Terence Crawford Called Boring Just A Year After Stopping Spence
Reigning WBA junior middleweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is one of the best fighters of this current generation. But some in the boxing community claim that he’s never been fully loved and appreciated because of how he fights. Is that true, or are folks guilty of being misguided and wrongheaded?
Crawford is weeks removed from defeating Israil Madrimov to win the WBA title on August 3 in Los Angeles. It wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing outing. However, Crawford was able to do what was necessary to get a unanimous decision victory.
TOO TEDIOUS?
Crawford’s performance has drawn criticism from some within boxing circles. That includes Jose Benavidez Sr., the father and trainer of two-time super middleweight champion David Benavidez. During an appearance on Thaboxingvoice podcast, Jose said the following about Crawford compared to his son, David, who he feels is far more entertaining.
“Terence Crawford is a really good fighter. He always plays it safe. He wants to win the rounds, but I don’t think he risks, and he doesn’t give the people excitement that he’s gonna come and have a good fight. To me, Terence Crawford is like Shakur Stevenson . . . To me, he’s not exciting.”
A MISGUIDED TAKE
The fight against Madrimov was his first fight at 154 pounds. Facing a physically stronger adversary, Bud elected to box. So, was his performance boring, or that of a man who was being smart and calculating?
Crawford has provided plenty of exciting fights and thrilling moments during his career. His stoppage wins over Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2014, Jeff Horn in June 2018, and Egidijus Kavaliauskas in December 2019 are examples of this glaring fact. In each of those wins, the Omaha, Nebraska native stood his ground and put himself in the line of fire. He showed the spirit and heart of a warrior.
Oh, how folks can be so fickle. Following a ninth-round destruction over Errol Spence in July 2023, Crawford was the toast of the boxing world. One fight later, Bud is the ire of scorn.
HERE’S THE REALITY
At his core, Crawford is a versatile boxer with a high ring IQ. However, he also has the mental and physical toughness to stand in the pocket and grit his teeth when necessary. When he has an opponent in trouble, his ability to finish them off is better than almost any active fighter in the sport.
Bud is a future Hall of Famer. He has nothing to prove to Benavidez or anyone else. For those to refer to him as boring is not just wrong. Quite frankly, it’s outright asinine.
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