Terence 'Bud' Crawford
I didn’t get into Crawford particularly early in his career, it was just after the Lundy fight in 2016 when, by chance, I saw a documentary showing both the build-up and the bout itself. Crawford won. Until now, he’s always won but the big one’s on the horizon as, on July 29th, 2023, he finally gets to fight Errol Spence Jr. If Crawford wins, which I hope he does and strongly fancy he will, Bud becomes the first (male) to be undisputed in two weight classes in the four-belt era. Moreover, if he is successful, he’s moving up again, to conquer the Light Middleweight division. Were he to achieve it and become undisputed in three weight classes, he’d be recognised as one of the best to have ever gloved up. While it’s a tall order I wouldn’t bet against him. I don’t know much about boxing and even less about singing, but watching Crawford fight, is akin to hearing Sarah Vaughan sing. I know something special’s going on, I just don’t know what it is.
Straight off the bat, apart from a few sparring sessions, I’ve never boxed. I was taught how to, from an early age. At least, I was taught how to punch and on occasion, those lessons have proved useful. I strongly any child who shows an interest ought to be taught how to defend her/himself. Boxing’s as good a way as any and better than most. No doubt that’ll be viewed as a prehistoric attitude. Yeah well, good luck with all that. I’m not a diehard boxing fan. I’m certainly not an expert. I’m what’s dismissed as “a casual.” Not only am I a casual, but I’m a proud one. I’ve always been interested in boxing and like many a casual my age, that interest peaked during the reigns of Ali and Mike Tyson. Those gents aside though, I’m not that keen on heavyweight boxing. My primary focus is on those fighting from Light-Welter to Super-Middle. These guys correspond, in size at least, to the average man so the competition is greater. Plus- they move. During the era of the ‘Four Kings’ Ray Leonard was my guy. Of course, the ‘real’ boxing fan would go for Haglar. The real expert- Duran. Sugar is the casual’s choice. Quite where that leaves poor old Tommy I’m not sure but he was brilliant.
My interest in Crawford led me, unwittingly, into the bizarre world of YouTube boxing channels. You’ll need a bit of background here. So, in the US, there’s a promotional company called “Premier Boxing Champions” more commonly referenced as “PBC”. This company’s run by a guy by the name of Al Haymon. Al’s black. I mention this as it plays a significant part in what follows. Mr Haymon is an unusual boxing promoter, in that he keeps a low profile. Al’s profile is so low it’s debatable he’s got one. Haymon’s backstory is that he was big in the music game prior to entering the pugilistic one, with Oscar De La Hoya’s ‘ Golden Boy Promotions’. Al left GBP and took a few of Oscar’s fighters with him. The PBC’s roster is largely made up of African Americans and years ago this would have been a massive boon, but U.S. boxing has been in decline for years. Explaining why, would be best left to somebody who knows or, more pertinently, who cares. Meanwhile, over on YouTube, a group of black boxing channels amalgamated and named themselves the “LDBC”. Full title “Lion’s Den Boxing Community”. The LDBC is quite rightly pro-black. Theoretically, that’s a good thing. Except the LDBC are not pro-black, they’re pro-PBC and appear especially vindictive towards black fighters, who are not signed up to Mr Haymon.
The British heavyweight and former world champ Anthony Joshua was subject to vicious and sustained online abuse from the LDBC for having the audacity to be more lauded than their man, Deontay Wilder. Deontay, an American, held one version of the HW title (WBC), and Joshua, the other three. Neither is going to be on any sensible person’s list of all-time greats but of the two, AJ’s prominence was justifiable. That’s not to say I believe he’d beat Wilder. I don’t and I never have. For a while, a bout between them was mooted and accusations of “ducking” flew from both sides. The truth I suspect, is that they ducked each other. AJ’s handlers, Eddie and Barry Hearn, of the promotional company ‘Matchroom’, wanted no part of Wilder who, despite his many technical flaws, hits like a train- an express train. Matchroom saw no point in risking the goose laying all those golden eggs. This is not simply my opinion, Barry Hearn’s on record stating that although the Wilder fight would generate more money than any fight in history, they could earn just as much by matching AJ in a series of less risky fights and AJ could keep his titles.
