Tweet
Arum sees what I sees. A guy undefeated at 147, TKO for every win. Yet still, every win is tainted in one way or another, and despite Arum's every effort to line them up correctly, Crawford seems unable (or unwilling) to close the show decisively and definitively like Wilder. Like Fury. Like even Spence.
You can deny the truth all you care to. The data is clear. Crawford's 147 has not been acceptable, period.
Let's set aside the quality of fighter for a minute and focus only on the asterisks next to each win. Then you'll see why all of a sudden it feels like he's taking steps backward instead of forward. Because Arum is trying to get him a clean, clear, UNTAINTED victory. That's why he can't make Spence/Crawford happen. He can't sell that, not when Spence is over there getting clear blowouts.
Jeff Horn. Ignore your bias about the guy. Let's talk facts in the books.
He holds a win over Manny Pacquiao, a former WBO Welterweight Champion, has a whole continent behind him.
Knocked out legendary dangerous puncher Randall Bailey
Knocked out Ali Funeka who knocked out Zahir Raheem who beat a prime Erik Morales after he beat a prime Manny Pacquiao.
According to NSB, this is Crawford's best win. Let's say it is. The problem is Crawford never really hurt the guy. Horn was stopped by the ref who'd had enough of the clumsy carrying on, not by punches, not knocked out, not in the corner. That's an asterisk.
We don't know how that fight goes down if there's no delay due to suspicious last minute hand injury claims from Crawford. Asterisk.
Okay, so there should be a rematch. Horn came over the pond as champion to defend. Crawford should go over the pond as champion to defend. Remove the asterisks. Horn called him out for the rematch even in America, Crawford ducked it. Asterisk.
Jose Benavidez Jr
Crawford was almost taken the distance by this guy, and very few fighters have taken Crawford the distance. On the surface that would be normal, except that (A) Benavidez's resume shows no A class fighter (asterisk) and (B) Benavidez was working on a bad knee (asterisk). To be taken nearly the distance by a cripple who hadn't fought anybody?
Amir Khan
I don't care whether you think Khan quit or not. This is a guy who NSB says has a "glass jaw", always gets knocked out when the chin gets hit, Crawford would spark him out in 2, etc etc etc. Did not happen. And I told you repeatedly that Crawford is not nor ever has he been a one-punch KO fighter. He's an accumulation puncher and stops you with swarms.
Khan got dropped in the first round because he went in there sloppy and got caught. Was right back up, not fazed. (Asterisk)
Actually LANDED quite a few shots on Crawford, confirming what we saw against Gamboa when Gamboa was landing more than he should have. SO after Crawford saw that (A) he didn't have the power to prove the glass jaw and (B) this guy was catching him with shots, he got frustrated. Period. He got frustrated, SQUARED UP, and threw a blatant low blow to force a stoppage after repeated body shots. (Asterisk)
Anyone who's boxed understands, if you've been beat to the body and then get hit low, you feel like vomiting for at least an hour. The 5 minutes wasn't going to make a difference. Crawford knew exactly what to do, just like he knew what he couldn't do (spark the "glass jaw").
Danny beat a BETTER VERSION of Khan fair and square. Crawford has no excuse. Even MF'n Algieri performed better than that! (Asterisk)
That's THREE high profile fights where Crawford couldn't close the show without controversy of some kind. For a promoter, that's bad. You got Spence over there working with damn near 0% controversy, and Crawford who "TILL THIS DAY!" is unable to beat a 147 pounder without question marks.
That's why Arum is now backtracking to give Crawford a soft touch, a guy he should clearly beat, to try and sell the narrative that he's better than it seems. If Crawford can't clearly - CLEANLY - beat Redkach, a guy who was knocked spark out by John Molina (who Broner dominated) and embarrassed by Tevin Farmer, there's no way he can justify putting Crawford against anyone but more B-levels.
You, meaning NSB, need to also consider: With the three names I put up there, and the quality of those wins, how do you consider him P4P anything except MAYBE P4P Asterisk Victor?
You can deny the truth all you care to. The data is clear. Crawford's 147 has not been acceptable, period.
Let's set aside the quality of fighter for a minute and focus only on the asterisks next to each win. Then you'll see why all of a sudden it feels like he's taking steps backward instead of forward. Because Arum is trying to get him a clean, clear, UNTAINTED victory. That's why he can't make Spence/Crawford happen. He can't sell that, not when Spence is over there getting clear blowouts.
Jeff Horn. Ignore your bias about the guy. Let's talk facts in the books.
He holds a win over Manny Pacquiao, a former WBO Welterweight Champion, has a whole continent behind him.
Knocked out legendary dangerous puncher Randall Bailey
Knocked out Ali Funeka who knocked out Zahir Raheem who beat a prime Erik Morales after he beat a prime Manny Pacquiao.
According to NSB, this is Crawford's best win. Let's say it is. The problem is Crawford never really hurt the guy. Horn was stopped by the ref who'd had enough of the clumsy carrying on, not by punches, not knocked out, not in the corner. That's an asterisk.
We don't know how that fight goes down if there's no delay due to suspicious last minute hand injury claims from Crawford. Asterisk.
Okay, so there should be a rematch. Horn came over the pond as champion to defend. Crawford should go over the pond as champion to defend. Remove the asterisks. Horn called him out for the rematch even in America, Crawford ducked it. Asterisk.
Jose Benavidez Jr
Crawford was almost taken the distance by this guy, and very few fighters have taken Crawford the distance. On the surface that would be normal, except that (A) Benavidez's resume shows no A class fighter (asterisk) and (B) Benavidez was working on a bad knee (asterisk). To be taken nearly the distance by a cripple who hadn't fought anybody?
Amir Khan
I don't care whether you think Khan quit or not. This is a guy who NSB says has a "glass jaw", always gets knocked out when the chin gets hit, Crawford would spark him out in 2, etc etc etc. Did not happen. And I told you repeatedly that Crawford is not nor ever has he been a one-punch KO fighter. He's an accumulation puncher and stops you with swarms.
Khan got dropped in the first round because he went in there sloppy and got caught. Was right back up, not fazed. (Asterisk)
Actually LANDED quite a few shots on Crawford, confirming what we saw against Gamboa when Gamboa was landing more than he should have. SO after Crawford saw that (A) he didn't have the power to prove the glass jaw and (B) this guy was catching him with shots, he got frustrated. Period. He got frustrated, SQUARED UP, and threw a blatant low blow to force a stoppage after repeated body shots. (Asterisk)
Anyone who's boxed understands, if you've been beat to the body and then get hit low, you feel like vomiting for at least an hour. The 5 minutes wasn't going to make a difference. Crawford knew exactly what to do, just like he knew what he couldn't do (spark the "glass jaw").
Danny beat a BETTER VERSION of Khan fair and square. Crawford has no excuse. Even MF'n Algieri performed better than that! (Asterisk)
That's THREE high profile fights where Crawford couldn't close the show without controversy of some kind. For a promoter, that's bad. You got Spence over there working with damn near 0% controversy, and Crawford who "TILL THIS DAY!" is unable to beat a 147 pounder without question marks.
That's why Arum is now backtracking to give Crawford a soft touch, a guy he should clearly beat, to try and sell the narrative that he's better than it seems. If Crawford can't clearly - CLEANLY - beat Redkach, a guy who was knocked spark out by John Molina (who Broner dominated) and embarrassed by Tevin Farmer, there's no way he can justify putting Crawford against anyone but more B-levels.
You, meaning NSB, need to also consider: With the three names I put up there, and the quality of those wins, how do you consider him P4P anything except MAYBE P4P Asterisk Victor?
Comment