were blogs that went out on Tuesday where you were complimentary of Postol but he was not of you. Going as far as saying Matthysse was better than you…

Well, that’s what he is supposed to say. He is supposed to say he is going to destroy anybody that he is going to step in the ring with, but to my knowledge, I don’t care what he says because come July 23rd he is going to have to show me, he is not going to just be able to tell you. He knew who to fight. He had the option of fighting either me or Matthysse and he thought Matthysse was the easier fight because he knew if he was going to fight Terence Crawford he knew what was going to happen.

You two have a common opponent – Hank Lundy. You stopped him and Postol beat him by decision – does that give you any more confidence coming into the fight?

No, styles make fights. That was a few years back and I don’t look at it as a confidence booster. I just know my skills and my ability in the ring – I believe that I am going to get the job done on July 23rd.

You have 20 knockouts to his 12 – do you feel you have the advantage in power?

I feel, all around, I can do whatever I want in there. If I have to box, I box. If I have to brawl, I brawl. If I have to trade, I trade. In those types of fights, I have the power to back you up. All in all, I feel like my IQ is what takes me to the next level.

Does the rough type style, like Yuriorkis Gamboa and like Postol, bother you and how do you overcome it?

Not at all. I just be myself and stay relaxed. Stay composed and do what I came to do. Do what we’ve been working on in camp and everything else will fall into place. The approach is to go in there and do what we have been working on. Each fight is different and every fighter is different. Gamboa was a real crafty fighter and so is Postol, but Postol poses a different threat than Gamboa so we will have to see what he poses on fight night.

Do you plan to go southpaw often and how do you prepare for his jab?

We just have to see how the fight goes. It’s funny how all of the people are giving Postol all of the credit for his jab but nobody is talking about how good my jab is. So I’m loving it. I’m loving it. I’m loving it how everyone is talking about how good his jab is.

Why are you training in Colorado Springs. Is it to get away from home?

We have been training in Colorado Springs for about four years – so if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. We have been having good success out there. You get away and we get to have a great camp. Plus the high altitude gives us a little edge.

When you go to that altitude for camp, how long does it take for you to adjust? Those are serious runs at serious altitude?

I adjust real quick since I am used to going out there. The first couple of days and the first couple of workouts you feel it but then your body gets acclimated to the climate.

Are you worried about Postol’s grabbing, holding tactics?

That’s not my problem and I can’t be concerned about it. I can just hope the referee notices it and does something about it.

Would you say Postol is a dirty fighter?

I wouldn’t say that he is dirty. He fights to win. He is trying to do whatever he can to win. Some things are not allowed and some things some referees let you do more than others.

Pacquiao coming back…last year it was mentioned you were not well known enough to fight Pacquiao on pay-per-view. What do you think this fight will do for you?

It will help me tremendously, but again, I am not thinking about that fight right now or whether I may be fighting him or if I put on a good show. My main focus is Viktor Postol.

Carl Moretti: It is the meaning of when you get the best two guys fighting each other the winner comes out as the best in the division and unfortunately in boxing we don’t get that a lot. So you have a unified champion who is clearly the best fighter in the division and I think what you’ll see is a lot of talk about Terence being in the top three pound-for-pound after this, because of the accomplishment. It’s not just to unify the title or to try to unify the title. If the title-holder is kind of weak – and I don’t mean to put down other fighters or other champions – but there are champions out there that really, from talent, just aren’t that good or as good as they can be. With Postol, everybody’s eyes opened up when he knocked out Matthysse, who apparently was the second coming of Carlos Monzon – I don’t know where that came from, but that ended quickly, and if Crawford does what he is capable of doing, I think his value clearly skyrockets by beating another champion that is well-respected. You hear other champions say “I want to unify” and you don’t even know who the other champion is in the division. Take the same meaning here – Crawford-Postol means a lot. If Crawford beats Postol it means a lot.

Before this fight was made, was it a priority for you to unify the titles? Some want to fight the best, some want to unify…where do you stand?