He was right, too. Besides, as long as they both kept winning, the prize money for their fight would only grow. Which was fine in theory but this wasn’t theory, this was Heavyweight boxing. In what Matchroom undoubtedly saw as one of these smaller fights with little risk, they took AJ to New York. There, he’d get to fight in the pre-Vegas Mecca of boxing– Madison Square Garden and Sky would get to bang on about it. Things began to go awry when Joshua’s scheduled opponent (I think) failed a drugs test. At short notice, a replacement was found. Andy Ruiz, a tubby Latino, with an innocent smile and deceptively fast hands, stepped up, stopped AJ and waddled off with three versions of the HW title. Joshua’s father blamed Eddie Hearn…
AJ subsequently won the belts back in a rematch, held out in Saudi Arabia. Ruiz, overweight in the first bout, arrived for the second, looking as though he’d spent his prize money, in McDonald’s. It was a fight without close contact. Ruiz was too fat to close the gap. AJ, too fearful. Sky went into hyper overdrive in lauding Joshua’s performance. One pundit, Johnny Nelson, went as far as to describe it as on par with a prime Ali. Saint Peter awaits many of us and we’ll each have a bit to explain but for that comment alone, it’ll be “Access Denied” for old Johnny Boy. AJ did give us one Ali impression that night, with his post-fight poem. It was shit. Someone ought to have warned Joshua against attempting to impersonate Ali. It was a mistake of epic proportions. Many have tried imitating Ali; few have failed quite as dismally as AJ.
Over in the US, with the monumental prize money of two undefeated HW champions facing off, now gone, Wilder’s camp, aware that his résumé was laughable, fell into the same trap as Matchroom, by underestimating a fat guy. This one was white and aside from a couple of lacklustre comeback bouts against less-than-average opposition, had been out of action for a couple of years. During this absence, he’d suffered from drug addiction, mental health issues and, given his size, a few dietary problems to boot. Moreover, he couldn’t punch. At least, this was the view held by Mr Wilder’s brain trust. Yet, despite all his trials and tribulations, Tyson Fury proceeded to box Deontay’s ears off for almost the entirety of the fight. There were two moments where the boxing clinic was reversed and, in both instances, Fury hit the canvas. The second time, late in the fight, showed the best of both men. Wilder hit him with a right hand, left hook combo and how Fury climbed to his feet, was borderline miraculous. They called it a draw and, given that the fight was on US soil, Fury did well to get that.
This, though, was real bad for Wilder. A victory over Fury, a former world champion, would put paid to the charges against Deontay’s résumé and given Fury’s condition - or lack of it - beating him had been a given. The years of fighting nonentities had come back to bite Deontay on the arse. Nobody had survived Wilder’s right hand simply because nobody he’d ever fought- wanted to. Fury, a traveller who’d been scrapping all his life, not only got up but, on doing so, proceeded to stick it right on Deontay. This, it’s safe to say, was a cherry pick gone wrong.
Meanwhile, over on YouTube, the LDBC were not happy and they could prove that Wilder had been robbed. This proof was provided by way of a timer and sure enough, the ref’s count was “slow” in that it was over ten seconds. Problem there is that “the count” isn’t ten seconds, it’s the ref’s count- to ten. There’s a difference and no rules were broken. The “ten count” shenanigans though, were merely an appetizer for what was in store… The infamous “GloveGate”. Never, in the history of sport, quite possibly the history of mankind, has so much shit been spoken, on such a complete and utter load of bollocks. The claim was that Fury had “something” in his gloves. At least, that was one of the claims. There were so many it was difficult to keep abreast of them. This BS wasn’t restricted to the zealots over at the LDBC. Wilder himself was at it. Initially, he blamed the costume he wore for his ring walk, declaring that it had been too heavy. Then, that Fury had something in his gloves. Then, his water had been contaminated… it was endless. The real low point came when he besmirched the name of his trainer, a cat called Mark Breland who’d thrown the towel in, to save Deontay from a beating he may not have recovered from. Next thing you know, Breland’s being accused of all sorts. Wilder petitioned the courts for a third fight– one that he was legally entitled to. During it, he and Fury staggered around the ring knocking each other down until Tyson finally knocked Deontay, spark out.
The LDBC were screaming about foul play in the third fight of course but by that point, even most of their die-hard subscribers had stopped listening. With Deontay a busted flush, the LDBC’s adulation turned to the southpaw Errol Spence Jr. Errol is an infinitely better boxer than Wilder and, for a while there, was going great guns. Somewhere along the line, though - and it was long before “the crash” - Errol stopped progressing. This was in stark contrast to the guy coming up behind him. The one who’d unified at Light Welterweight. Crawford was improving with each fight and was now moving up to 147. He’d be gunning for the champions there but Bud had a problem because all but one of those were signed to Al Haymon’s PBC.
From the get-go it was evident that Crawford was being avoided, he was told by Keef “Once Upon a Time” Thurman: “Get a belt.” Terence duly went and got one, took it off Jeff Horn, an Aussie who’d, somewhat contentiously, beaten Manny. There was nothing contentious about the way Crawford went about beating Horn. It was so one-sided, I found myself feeling sorry for Jeff. So, Crawford’s now a three-weight champion and looking to clear out the Welterweight division but it appeared at least, that Al Haymon’s company were determined to freeze - or possibly age – Terence out.
