Barry McGuigan column: Terence Crawford hurts like Marvin Hagler and excites like Thomas Hearns

[shaz619]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/barry-mcguigan-column-terence-crawford-5537327

"

Imagine a fighter who combined the characteristics of ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler and Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns.

How fitting then in the week in which we celebrate the 30th anniversary of their epic coming together in Las Vegas, Terence Crawford steps into a championship ring.

This kid is a breakthrough champion with echoes of both.

Hagler liked a war. He was a southpaw but could also switch to orthodox. The reverse is true of Crawford, but he loves to get involved.

Hearns, typical of the Manny Steward school in Detroit, could knock you out from 30 feet away. That’s what this guy likes to do also.

He’s a slick banger like Hagler, but likes to excite like Hearns.

Crawford reminds me a lot of Pernell ‘Sweet P’ Whitaker, too - a superb technician just not so risk-averse.

He will be remembered in Scotland as the man who dismantled Ricky Burns, who is one tough hombre.

He also outclassed big-punching Breidis Prescott - who saw off Amir Khan so spectacularly in 2008.

Both victories came by wide points decisions, arguably because he was fried at the lightweight limit.

On Saturday night in Texas, he moves up to light-welterweight to challenge Thomas Dulorme for the vacant WBO title.

In the best traditions of Puerto Rican boxing, Dulorme comes to fight and packs considerable power. But like many of his compatriots, he has a weakness about the whiskers - which Crawford will seek to exploit.


Dulorme is only a split second behind Crawford in terms of speed, but that’s enough to invite trouble.

As the fight goes on, you will see the American’s extra snap pay dividends.

Crawford showed what he was about last year when he knocked out Cuban Olympic and World gold medallist Yuriorkis Gamboa in a riveting performance.

It will be interesting to see how he goes in the heavier division. Though only 5ft 8in, he has the reach - 70ins - of a man two inches taller.

It is such a beautiful thing to watch a fighter who can control a bout at distance, so smooth and balanced, then move inside and get to work with great effect.

I believe he will make a big statement at 140lbs and it would be some tribute to that 1985 classic, the best nine minutes of all time, were Crawford to dispatch Dulorme in style.

"

 

[shaz619]

From 2015 but thought this would be an interesting share considering how much Crawford has progressed in the last 3 years becoming a 3 weight world champion and famously becoming just the 5th Boxer in history to hold all world titles simultaneously and the first male fighter since 2005.

 

[shaz619]

Crawford is also regarded as the no.1 P4P fighter in the world and that is some achievement since 2015, while he has beaten what has been put before him he does pass the eye test when you observe his high level skill set. He can box out of both stances without you noticing whether he is a leftie or rightie if watching for the first time, tremendous foot-work, great hand speed, power and his greatest attribute the ability to adapt / in-ring IQ.

While comparisons sometimes can be far-fetched, he does have similarities to the likes of Hagler, Hearns and Leonard. He can hurt you similar to Hagler, he has tremendous speed similar to a Hearns and he can glide around the ring like a Leonard. Perhaps maybe you can pose a ? with regards to his punch resistance which may need to be proven at 147 but he is just so sound defensively, people tend to liken guys who get dropped as being chinny but they don't realise that chinny fighters get caught flush a lot more often which points to more of a defensive issue.

 

[shaz619]

[MENTION=142288]TQ89[/MENTION] [MENTION=1749]Waq[/MENTION] [MENTION=146504]barah_admi[/MENTION] [MENTION=43583]KingKhanWC[/MENTION]

 

[shaz619]

 

[Tubs]

Wishing Amir all the best, but Crawford is amazing. Reckon he beats Spence, who beats everyone else in the division, though I give Thurman a chance to beat Spence if he can reclaim his former glory.

Either Crawford TKO9, or UD.

 

[Red Devil]

All the best to Amir, would be amazing if he can somehow manage to win!

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I don't understand why Amir is taking the fight if Crawford is that good. Smacks of either delusion or desperation, trying to grab one last shot at the big time before he ends up fighting for battle of Britain has-been glory against Kell Brook.

 

[shaz619]

I don't understand why Amir is taking the fight if Crawford is that good. Smacks of either delusion or desperation, trying to grab one last shot at the big time before he ends up fighting for battle of Britain has-been glory against Kell Brook.

Basically because there's more for him to gain if he pulls off a miracle win as Crawford is widely regarded as the P4P no.1 on the planet and also has a world title, also after his last two performances coming from a lay off this offer has come when it may not have if for example he was looking really good so you got to take advantage of opportunities which might not come again.

