Comments Thread For: Terence Crawford: Next Stop, Fighter of the Year

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Jake Donovan - Given his wiry frame and the year he’s enjoyed, there were two remaining questions for Terence Crawford ahead of his lightweight championship showdown with Raymundo Beltran.

Could he post a win to put an exclamation point on a breakout 2014 campaign? And could his wiry frame make the 135 lb. limit beyond this bout – win, lose, or draw?

Crawford emphatically answered the first question with a brilliant 12-round boxing clinic Saturday evening at CenturyLink Center in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Following the World lineal lightweight championship winning effort, the unbeaten boxer offered a short-but-sweet verbal confirmation as to his future status.

“This is it,” Crawford told HBO’s Max Kellerman when asked if he’d ever again fight at lightweight.

It was one hell of an encore performance, as Crawford exits the division as the world’s best lightweight and without a close second. The next in line was supposed to be Beltran, who came in recognized by BoxingScene.com, Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and RingTV.com as the second-highest rated lightweight contender to the lineal championship. [Click Here To Read More]

[SilverMiles]

No way does Crawford deserves fighter of the year, he's a good fighter but giving him an achievement he just doesn't deserve is blasphemes.

Beating the fighters he beat this year doesn't make you FOTY, what with writers just trying to hand down accomplishment.

[jas]

He beat Ricky burns, a 130 pounder and Beltran

Not Fighter OTY for me

Pacquaio has the best win. Beat p4p number 3 at the time bradley

But ggg, kovalev or Crawford will get it

[JakeNDaBox]

He beat Ricky burns, a 130 pounder and Beltran

Not Fighter OTY for me

Pacquaio has the best win. Beat p4p number 3 at the time bradley

But ggg, kovalev or Crawford will get it

If Pac's one win over Bradley is enough for Fighter of the Year honors, then it hasn't been much of a year at all for boxing (and quite frankly it wasn't).

Naoya Inoue (should he beat Narvaez in Dec.) and Amnat Ruenroeng are strong contenders, but neither will land better than honorable mention among any publication who even acknowledges them (they will land favorably on our list, for sure).

Among anyone that is in consideration, Crawford is the only one who wasn't given a layup at any point this year.

Kovalev had two soft touches and then Hopkins.

Pacquiao beat Bradley for revenge, but Algieri fight was even more one-sided than the rout everyone predicted.

Golovkin's best win was Geale; Rubio and Adama are far inferior to anyone Crawford's faced this year.

How far does Cotto's one win on the year - Sergio Martinez - travel?

Wlad knocking out top-rated Pulev was impressive, but Leapai is probably the weakest opponent on the resume of any 2014 Fighter of the Year candidate.

Roman Gonzalez' win over Akira Yaegashi was fantastic but also expected. So too was his win over Rocky Fuentes.

Nicholas Walters was destructive in wins over Nonito Donaire (50/50 going in) and Vic Darchinyan (fully expected, though still a crazy impressive breakthrough performance).

Carl Frampton's war with Kiko Martinez was fantastic theatre, though a win against a fighter he already beat. How much credit do we grant for the knockout over that version of Hugo Cazares?

Carlos Cuadras is a fresh new face at 115, but does his campaign trump Crawford or even Pacquiao?

Donnie Nietes has knockouts over Moises Fuentes and Carlos Velarde, enough to earn accolades as the man at 108.

Floyd survived a tough test in his first fight with Marcos Maidana, yet was still a heavy favorite in a rematch that was entirely predictable, if not forgettable.

I promise you, I've given this one A LOT of thought. It's just been a weak year all around, especially at the top level.

Crawford beating the top-rated lightweight (Burns), the #2 or 3 lightweight (Depending on where you saw Beltran going into Saturday) and an unbeaten Gamboa (also Top 10 according to most respectable rankings) in what was tabbed a pick-'em fight going in, is a pretty damn good year. Nobody had a GREAT year; Crawford's has been the most consistent at the top level and therefore my pick for the moment.

Should Inoue beat Narvaez in the same fashion in which he manhandled Adrian Hernandez, then I promise strong reconsideration at the end of the year (literally, since the fight takes place Dec. 30)

[Crazylegs77]

He had a great year, but the opponents he beat do not merit fighter of the year.

[IronDanHamza]

He beat Ricky burns, a 130 pounder and Beltran

Not Fighter OTY for me

Pacquaio has the best win. Beat p4p number 3 at the time bradley

But ggg, kovalev or Crawford will get it

If Burns is a 130 pounder aren't Bradley and Algeri 140 pounders?

[bojangles1987]

No way does Crawford deserves fighter of the year, he's a good fighter but giving him an achievement he just doesn't deserve is blasphemes.

Beating the fighters he beat this year doesn't make you FOTY, what with writers just trying to hand down accomplishment.

Who deserves it more? It hasn't exactly been a good year, and Crawford's certainly one of the contenders for the award.

[IronDanHamza]

Who deserves it more? It hasn't exactly been a good year, and Crawford's certainly one of the contenders for the award.

I honesty can't decide who should get it.

Burns in Scotland, Gamboa, Beltran.

Not a bad year at all.

I can see Golovkin getting it but he doesn't deserve to.

[bojangles1987]

I honesty can't decide who should get it.

Burns in Scotland, Gamboa, Beltran.

Not a bad year at all.

I can see Golovkin getting it but he doesn't deserve to.

Unless I'm forgetting someone (and I did take a look at that list above) it's between Crawford and Walters. And in that case Crawford's 3 wins are better than Walters's two wins. I'll admit I don't know enough about Inoue. Golovkin or Kovalev will probably snatch FOTY awards somewhere, but I don't think they should.

[jas]

If Burns is a 130 pounder aren't Bradley and Algeri 140 pounders?

I was referring to gamboa iron dan