Oddly enough, it was at precisely this time that the LDBC started going to town on Crawford that, prompted by their spite, I began popping up in their comment sections. The world of YouTube boxing channels is extremely toxic but as pro-Crawford as I am, I stayed clear of slagging off Errol. Firstly, because I liked him and secondly, because he held three versions of the World Welterweight crown. If you consider yourself a fight fan, even a casual one and fail to respect that, you might want to consult a therapist- sharpish. Equally, if you can’t accept that those around Errol were avoiding Crawford, get yourself on that couch and start examining your issues. The first one- might be denial. The onslaught from the LDBC and other pro-Errol fan channels went on for years and the level of hatred was baffling. In Crawford they had a black man, married to a black woman, who’se a great father and somebody who, to use the vernacular “came up hard”. Crawford, when it comes to all that street shit, is as real as it gets and I confess, this is partly why I ride with him.
One gets the sense that, in a nation of grasses, Crawford’s staunch. He’s just got a loyalty vibe about him. Bud and his trainer Bomac, built a gym that’s free for kids - right in the middle of the vicinity they grew up in and, night after night, they’re in there training all comers, regardless of ethnicity. In a country obsessed with race, Terence Crawford comes across as proud of himself and his culture, without hating anyone else’s. If the rest of the world followed Crawford’s example, it’d be a better place. This is a man who goes to Africa to help build homes. There’s footage of him out there, literally giving a kid the shirt off his back. Yet, this is who those “on code” LDBC cats choose to hate? To borrow from Margret Thatcher, if Bud Crawford walked on water, they’d say he couldn’t swim.
Errol, after famously stating to Crawford - on camera – “Shawn Porter’s got a belt too, why wouldn’t I go the easy route and knock Shawn Porter out?” Spence Jnr’s fanbase claimed this was in reference to Porter (also) being a PBC fighter and thus there being no need for a cross-promotional event. That’s partially true but Errol viewed Shawn as an easier win. That fight took place a couple of years later and proved to be far from easy. Errol didn’t knock Shawn out either. He went life and death with him. In reality, there’s no such thing as an easy fight against Shawn; Errol won on a split decision. Probably due to a “flash” knockdown late on. During the battle, Shaun repeatedly enticed Spence to the corner to “spin him”. A tactic that’s self-explanatory, Shawn spins himself and Errol around, leaving Spence stuck in the corner and Porter pummelling him. If Shawn had more venom in his shots, the numerous close decisions he lost, he’d have won. He’s an all-action fighter and appears, at least, to be a decent guy. When facing Bud, he tried the same tactic but Terence didn’t take the bait, opting instead to wait ring-centre. It has to be said, Crawford’s ring IQ, is high.
This account jumps about in time as it’s difficult to give a linear narrative, simply because it’s gone on so long. Long before Errol fought Porter, he made the infamous declaration that Crawford was “On the other side of the street”. This came at a post-fight press conference. I’m not sure who he’d fought or even if it was his presser but either way, he got on the mic, a little the worse for wear and before you knew it, the term “The other side of the street” was not only born but instantly, became legitimate. The term hadn’t existed until that moment but that’s modern boxing for you. The statement was over Crawford being with Top Rank, a rival promotional company. How it was so readily accepted was baffling as Top Rank and PBC had done multiple co-promotional events. Top Rank is run/owned by an old guy named Bob Arum, who’s Jewish. That’s mentioned because the anti-Semitism spewed by those supporting Errol and Deontay on YouTube was vile. None of which is Spence’s fault. A few of Errol’s tweets suggest he doesn’t hold these gents in high regard and ultimately, why should he? The majority don’t pay for his fights, they stream them. Illegal streaming was another one of the reasons the PBC put forward for why the bout with Crawford didn’t make commercial sense. That, along with the argument that Crawford doesn’t sell. Over the years they’d put forward so many excuses it’d take a book to list them all.
Crawford’s no Canelo but then again, nor is Errol. According to PBC’s PPV numbers, he generally does slightly better than Crawford but apparently, PBC’s numbers are notoriously inflated. Terence Crawford put paid to the other side of the street argument by leaving Top Rank but it didn’t make any difference. Those around Errol still weren’t having it. Floyd Mayweather is Haymon’s partner and Floyd’s on record as stating that Bud is the best fighter in the world. Now, this is only a summation on my part of course but you don’t think that maybe Al and Floyd speak to each other. That just maybe, Floyd has expressed his opinion on Crawford, to Mr Haymon?
Crip walking Crawford…
There’s a longstanding theory amongst Crawford supporters that the PBC was waiting for Bud to get old. It’s well known within boxing that fighters can age “overnight” and as Bud’s a couple of years older than Errol, one can see the logic to it. Crawford ought to be the first to “go” but things may not pan out that way. Errol, while a fantastic pro, does enjoy a night out. Bud, as far as we know, doesn’t. Errol’s lifestyle and constantly having to boil down to make weight will eventually take their toll and for the sake of the spectacle, let’s hope it doesn’t come against Crawford.