Plus the Brook fight will always be there and in terms of money contrary to popular belief he isn't making significantly less compared to what was on the table for the Brook fight. Crawford is also new to the welterweight division and Amir is unbeaten at 147 and has a name so it would be a good exposure win for him, previously he was linked with Collazo who Khan had thoroughly beaten years ago; after the negative reception, Khan as an opponent was well received.

While he will be brutally knocked out the fight will be entertaining in any scenario and on top of that he deserves credit for going for it when the top guys just keep avoiding each other, but hopefully Crawford / Spence can be made soon.

 

[Slog]

If Crawford is so good why doesn’t he as much publicity and is not well known.

Like his social media presence is a pittance too [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]

 

[shaz619]

If Crawford is so good why doesn’t he as much publicity and is not well known.

Like his social media presence is a pittance too [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]

That's a good question and it's based on a number of reason why that is true, he has largely fought in Nebraska which isn't a boxing territory but he also became Nebraska's first world champion in a century, as a character he is quite reserved but there is a great deal of personality/wit he tends to hold back because he doesn't want to get stereotyped as another Floyd imitater e.g Broner when it comes to how you behave but unfortunately those are the types of characters which resonate with the mainstream, quality of opposition is another factor and their star power as every fighter needs a good dance partner GGG/Canelo. Ali/Frazier, Ward/Gatti etc; there is an argument to be made that had Amir Khan had to deal with the same names during his days in the lower weights he would also be undefeated and among the top P4P in the world which is why I still see him potentially being inducted in the HOF one day; but Crawford deserves credit for beating every top fighter put before him and has now stepped up to the stacked welterweight division.

So what makes him so great despite these factors? he passes the eye test in terms of his individual skill and quality of performances which go beyond the boxers he has fought and for this reason among Boxing's P4P standing he is widely regarded as the no.1 fighter in the world and most will at the very least have him in the top 2. Moving forward he will gain even more recognition because he will have dance partners for once at 147 pounds who are also highly skilled such as Spence, Thurman, Porter, Garcia and even Manny; he has a deal with ESPN to and the viewership has been very good; his last fight with Benavidez did 2.708 million and Benavidez isn't entirely a world level contender, much of the appeal comes from the elite skills of Crawford and his popularity is always growing, it's all about transitioning to the mainstream casual fans and that's not always easy but he is moving the needle, in Boxing circles itself globally he has respect and recognition though.

 

[shaz619]

BT Sports have been so professional in building up this fight, their coverage has been outstanding; really enjoyed both documentaries on the fighters:

[MENTION=43583]KingKhanWC[/MENTION] Sky on the other hand were ripping Amir before, during and after the Vargas fight lol that was there way of trying to build a Brook fight ? lol But just go on BT Sports youtube channel and man their pieces on Khan and Crawford have been so good, make sure you watch both documentaries.

What I found very unique about the Crawford camp is that he doesn't one coach but 3 specialists coaches, neither have an ego or pose as the lead man in the training camp and they have all been together for over 10 years including the strength/conditioning guy! I think this all reflects in his complete attributes as a fighter, AK's doc was a great reminder of what he has achieved, BT did well to get some of the archive footage from ITV.

 

[KingKhanWC]

BT Sports have been so professional in building up this fight, their coverage has been outstanding; really enjoyed both documentaries on the fighters:


[MENTION=43583]KingKhanWC[/MENTION] Sky on the other hand were ripping Amir before, during and after the Vargas fight lol that was there way of trying to build a Brook fight ? lol But just go on BT Sports youtube channel and man their pieces on Khan and Crawford have been so good, make sure you watch both documentaries.

What I found very unique about the Crawford camp is that he doesn't one coach but 3 specialists coaches, neither have an ego or pose as the lead man in the training camp and they have all been together for over 10 years including the strength/conditioning guy! I think this all reflects in his complete attributes as a fighter, AK's doc was a great reminder of what he has achieved, BT did well to get some of the archive footage from ITV.

Sky are pretty bitter with BT sport showing the big fights now inc coverage from the US free on their channel.

I watched both BT docs, very good indeed. Both fighters are nice guys who are very competitive and great fighters in their own right. It seems to be working for Crawford but imo I prefer one main boxing coach with a couple of others to work on specific areas mainly fitness and conditioning. I would say though , Crawford seems the chap who educates himself on boxing and thinks of his own gameplan. You can see this when he fights, takes a very good look at this opponent and figures out how to break him down. This could be an advantage for Amir who usually starts very quick. If Khan can win the first 3 rounds he will only need another 4 and could sneak in a couple towards the end(if he lasts 12).

