Former world champion Barry McGuigan, who is now a veteran promoter, is a very big fan of Terence Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs), who is regarded by some as the top pound for pound fighter in boxing.
Crawford has a huge 2017, and there were many who tabbed him as the 'Fighter of The Year' in a very tight race with heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko.
He started off the year with a stoppage victory over Olympic gold medal winner Felix Diaz. He closed out the year with a bruising knockout victory over Julius Indongo to unify the entire junior welterweight division - by bringing together the WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF world titles.
Not long after his victory over Indongo, Crawford made it known that he was dropping all four of his titles at 140-pounds and was planning an immediate move to welterweight - which is seven pounds north.
When he officially made his move to 147, the World Boxing Organization made him the mandatory challenger to WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn (18-0-1, 12 KOs). Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum is trying to make Crawford vs. Horn for April 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Should Crawford secure that title, he wants to target the two remaining champions in the division - Errol Spence who holds the IBF title, and WBC/WBA champion Keith Thurman.
Spence is back on January 20, when he defends his title against Lamont Peterson. Thurman is nearly healed up after post-surgery rehab for an elbow injury, and may return in April against Jessie Vargas.
While McGuigan views Crawford as a major talent, he has real doubts about the fighter's ability to beat Spence or Thurman.
"Terence Crawford, ESPN’s fighter of the year, steps up from super lightweight to a division already packed with stellar talent in the shape of Errol Spence and Keith Thurman," McGuigan told The Mirror.
"As much as I love Crawford at super lightweight I’m not sure he thrives against Thurman, returning after an elbow injury, or Spence, who appear destined to meet each other, possibly at the back end of the year."