I just want to fight and be recognized as the best in my division. That’s it. So if going through Postol means that’s how I get there, then so be it. But from the standpoint of my division, I want to fight all of them, until I move up.

Do you feel like you would want to continue to unify or is it not a big deal to you?

Well, I don’t know. Right now it is not. All of my focus is on Postol. I don’t worry about all of the extra things that is around the division right now.

Do you worry about Postol’s height advantage? It is about three inches and that plus the reach could be concerning…

I have fought a lot of tall opponents in my career. This is not the first tall opponent that I have ever fought and it’s not going to be something new to me. It’s not going to be something that I have never seen before. So I am not concerned about his height or his jab or anything because I have seen it before.

Do you view this fight as the biggest of your career so far?

Of course – this is a very big fight for me at a very critical time of my career. This fight is more meaningful than the Gamboa fight, at the moment, because this fight can take me to that next level beyond the level that I’m on right now. This fight means a lot and I do look at it as the biggest fight of my career to date.

Did you have any reaction when you heard that Manny Pacquiao was coming back?

No, not at all. I didn’t even worry about it and I didn’t care and I didn’t even know because that’s not my main focus.

Since this is your first fight on pay-per-view, do you feel like your name is getting out there more?

I don’t really know how to answer that because I feel like my name is out there already, but I do feel like my name could be bigger than it is. But at the same time, that is not something that I focus on, that is something that will develop in time. I promote my self as well as my promoters who promote me.

In the documentary you mentioned how you got a second chance after being shot in the head. Is that something you think about all the time?

Yes, of course. I don’t think about it a lot, because I like to put it in the past and put it behind me and move on with my life. But sometimes I do think about how I got a second chance and make the best of it.

How did it feel having HBO follow you around Omaha and talk to your family, something that a lot of fighters don’t have happen to them?

It was pretty cool to see myself on HBO and to see all the things that they do in making the special and I was happy to be a part of it.

Do you have a new hope of getting in the ring with Manny Pacquiao if you defeat Postol?

I’m not worried about that now so I don’t think about it.

How do you think your mother and grandmother did on the HBO show? They didn’t seem to be camera shy at all…

They did good (laughing).

Bryan, we have spoken to Terence about Postol’s antics – holding and elbows…do you do anything in preparation for that or do you just overlook it?

Bryan McIntyre: Me and the other coaches (Coach Saul and Red), we sat down and talked about it and we are going to let referee Tony Weeks know that we are very concerned about whet he does in the ring.

www.ightnews.com/Boxing/qa-terence-crawford-3-346125

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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

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Terence Crawford is set to make his HBO Pay-Per-View debut on July 23 when he faces Viktor Postol in an intriguing WBO/WBC junior welterweight unification fight. With Crawford’s emergence over the past several years, HBO has invested heavily in the Nebraskan, and the latest example of this is a new feature entitled “Terence Crawford: My Fight.”

With boxing being so heavily localized in major urban areas, Terence Crawford‘s rise out of Omaha, Nebraska, is frankly remarkable. Even more impressive, though, is Crawford’s commitment to his home city and state, which have hosted a slew of his fights and impressed the larger boxing community with their devotion to their most famous pugilist.

This summer, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who promotes Terence Crawford, decided to gamble. Arum, who desperately and correctly wanted to see Crawford in a major unification fight, will take the Pay-Per-View plunge because HBO’s standard operating budget could not accommodate the price tag for Crawford’s fight against WBC 140-pound champion Viktor Postol.

Arum is banking on the fact that at this juncture, boxing fans have seen enough impressive performances from Terence Crawford to justify Pay-Per-View, but more importantly, it allows the most intriguing fight at junior welterweight to take place.

But with Terence Crawford as a Pay-Per-View novice, and Viktor Postol as a relative unknown outside of hardcore boxing circles, HBO will have to utilize all of their marketing savvy to sell the fight. And given that Crawford has such an intriguing backstory, he’s an ideal place to start.