Any news on the undercard and the time Khan walks in the ring?

 

[shaz619]

Sky are pretty bitter with BT sport showing the big fights now inc coverage from the US free on their channel.

I watched both BT docs, very good indeed. Both fighters are nice guys who are very competitive and great fighters in their own right. It seems to be working for Crawford but imo I prefer one main boxing coach with a couple of others to work on specific areas mainly fitness and conditioning. I would say though , Crawford seems the chap who educates himself on boxing and thinks of his own gameplan. You can see this when he fights, takes a very good look at this opponent and figures out how to break him down. This could be an advantage for Amir who usually starts very quick. If Khan can win the first 3 rounds he will only need another 4 and could sneak in a couple towards the end(if he lasts 12).

Any news on the undercard and the time Khan walks in the ring?

They never give him a fair shake and have dealt with him very unprofessionally throughout his career, win or lose it's great to see him mug both sky and match-room off lmao And I would agree with you in almost every single case regarding one main boxing coach, Crawford is an anomaly in this regard and I see him in the same way as a fighter; I have him as my favourite to unify at 147 with Spence being his only threat.

There are two ways to look at it, AK could start fast and try to hold onto an early lead knowing he will gas later but try to find a second wind or he could be a lot more cautious; in the BT Sports tactical break down Ben mentioned he needs to match Crawford's IQ and I agree with that because his raw tools alone wont be enough and there is a ? on if he can glide around the ring. But I've always felt Ben would be the perfect trainer for Amir even if he were a bit past it because he would get him to move his head, manipulate position, feint a lot more and be evasive from his upper body as well but I still respect AK for sticking with Virgil who even though never mentions it has a lot of love and respect for just too much loyalty which is also a good thing when it comes to the mental aspect.

This tactical break down was outstanding:

 

[shaz619]

[MENTION=43583]KingKhanWC[/MENTION]

Lopez and Shakur Stevenson will be featured on the under-card worth staying up to see them, still early in their careers but both are outstanding talents. And be up for latest around 3am, I think ring walk will be around 4ish but I will be up for the entire card from 1am

 

[the Great Khan]

so heres the question for our resident boxing experts [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] and co..how does Amir win this? whats his best chance of success? inmho crawford will be too young and strong for him..but I think he will surprise us in some rounds but will probably go down roundabout the 8th..maybe a stoppage or something..

But if he were to win I would expect him to look to outbox terence right upto the 7 round and then try and hang on in the later rounds..if Amir gets ahead on points Crawford will need a knockout and thats where Amir could find his chin exposed..

 

[shaz619]

so heres the question for our resident boxing experts [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] and co..how does Amir win this? whats his best chance of success? inmho crawford will be too young and strong for him..but I think he will surprise us in some rounds but will probably go down roundabout the 8th..maybe a stoppage or something..

But if he were to win I would expect him to look to outbox terence right upto the 7 round and then try and hang on in the later rounds..if Amir gets ahead on points Crawford will need a knockout and thats where Amir could find his chin exposed..

Am no expert aha watch the fight break down video above to see exactly what he needs to do but a lot depends on what he has left in the tank besides his speed? Amir also use to have tremendous footwork, he would glide around the ring with ease but I didn't see that in his last fight and he started having engine issues later on, if the feet are still there it will be an exciting fight; I am concerned though, in his fight against Vargas his reflex's looked to have declined he was dropped from the static position, normally to time Amir you had to be punching with him.

But regardless, whether or not the legs are still there he needs to set up his offence to keep Crawford guessing and not get too greedy with 5 punch combinations; he needs to feint with his punches but also his movement as well, Crawford is a master boxer who typically works out his range quite well so Amir can't be predictable; Amir does like to start fast and hold the centre but here he needs to stay calm and focus on 1-2 punch combinations and not lead with his head; if he wants to throw multiple combinations he needs to do this on a counter at mid to close range so Crawford can't respond with a counter of his own.

But to sum it up, he has to show a very high in-ring IQ in this fight more then any of his previous encounters so far and focus every second. Not just rely on the raw tools but feint, attack and then finish by staying low instead of moving away with his chin unprotected. Amir is not capable of this unfortunately, he relies on his raw tools e.g speed and movement (not sure if he has this no more) and also his heart / determination; Virgil Hunter probably is also aware of this so my guess is the game-plan will be for them to get an early lead with his usual tactics by starting fast and trying to overwhelm TC with his speed and then trying to hold on to it whilst praying Khan doesn't get caught.

