Top Rank on ESPN’s Saturday main event pits undefeated WBO Welterweight champion, Terence “Bud” Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs) against former IBF Welterweight Champion, Kell “Special K” Brook (39-2, 27 KOs).
Crawford, the heavy favorite and pound-for-pound king in many eyes, is treating this bout as more than a title defense. He wants to ensure people continue to view him how he views himself: The best fighter in the world.
“I’ve always felt that I’m the number one pound-for-pound in the world,” said Crawford in the Top Rank Zoom presser.
The Nebraska product is coming off of a thrilling stoppage victory over a surprisingly game Egidijus Kavaliauskas in his last fight which came in December of 2019.
In that fight, Crawford was seemingly stunned (and knocked down by some opinions) in the early goings before eventually beating Kavaliauskas down to what culminated in a TKO in the 9th round following several knockdowns.
Crawford never backs down from a dog fight, and Brook, whose only losses come in bouts where he has had his eye-sockets broken, is no pushover either.
Brook, although widely overlooked in this fight, could prove to be one of the best fighters Crawford has faced to date. The former champ has faced several other world class fighters in the ring including losses against Golovkin and Spence, but most notably, a victory over multi-time former champ Shawn Porter back in 2014.
Facing a top champion will be nothing new for Brook, who finds confidence in that.
“I think Terence knows I’m not an easy fight,” he said at the presser.
However competitive or one-sided the fight may be, it’s a certainty for “Bud” Crawford to entertain in his bouts, and if we have a game and focussed “Special K” (which we seemingly do) then we are in for an action packed treat come Saturday night in Las Vegas.