“Terence Crawford: My Fight” will premier on Saturday, July 9. Here are some details, which The Living Daylights received via press release from HBO Sports:

Three years ago, Terence Crawford was a largely unknown prospect. Born and raised in the hardscrabble section of Omaha, Neb., the emerging fighter was a last-minute replacement to face Breidis Prescott in a junior welterweight showdown. Since winning that match in impressive fashion, “Bud” Crawford has experienced nothing but success, capturing world titles in two weight classes and developing into a star performer.

On July 23, he risks his undefeated record (28-0, 20 KOs) against battle-tested Viktor Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), who is also unbeaten, in a junior welterweight unification title clash.

The special visits Crawford’s hometown, where the devoted family man is idolized by fans.  Credit:  Photo by Getty Images

And here’s some information about the various playdates:

Other HBO playdates: July 10 (10:45 p.m.), 11 (1:00 a.m.), 15 (3:30 p.m.), 17 (1:00 p.m.), 19 (8:45 a.m., 3:30 p.m.), 21 (6:00 p.m., 12:35 a.m.) and 23 (5:15 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: July 12 (12:40 p.m., 8:00 p.m.), 15 (1:00 a.m.), 16 (1:25 p.m.), 20 (10:45 a.m.), 22 (5:15 p.m., 12:45 a.m.) and 23 (12:30 p.m.)

www.theliving.daylights.co/2016/07/04/terence-crawford-my-fight-trailer-and-episode-details/

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By Keith Idec

Based on their promotional and network affiliations, the Terence Crawford-Viktor Postol fight ideally would be televised live on HBO.

But based on what Crawford and Postol expected to be paid to fight each other July 23 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, pay-per-view was the route promoter Bob Arum decided to take to ensure that their 140-pound championship unification fight was scheduled for this summer. Official pricing hasn’t been announced, but the HBO Pay-Per-View card featuring the Crawford-Postol fight is expected to cost $50 in SD and $60 in HD if purchased through most cable and satellite companies.

While slightly cheaper than most boxing pay-per-view shows these days, Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) has encountered backlash from fans who’ve told him they want to see the Omaha, Nebraska, native face Ukraine’s Postol (28-0, 12 KOs), yet don’t want to pay extra than their HBO subscription to watch it.

The unbeaten WBO super lightweight champion has tried his best to reason with those skeptical about Crawford-Postol being offered on pay-per-view.

“A lot of people say this fight shouldn’t be on pay-per-view because me and Postol are not known to the casual fans,” Crawford said. “But I say to the people that do know us, instead of trying to downgrade the fight, why not up it? This is the fight everybody said they wanted to see. This is the fight everybody said they wanted me to fight, want him to fight, so why not pay for it? You’ve got the two best in the division, one versus two. You’ve got the WBC champion [Postol] versus the WBO champion [Crawford]. You’ve got The Ring magazine title on the line. What more could you ask for in a fight?”

He had some success, but Crawford couldn’t convince some reluctant consumers.

“They don’t even understand boxing, really,” Crawford said. “So they wouldn’t understand the things that go on behind [the scenes in] boxing to get fights made. They’re just looking at the big picture. ‘Oh, I’ve got to pay $50 for this fight.’ That’s the main thing they’re thinking about. You don’t have to pay $100 to see people hold. And you watch certain fights, you know who’s going to win. You’re like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re gonna watch this dude beat such and such because we know he’s gonna win.’ It’s a blowout. You don’t have that in this fight.”

www.boxingscene.com/terence-crawford-states-his-case-fans-buying-postol-ppv–105752?print_friendly=1

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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

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By Chris Williams:   Top Rank will be sending their light welterweight champions Terence Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) and Viktor Postol (28-0, 12 KOs) into the ring next month in their first headlining fight on HBO pay-per-view at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Crawford will be defending his WBO title and Postol have his WBC belt on the line for the fight.

You can argue that neither of these fighters is even remotedly popular enough to be headlining a PPV event on HBO. However, there were not available dates on regular HBO for them to fight this year, so Top Rank promoter Bob Arum chose to put the fight on PPV.