If am totally honest with you though, unless Amir Khan knocks Crawford out he is not winning this fight.

 

[shaz619]

Just watch the first 2 rounds to see all the vintage Amir Khan flaws, he moves to his left with his right foot he was doing the same during the Canelo fight, it's what causes you to become so square and off balance so even if you do get caught you're going down regardless. He notoriously has a tendency to keep his left way too low as well, Vargas feinted before throwing that looping right hand; only difference here he just got dropped straight up and wasn't being countered exactly which point to the reflex issue. They called that a flash knock down but he got caught clean and if it wasn't for the bell I doubt he would be in NYC right now; he got up way too fast which was silly and the legs were wobbly while he walked to the corner dazed, Vargas isn't a puncher either so I find it frightening what Crawford will do.

 

[shaz619]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Respect to <a href="https://twitter.com/amirkingkhan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amirkingkhan</a> and his team for remembering the victims of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/christchurchterrorattack?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#christchurchterrorattack</a> by putting this logo on thhier fight week tracksuits <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/neverforget?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#neverforget</a> <a href="https://t.co/heL0CNgIl6">pic.twitter.com/heL0CNgIl6</a></p>— OCHA (@mochachinnos) <a href="https://twitter.com/mochachinnos/status/1118568847844495360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Great stuff

 

[shaz619]

Further outstanding content from BT, best coverage I have seen on Boxing in a long long time US or UK:

God willing one day I can attend Madison Square Garden, the greatest arena in the world

 

[KingKhanWC]

[MENTION=43583]KingKhanWC[/MENTION]

Lopez and Shakur Stevenson will be featured on the under-card worth staying up to see them, still early in their careers but both are outstanding talents. And be up for latest around 3am, I think ring walk will be around 4ish but I will be up for the entire card from 1am

Ill be tuning in from around 1 am too for the undercard and build up.

What an opportunity for Amir! Crawford is a superb athlete and an incredible boxer so will be tough for Amir. However I dont believe Crawford has fought as many elite fighters as Khan.

It all depends on what Amir Khan turns up, if its the one who fought just before Canelo he will win the fight imo

 

[ElRaja]

would love for amir to win but i just dont see how it happens. amirs always had his technical flaws but his speed used to cover it up, no way will he still be as fast as he was 10 odd years ago tho.

on a side note, watching an amir khan vid on youtube, like his old fights, makes me feel so old, lol, i remember tuning in for all his fights when he was on itv, first one i missed was the prescott one cos i was flying.

regardless of what happens, he was super entertaining, and hes a decent bloke too. just a shame more desi kids didnt follow in his footsteps.

 

[KingKhanWC]

would love for amir to win but i just dont see how it happens. amirs always had his technical flaws but his speed used to cover it up, no way will he still be as fast as he was 10 odd years ago tho.

on a side note, watching an amir khan vid on youtube, like his old fights, makes me feel so old, lol, i remember tuning in for all his fights when he was on itv, first one i missed was the prescott one cos i was flying.

regardless of what happens, he was super entertaining, and hes a decent bloke too. just a shame more desi kids didnt follow in his footsteps.

Cause you are old

Both fighters look in excellent shape. Amir has certainly trained and looks confident. The more this goes on the more I see an upset.

 

[ElRaja]

Cause you are old

no matter how old i am you are still older kkwc bhai jaan.... i think

 

[shaz619]

Ill be tuning in from around 1 am too for the undercard and build up.

What an opportunity for Amir! Crawford is a superb athlete and an incredible boxer so will be tough for Amir. However I dont believe Crawford has fought as many elite fighters as Khan.

It all depends on what Amir Khan turns up, if its the one who fought just before Canelo he will win the fight imo

Same here, the build up has been pretty great; what I've found is not one person has given Amir a chance and vs Canelo he found a lot more support in terms of his chances which is interesting a lot of it has to do with Crawford's P4P standing as the best on the planet and how complete he is as a fighter, he is more complete then Lomachenko as well imo given how dynamic he is offensively, defensively and stylistically as well

 

[shaz619]

no matter how old i am you are still older kkwc bhai jaan.... i think

We are all old been on here forever lol, the three of us made our debuts in 2010

 

[ElRaja]

We are all old been on here forever lol, the three of us made our debuts in 2010

i was only three when i made my debut good sir



on a level tho, where can i watch this online?

