Khan vs Crawford
Khan vs Crawford: Terence Crawford, quite arguably one of boxing's pound-for-pound best, returns for the first time in 2019 to put his WBO welterweight championship on the line in taking on former unified junior welterweight champion Amir Khan on Saturday, April 20, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
WBO welterweight champion Terence "Bud" Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs) makes his 2019 debut on Saturday, putting his title on the line against Amir Khan (33-4, 20 KOs) at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Crawford, 31, is considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the sport, if not the best. This is his third fight at welterweight, arguably boxing's most talent-laden division, and the one in which he aims to stake his claim as an all-time great. He ran out of opponents in the lightweight and junior welterweight ranks, unifying all four major titles in the latter division in 2017.
Known for his elite hand speed, Khan is a former world titleholder at light welterweight, and he has been a top contender at welterweight as well.
Before he had a chance to win a world title at 147 pounds, he moved up to middleweight to challenge Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in 2016, a fight that saw him knocked out in devastating fashion in the sixth round.
After nearly two years away from the sport, the ever-popular Khan returned in 2018 to beat two opponents to set up a date with Crawford.
For Crawford, it's a chance to bring his impeccable craft to a much wider audience. For Khan, it's an opportunity to breathe new life into his career.
Crawford vs. Khan Fight Info
When: Saturday, Apr. 20 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden in New York City
Live Stream: FITE.TV ($69.99)
TV: Cable/satellite providers or ESPN Pay Per View, BT Sport Box Office (UK, pay-per-view)
Odds: Crawford -1,200 ( bet $1,200 to win $100), Khan +900 (bet $100 to win $900)
Crawford might lack the wider name recognition of a pay-per-view star, but he has the talent. A complete fighter, the Omaha, Nebraska, native has power in both hands, impeccable footwork—he can box out of both stances but favors southpaw these days—and is masterful at disrupting his opponent's rhythm and timing.
He tends to starts out slow, but what he's doing is gathering information, figuring out his opponent's strategy, tactics and what punches they want to establish. Once he has the other boxer figured out, he pummels them into submission.
Last time out, against Jose Benavidez Jr. in October, was a good example of what Bud tends to do. He steadily ramped up the pressure against his opponent, picking him apart before finishing him off in the 12th round, as Top Rank Boxing shared:
If a fighter is overmatched, Crawford won't waste his time. He knocked out Julius Indongo in the third round of their 2017 junior welterweight unification bout.
If you want more proof of his ability to vanquish fighters of any style and background, you can watch him dissect the slick, speedy Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2014 or overwhelm the lanky, crafty Viktor Postol in 2016.
Crawford credits his chameleon-like skills in the ring to both nature and nurture, per ESPN.com's Steve Kim and Anthony Olivieri:
"I was naturally gifted with an ability to move, but my coaches brought it out of me as an amateur. The power came a bit later. A complete fighter can fight going forward or backward, counter, move well and take a punch. I put in a lot of work to learn multiple styles."
WBO welterweight champion Terence "Bud" Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs) makes his 2019 debut on Saturday, putting his title on the line against Amir Khan (33-4, 20 KOs) at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Crawford, 31, is considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the sport, if not the best. This is his third fight at welterweight, arguably boxing's most talent-laden division, and the one in which he aims to stake his claim as an all-time great. He ran out of opponents in the lightweight and junior welterweight ranks, unifying all four major titles in the latter division in 2017.
Known for his elite hand speed, Khan is a former world titleholder at light welterweight, and he has been a top contender at welterweight as well.
Before he had a chance to win a world title at 147 pounds, he moved up to middleweight to challenge Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in 2016, a fight that saw him knocked out in devastating fashion in the sixth round.
After nearly two years away from the sport, the ever-popular Khan returned in 2018 to beat two opponents to set up a date with Crawford.
For Crawford, it's a chance to bring his impeccable craft to a much wider audience. For Khan, it's an opportunity to breathe new life into his career.
Crawford vs. Khan Fight Info
When: Saturday, Apr. 20 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden in New York City
Live Stream: FITE.TV ($69.99)
TV: Cable/satellite providers or ESPN Pay Per View, BT Sport Box Office (UK, pay-per-view)
Odds: Crawford -1,200 ( bet $1,200 to win $100), Khan +900 (bet $100 to win $900)
Crawford might lack the wider name recognition of a pay-per-view star, but he has the talent. A complete fighter, the Omaha, Nebraska, native has power in both hands, impeccable footwork—he can box out of both stances but favors southpaw these days—and is masterful at disrupting his opponent's rhythm and timing.
He tends to starts out slow, but what he's doing is gathering information, figuring out his opponent's strategy, tactics and what punches they want to establish. Once he has the other boxer figured out, he pummels them into submission.
Last time out, against Jose Benavidez Jr. in October, was a good example of what Bud tends to do. He steadily ramped up the pressure against his opponent, picking him apart before finishing him off in the 12th round, as Top Rank Boxing shared:
If a fighter is overmatched, Crawford won't waste his time. He knocked out Julius Indongo in the third round of their 2017 junior welterweight unification bout.
If you want more proof of his ability to vanquish fighters of any style and background, you can watch him dissect the slick, speedy Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2014 or overwhelm the lanky, crafty Viktor Postol in 2016.
Crawford credits his chameleon-like skills in the ring to both nature and nurture, per ESPN.com's Steve Kim and Anthony Olivieri:
"I was naturally gifted with an ability to move, but my coaches brought it out of me as an amateur. The power came a bit later. A complete fighter can fight going forward or backward, counter, move well and take a punch. I put in a lot of work to learn multiple styles."
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