By Steve Kim
Top Rank has announced a new multi-year deal with WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford. The former undisputed junior welterweight champion of the world has been with the company since 2011.
Todd duBoef, the president of Top Rank, told BoxingScene.com in a recent interview - "It's very important because he's arguably the best fighter in the world and he's young and he's in his prime and we thought it was important in our relationship and all the opportunities to be the poster boy for this new campaign."
Last year, Top Rank entered into a partnership with ESPN to televise their cards and promote the sport on their various platforms. duBoef added - "We felt that Terence's established stature in the sport is so significant it was important for us to collectively put something together that would help catapult this even further. That he's not just a boxing star but a sports star. That was our objective and we're both completely aligned in that, both he and his team and all of us."
Crawford (33-0, 24 KOs), who defeated Jeff Horn in nine rounds on June 9th, will be returning to the ring on October 13th on ESPN.
A deal has been finalized for Crawford to make the first defense of his title against undefeated Jose Benavidez (27-0, 18 KOs) on the upcoming date. Jose is the older brother of WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez.
Under this new deal Crawford - "can fight as many times as he wants and we'll fight anybody. So we're not going to play teams or affiliations. This is all about working with everybody and making the best fights for the biggest guys out there, making the sport bigger."
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.