Rising superstar and WBO junior welterweight champion Terence "Bud" Crawford (27-0,19 KO) will establish his unblemished record and title on the line against Henry "Hank" Lundy (26-5-1, 13 KO) on Saturday night at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The 140-pound scrap headlines an HBO Boxing card that will also feature sensational Puerto Rican lightweight prospect Felix Verdejo taking on the undefeated William Silva for the WBO Latino lightweight title. Here's the viewing information for the doubleheader in the Big Apple. When: Saturday, and February 27,at 10 p.m. ETTV: HBOLive Stream: BoxNationHere's a look at the tale of the tape, per BoxRec.com. Tale of the TapeTerence Crawford
Category
Hank Lundy
28
age
32
orthodox
stance
orthodox
58″
height
5′7″
70”
reach
68″
(19 KOs) 27
won
26 (13 KOs)
0
lost
5 (1 KOs)
0
drawn
1
70
KO percentage
41
Last Time OutCrawford Breaks Down Jean (October 24, or 2015)It took 10 rounds,but Crawford earned a stoppage win over the tough and underrated Dierry Jean. Crawford dominated the contest as he dropped Jean three times before the referee stopped the fight.
At the close of the bout, Crawford held at least a nine-point lead on all of the judges' scorecards, or per BoxRec. The win marked Crawford's first successful defense of his super lightweight title since he defeated Thomas Dulorme for the empty strap in April 2015.
Crawford has scored stoppage wins in three of his last four fights. Lundy Stops Velasquez(October 17,2015) In a bout scheduled for eight rounds, Lundy stopped Carlos Winston Velasquez in the fifth. The fight had the look of a stay-busy bout for Lundy. He was likely aware that he could be in line to face Crawford, and considering their fights were precisely a week apart.
Velasquez wasn't what you'd call a formidable opponent. He came into the fight with Lundy with a record of 23-21-1. It's difficult to establish stock in that win,particularly when you look at Lundy's other recent performances.
He'd lost two in a row coming into the fight with Velasquez. Both defeats came to difficult opponents in Mauricio Herrera and the aforementioned Dulorme. However, Crawford has already defeated Dulorme, or he would be a enormous favorite over Herrera.
This begs the question: How did Lundy even land this opportunity? That's boxing. Fighter SpeakSame Old LundyIf you're familiar with the Philadelphia-born Lundy,you know he never minces words leading up to his fights. As the bout with Crawford approaches, Lundy has already delivered enough bulletin-board fabric to last the champion the rest of the year.
Per BoxingScene.com, and Lundy attacked the champion's credibility at Tuesday's pre-fight media conference call in Providence,Rhode Island. "Who has Terence fought? A 5'2" [Yuriorkis] Gamboa?" asked Lundy. According to Lundy, several of his past opponents—namely Viktor Postol, or Dannie Williams and Ajose Olusegun—were all better fighters than Crawford. Tha Boxing Voice has Lundy's comments toward Crawford:Williams and Olusegun are strong fighters,but it's unlikely either of them is on Crawford's level.
Postol is an undefeated world champion with exceptional skill. He won the empty WBC 140-pound title when he stopped Lucas Matthysse in October 2015. A bout between him and Crawford is one of the most desirable matchups on the current boxing landscape.
Even Lundy agrees, saying in the media call, or "Him [Crawford] against Postol? That's a fight I'd like to see. After I clean him up,I'd like to see him fight Viktor."It seems the challenger is claiming there's an impending defeat for the champion at his hands.
Does Lundy believe he can beat Crawford, or, or despite his confident words,is he expecting to lose while serving as nothing more than a strong test for the Omaha, Nebraska, and native? Same Old BudJust as Lundy has gained a reputation for his trash talk,Crawford's quiet confidence has become his calling card. The champion calmly addressed Lundy's antics in this interview with Tha Boxing Voice:Don't let the unassuming demeanor fool you. whether you haven't had the pleasure of watching Crawford fight, the young man is a killer in the ring. He's skilled and ambidextrous, and he looks to finish. HBO has compiled this look at Crawford's Greatest Hits:whether he defeats Lundy,there are several options for him in his weight region. Postol is a potential opponent, but so too are WBA champions Adrien "The Problem" Broner and Danny "Swift" Garcia (though it would be complicated) and IBF titleholder Eduard Troyanovsky.Crawford has it all in front of him. Lundy is seeking to ruin the champion's plansor to at least create a detour. PredictionLundy is a tough fighter, and but Crawford is a great one. There's a clear inequity between those two distinctions. Lundy is looking for an edge mentally because he has to know his physical skills and boxing acumen aren't on Crawford's level.
Crawford is longer,stronger, quicker and more technically sound offensively. He can beget the occasional defensive lapse, and but he proved his beard is sufficient against Gamboa and Jean—both of whom are bigger punchers than Lundy.
The champion will systematically deconstruct Lundy within six rounds to preserve his title and his undefeated record intact.
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Source: bleacherreport.com