Crawford, 28, is hoping to become the next superstar in the sport. The bad news is that Crawford probably won’t able to become a super star in the Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao sense if he’s stuck fighting at 140 against the guys he’s been facing in the last two years.

I think it’s going to be very hard for Crawford to become a superstar fighting the likes of Hank Lundy, Dierry Jean and Thomas Dulorme. I think Crawford can become the next Ruslan Provodnikov or Lamont Peterson type star, but not a superstar if he’s limited to fighting lesser fringe level opposition.

“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 to fightnews.com.

I wish I could agree with Crawford that the Postol fight was the beginning of him becoming the next superstar. I don’t see that being the reality for Crawford. For him to become the next star in boxing along the lines of Mayweather or even Gennady Golovkin, I think he would need to fight ALL of these fighters and beat them all:

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
Adrien Broner
Danny Garcia
Keith Thurman
Amir Khan
Shawn Porter
Tim Bradley
Kell Brook
Gennady Golovkin
Jermall Charlo
Jermell Charlo
Erislandy Lara
David Lemieux
Billy Joe Saunders
Lamont Peterson
Liam Smith
Errol Spence

The basic problem Crawford has is he’s probably not going to ever fight any of those guys. I honestly cannot see Crawford ever fighting any of the above mentioned names from my list, and that’s too bad because if Crawford could sweep through that entire list, he would be a star, a huge star. It’s one those things where Crawford would need to beat 17 top fighters before his career finishes up before he can become a star. I do not see Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum being able to negotiate fights with the promoters for those fighters.

Golovkin probably would never agree to fight Crawford in the first place because it would be a stiaution where he would get no credit for beating up in a 140lb fighter that looks as thin as Crawford. But for the sake of argument if a fight did take place between Golovkin and Crawford, I think it would be a pure wipeout with Golovkin destroying Crawford. The same if Crawford got put in with the Charlo brothers. Crawford doesn’t have the blinding hand speed and defensive skills of someone like Mayweather to beat guys in divisions above his natural weight class at 140. So if you throw Crawford in with the Charlo brothers, Canelo or even someone like Lemieux, I think it would end badly for Crawford.

In getting back to my point about Crawford wanting to become the next superstar in the sport, I do not think he’s going to get the chance to make that happen in the present climate in the sport. If all the promoters were willing to work with one another, then maybe Crawford could become a superstar, but only if he beat all the guys on my list.

Do I really think a slender fighter like Crawford can beat the likes Thurman, Canelo, Golovkin, Errol Spence, the Charlo brothers, Lara and Lemiuex? No, I don’t think so. I think Crawford would be beaten by most if not all of them. I think Crawford is a very good fighter at light welterweight, but asking him to beat bigger fighters with a more solid build and superior punching power would be too much to ask. I think Crawford would get destroyed by all of them. We kind of got a hint at Crawford’s limitations in his fights against Yuriorkis Gamboa and Thomas Dulorme. Both fighters were working Crawford over pretty well and even had him hurt. The question you have to ask is how can Crawford become a superstar if he can’t even dominate the likes of Dulorme and Gamboa?

 

www.boxingnews24.com/2016/06/terence-crawford-vs-viktor-postol-battle-stardom/

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Photos: Mikey Williams/Top Rank –

WBO super middleweight world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez and two-time Mexican Olympian and undefeated #1 featherweight contender Oscar Valdez will headline the HBO-PPV undercard topped by the junior welterweight world title unification battle between undefeated world champions Terence “Bud” Crawford and “the Iceman” Viktor Postol on July 23 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Ramirez will be making the first defense of his championship crown against Dominik Britsch. Valdez will face undefeated #2 world-rated contender Matías “La Cobrita” Rueda, possibly for the vacant WBO featherweight world title. The pay-per-view telecast will open with former interim world champion Jose Benavidez, Jr. risking his undefeated record and Top-10 world-rating in a 10-round welterweight battle against Francisco “Chia” Santana.

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www.fightnews.com/Boxing/crawford-postol-ppv-undercard-announcement-339808