 

[Pakistanian]

khan got this

 

[SensiblePakFan]

He has a 3 fight contract with Hearn after this.

 

[KingKhanWC]

no matter how old i am you are still older kkwc bhai jaan.... i think

Maybe bro but George Forman won the title when he was 45 so take some inspiration.

Same here, the build up has been pretty great; what I've found is not one person has given Amir a chance and vs Canelo he found a lot more support in terms of his chances which is interesting a lot of it has to do with Crawford's P4P standing as the best on the planet and how complete he is as a fighter, he is more complete then Lomachenko as well imo given how dynamic he is offensively, defensively and stylistically as well

Out of all Johnny Nelson seemed to be saying Khan has a decent chance if he plays his card right. I think this will be a very good watch, cant see Amir being knocked out early or at all, most likely a stoppage for Crawford but if it goes the distance it could be very close.

 

[shaz619]

Maybe bro but George Forman won the title when he was 45 so take some inspiration.



Out of all Johnny Nelson seemed to be saying Khan has a decent chance if he plays his card right. I think this will be a very good watch, cant see Amir being knocked out early or at all, most likely a stoppage for Crawford but if it goes the distance it could be very close.

I saw that interview but Nelson and a few others have said the same thing, if he does this he may win but not one person is genuinely backing him, I think the only guy is Kelly Pavlik but he is known for such predictions having been on the receiving end of a few upsets lol but the way he explained it he does genuinely see it as a 50/50 fight, apart from him there are as many pundits backing Khan as there were Douglas when he fought Tyson, there were more folk who felt he could beat Canelo. I think Amir needs a KO in any scenario to get the W in NYC

 

[shaz619]

Maybe bro but George Forman won the title when he was 45 so take some inspiration.



Out of all Johnny Nelson seemed to be saying Khan has a decent chance if he plays his card right. I think this will be a very good watch, cant see Amir being knocked out early or at all, most likely a stoppage for Crawford but if it goes the distance it could be very close.

The commentary was surreal! ) IT HAPPENED! he was behind in the fight and they were criticising him and then they were like he is having a good round then POP! against all odds Foreman in the shorts he wore during rumble in the jungle reclaims the title he lost decades ago in arguably one of the greatest moments ever in sport

 

[Slog]

Don’t understand boxing remotely as some of the guys here but till Round 3 Amir getting schooled

 

[Slog]

Damn that was disappointing that he had to quit

 

[shaz619]

Don’t understand boxing remotely as some of the guys here but till Round 3 Amir getting schooled

Crawford was largely dominating the fight while Khan was still trying to make a fist of it and was having some moments to, then Khan got caught with a low blow; then a fighter is allowed 5 minutes to recover, but Amir/Virgil didn't want to take that as he was in no position to continue and it was ruled a TKO win for Crawford as a result

 

[shaz619]

Crawford is going to be a legendary fighter, he is from Nebraska which isn't huge like Brooklyn so he may not have a huge mainstream US following but his popularity is growing and he is without a doubt P4P no.1. Amir as I said many times before, he just doesn't have the legs he did in his prime, he can't glide around the ring but with that in mind and a few other niggles he had I think he did really well in the fight given that I expected a KO within 3 rounds before the fight. The ending was disappointing, the career he has had and the heart he has shown I can't say he was looking for a way out and he was fighting back till the very end but either man wouldn't want to win or lose like that.

But from here Amir should 100% retire, there really is nothing to prove and I don't think he can be world champion again it is impossible, 4-5 years ago I would say there is a chance but not anymore. Unless he has a death wish there really is no point.

 

[Slog]

What if he had just continued and gone down like a hero of sorts.

Here it seems that he just ducked out and looked for an excuse to quit [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]

Can he beat kell brook based on tonight?

 

[shaz619]

What if he had just continued and gone down like a hero of sorts.

Here it seems that he just ducked out and looked for an excuse to quit [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION]

Can he beat kell brook based on tonight?

Yeah it does look that way from the outside but the pain must have been too much I take his word for it as he loves to have a scrap but tbh this ending probably better for him it could have been brutal if he fought for another 4 rounds, apparently he had a elbow injury may explain why he was flicking the right hand according to Virgil so he needs to get 100% healthy before deciding his next move. I think he will fight again as he wont want to go out on that but it's best to retire imo.

That's a 50/50 fight to be fair, Kell looked shocking in his last fight; both Amir/Kell are past it so it could make for an entertaining fight but I don't have any interest in it personally