I suspect that those around Errol made a mistake in not jumping on Terence the instant he moved to 147. Instead, they’ve allowed him to fully “grow into” the weight. Conversely, the longer time passes, the more difficult it becomes for Errol to lose it. He’s never failed to but as we age, even for an excellent athlete like Spence Jnr, shedding those pounds becomes progressively more difficult. After hitting the scales Errol may well enter the ring twenty-four hours later, between 155/60 lbs and he’ll certainly be bigger and heavier than Bud. That ought to be reassuring to Errol’s fanbase, as they, his charming trainer and, Errol himself. Have all previously sneered at Crawford’s size. Or lack thereof. “Too light in the ass” was one famous quote from Errol. Yet, neither he, his charming trainer, nor the fanbase, saw fit to mention that, when Spence fought Algieri, Peterson, Mikey Garcia, Danny Garcia or, Ugas. Size wasn’t an issue then. Errol’s taller than Crawford and therefore holds the mythical height advantage. Its often mentioned by pundits but I’ve never heard exactly what advantage height brings.
If the assumption is that there’s an automatic reach advantage, they’d be wrong. A longer reach is, for obvious reasons, a genuine advantage and that lies with Crawford. I suspect it might be something of a mind-fuck when the guy you’re towering over, is constantly out-reaching you. Adding to the confusion is that Crawford’s a “switch-hitter” meaning he can change from orthodox to southpaw, in a heartbeat. Errol’s charming trainer claims that this is no big deal and maybe it’s not, if the guy’s not very good at it, but Crawford is. He’s up there, in terms of switch-hitting, with the best in the sport’s history. Whether Errol’s charming trainer wishes to acknowledge it or not, Crawford’s switch-hitting is an issue.
There’s another aspect to Crawford’s physicality that’s deceptive - his strength. It’s rumoured he’s pulled a 500lb deadlift. This lift has appeared on his IG but as I’m old, I don’t have IG and what’s more, I won’t be getting it. I can’t say I’ve witnessed the 500 pull, but I’ve seen him on YouTube, pulling 455 and that was in 2020. If the 500lb DL’s true, that’s over 2.7 times Terence’s body weight. That’s pretty much the weightlifting community’s definition of strong, and the weightlifting community’s standards are high. The great thing about deadlifts, you either pull the weight or you don’t. There’s no middle ground. There will be no middle ground when they meet either. If Crawford fails to stop Errol, the the cards will favour Spence as it’s a PBC event… I’ll keep you posted. Three days to go and I’m concerned as I attempted to purchase the fight a couple of days back but I don’t know if it registered. Still confident Crawford will win. Day of the fight and I’ll be taking a sleeping pill to ensure an early night, ring-walk’s predicted for four AM… OK, the fight’s over and Bud won… Easily.
As the ref, somewhat belatedly, stops the fight. Crawford runs up and jumps onto the ropes. From which, he shouts into the crowd, “You’re next.” This is directed at Jermell Charlo. The current undisputed World Light Middleweight Champion. A few months earlier, Bud had tweeted to Errol Spence Jnr, “When I’m finished with you, I’m coming for your fucking cheerleader.” That may not be verbatim but you know, it’s close enough. The “cheerleader” in question was Jermell Charlo. He and his twin, Jermall, are not only signed with PBC but share the same charming trainer as Errol. The Crawford camp has always viewed Errol as the tougher fight and, were I Charlo right now, I’d be worried. Crawford didn’t just beat Errol; he beat him up. In what was possibly the most impressive showing in his forty-fight career, Bud was magnificent. Naturally, Errol’s bizarre fans are claiming that “Errol wasn’t right,” that, “There was something wrong.” I can clarify exactly what was wrong, Errol ran into a laser-focused, master craftsman. Few current boxers who could theoretically hold their own in bygone eras, but Crawford is one of them. His dedication is beyond what most today are capable of. Charlo’s signed for a fight with Canelo. A Mexican who’s pretty much “the face of boxing”. It’s unlikely Jermell will be victorious, but Canelo brings the big bucks and who amongst us, can resist them? This entails Charlo going up in weight and, should he choose to fight Crawford afterwards, coming back down. Losing fat is hard enough but losing muscle - whilst still retaining it - is harder.
Crawford took it easy on Spence, he will not do the same with Jermall, who’s been shooting his mouth off - somewhat needlessly. If that fight materializes, Crawford gets the opportunity to become ‘Undisputed’ in three different weight divisions and unlike your narrator, he’s not a man who wastes opportunities. An update. Charlo’s performance against Canelo was so poor Crawford’s reputedly lost interest in fighting him. Instead, he now wants to jump two weight classes, to fight Canelo. “Experts” are already writing him off… Have they not been watching?