Big Fight Preview: Terence Crawford vs Jose Benavidez Jr

Big Fight Preview: Terence Crawford vs Jose Benavidez Jr

In the early 1980’s two welterweights were vying for the title as the best welterweight on the planet. Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns became better fighters for their rivalry, and their legacy is all the better for it, they needed each other.

Nearly 40 years later we are in a similar situation with Errol Spence Jr and Terrence Crawford. Boxing News rank Spence Jr and Crawford as the best two welterweights around today and with good reason. Both are undefeated and each has a claim to the number 1 spot, and its a fight that just has to be made in 2019 and hopefully boxing politics do not deny us the opportunity to witness what could very well be an all-time classic.

However, in the meantime, Crawford returns this Saturday at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska in a stay busy fight against Jose Benavidez Jr. Crawford is heavily favoured to defeat Benavidez Jr but as we know looking too far ahead can derail a fighter, Crawford needs to focus on the here and now, to avoid the trap that so many before him have fallen into.

Crawford (33-0) is making the 1st defence of his WBO welterweight title he so effortlessly took from Jeff Horn in June. Bob Arum has compared Crawford to Sugar Ray Leonard and while that comparison might be a little over the top, there is no doubt what a special talent Crawford is. The American is a three-weight world champion, winning titles at lightweight and light-welterweight before moving up so impressively against Horn. Crawford certainly thinks his strength and power has carried to welterweight and judging from his performance against Horn few would argue.

But despite how good he looked in defeating Horn, tougher tests will follow Crawford at his new weight, regardless of what has gone before, Crawford knows the toughest fights of his career lie ahead. Crawford became the undisputed champion at 140, but cleaning out his new home won’t be as easy.

On Saturday Crawford faces Benavidez Jr who also brings an unbeaten record to the ring. Benavidez Jr, who was told after being shot multiple times two years ago that he would never fight again, is unbeaten in 27 fights and is a former WBA interim super-lightweight champion. Despite having two fights since the shooting incident the suggestion is that he has not yet fully recovered from his injuries, and if Benavidez Jr is carrying any physical or mental scars, Crawford is the last person you want to be sharing a ring with.

Benavidez Jr 26, called out Crawford in February and has accused the 31-year-old champion of avoiding him, but this might be a case of be careful what you wish for. Benavidez Jr has the size, height and reach advantages, but the odds say it won’t make any difference.

THE ODDS: Courtesy of @SkyBet

Terence Crawford 1/25
Draw 33/1
Jose Benavidez Jr 10/1

WHAT’S AT STAKE:

For Benavidez Jr it’s really a nothing to lose type of fight, he’s not expected to win and he goes into the fight with everything to gain. Even a half decent showing will see his profile rise and is young enough to come again should the expected defeat materialise.

Crawford has everything to lose, he’s the fighter with the big names in his sight, lose on Saturday those plans are dead in the water, Crawford must win and win in impressive fashion.

PREDICTION:

The odds seem to tell us that a Crawford win is a mere formality and while I tend to agree upsets happen. If Crawford is looking ahead to the potential big fights with the likes of Spence Jr or a Keith Thurman and others and just seeing Benavidez Jr as just a minor obstacle in the way then an upset becomes a little more realistic.

But Crawford is something very special, and as they all to often say there are levels, and Crawford is several levels above his opponent. Worryingly for Benavidez Jr, I see Crawford being even better than he was against Horn, he will be more accustomed to fighting at 147.

The quality of opponents they have faced are worlds apart, nothing we have seen from Benavidez Jr so far, suggests he has any chance of beating Crawford. Benavidez Jr will give it a real go, but Crawford will break him down and force the stoppage anytime after round 6.