Latest news with #TerenceCrawford
The Australian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Sebastian Fundora vows to KO Tim Tszyu in Las Vegas title rematch
Sebastian Fundora has declared he will knock out Tim Tszyu and leave his career in tatters as the world's best boxer, Terence Crawford, warned the Australian to brace for more pain in Sin City. Fundora insists the bloody punishment Tszyu copped in their first bout will be nothing compared to the beating he cops in their world-title rematch at MGM Grand this Sunday (AEST). And the cocky American has taunted his rival by rubbishing suggestions the Sydneysider had his vision badly impaired by a head cut in their first fight, insisting Tszyu could see him the whole time. The warning from the 'Towering Inferno' came as American legend Crawford claimed Tszyu will be carrying mental demons from his savage beatdown against Bakhram Murtazaliev last October. Bookmakers have installed Tszyu as the $1.62 favourite to exact revenge – despite the Sydneysider losing to Fundora on Las Vegas soil 16 months ago in a 12-round war at T-Mobile Arena. Sebastian Fundora (R) left Tim Tszyu a bloody mess in the last fight between the pair. Picture: Getty Tszyu lost his WBO super welterweight strap in an agonising split-decision loss marred by his shocking head cut and there is a view he will dominate Fundora without his vision impaired by a fountain of blood. But Fundora (22-1-1) rubbished suggestions the 'Soul Taker' (25-2) will win their return bout for the WBC world title, warning Tszyu to brace for a second consecutive stitch-up in Sin City. 'That's what people want to see in boxing, a bloody mess,' Fundora said ahead of Sunday's rematch. 'The only thing that was missing (in their first fight) was the knockout, but I'll be going for one this time, for sure. 'He is a warrior, a tough guy, very tough, but unfortunately in boxing, being the tough guy won't get you the win. 'I tell my dad the ones I hate are the good ones, and I hate this one. 'I am glad I can share the ring again with someone like Tim Tszyu. 'He is world class, a world champion, it's just the Towering Inferno is that much better. 'I want it more.' Tszyu is in supreme shape heading into the rematch with the 30-year-old having little issue so far with his weight cut. He is already two kilos lighter at this stage of his preparation than he was in his most recent bout in April against American Joey Spencer, who lasted just four rounds as Tszyu fought superbly to reignite his career. But Fundora's fellow countryman Crawford says Tszyu's clinical disposal of Spencer will not fully erase the mental and physical scars of his crushing loss to Murtazaliev in his Orlando obliteration. Bakhram Murtazaliev also unleashed a world of hurt on Tim Tszyu. Picture: Getty Tszyu was knocked down four times by unbeaten Russian monster Murtazaliev (23-0) in three rounds of brutality that raised questions over his ability to fight back from such a heavy defeat. Crawford, widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound pugilist in the sport today, was in talks to fight Tszyu last year before the Australian finalised a world-title shot with Fundora. Nicknamed 'Bud', Crawford, unbeaten with 41 wins in a stellar 17-year pro career, says Tszyu is at long odds to get even with Fundora. 'In boxing anything is possible, but Fundora is the favourite for me,' Crawford told this masthead. 'Tim is a very good fighter and I wish him all the best, but that loss to Murtazaliev will take a lot out of him. 'He was too confident and at this level you can't take any opponent lightly, especially with a world title on the line. Crawford believes it is unlikely Tszyu is able to win his rematch against Fundora. Picture: Getty 'It was a heavy loss. There will be some doubts about whether he can come back from that, absolutely.' Tszyu had just 11 days to prepare for Fundora last year after his initial opponent, Keith Thurman, tore his bicep entering the final stretch of preparations. At 197cm, and with a 203cm reach, Fundora is the tallest current world champion on the planet, but Tszyu is ready to bring the Towering Inferno crashing down. 'I got to study him properly and do a proper camp this time,' Tszyu said. 'A true champion rises to the occasion. 'I've always been a guy to take on any challenge. I want the hardest challenges possible. 'It's exciting because I get to rewrite my mistakes. 'I want that title, I want that belt, I want redemption.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bruce Carrington favors Terence Crawford to upset Canelo Alvarez: 'He has that dog mentality'
The clock is ticking down for one of the biggest fights in recent years between pound-for-pound greats Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Terence "Bud" Crawford at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sept. 13. While the matchup was long considered a mismatch due to the two-division gap between the pair, as fight night is edging closer, more and more voices in the industry have come out in support of Crawford. Surprisingly, the size gap appeared negligible at their first faceoff, with Bud a +140 underdog at BetMGM. "I think Terence beats Canelo," featherweight contender Bruce "Shu Shu" Carrington predicted during an in-studio appearance on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show." "The size, that never bothers me because Canelo, on fight night, he just seems like he's so much bigger than the [opponent] because of stature. It's not height, it's his back. His back is very wide and cobra-like. When it comes to Canelo, it's just his natural physicality that is very imposing. For me, that size is always going to be a problem." Crawford won undisputed titles at super lightweight and welterweight, but when he moved up to super welterweight this past August, he had perhaps the hardest fight of his Hall of Fame career against then-WBA champion Israil Madrimov. "[I think] the [Crawford vs. Madrimov] fight was as competitive as it was because of the style," said Carrington, who will fight Mateus Heita in New York on Saturday for the interim belt in the final Top Rank Boxing card on ESPN. "But Bud said in an interview that it was the power that was kind of the issue that made him hesitant on certain things. If the power is an issue, Canelo is stronger than Madrimov. So what are you going to do with that? "I do feel like overall, Crawford is the better, [more] well-rounded fighter. He has the better footwork, he has the speed, he is a switch hitter, he's more versatile. He has what it takes to win, and I do feel like the mentality as well. He has that dog mentality. If Canelo hits him, he's going to want to get it back, but still be smart about it. I think that's one of the main things that makes me feel that Crawford is going to be able to take the victory." Alvarez vs. Crawford is the next major boxing event U.S. fans can look forward to after this past weekend's spectacle, which saw 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao controversially fall short in his bid to become the second-oldest boxing champion of all time. Pacquiao fought to a draw with WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, with many believing the Filipino legend had done enough to leave with his hand raised. "Manny looked great," Carrington remarked. "I was kind of worried about him at first because obviously, his age and then his last outing — he didn't really look his best. He didn't really look that good [against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in a 2024 exhibition bout], but what I was told was that he didn't train that much for that specific fight. "The way he trained for this fight — I have some friends that went out there in the Philippines with him, and they were right alongside with him training. They were like, 'Manny looks really good. His legs look strong, he trained like he's turning back the clock.' Me watching him fight, it was like me being a teenager again watching Pacquiao fight and just being in awe." Both Barrios and Pacquiao said they were open to a rematch — and with the controversy stemming from their first encounter, a lucrative second meeting seems inevitable. The event received significant criticism from boxing fans beforehand due to Pacquiao's inactivity and age, but Pacquiao defied expectations. A man who has earned comparisons to "PacMan" is undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue. Inoue has held world titles in four weight classes and was even mentioned as a possibility to jump up to lightweight eventually for a Gervonta "Tank" Davis bout — much like how Pacquiao jumped up three weight classes from super featherweight to welterweight in 2008. After becoming undisputed champion at 122 pounds in December 2023 with a win over Marlon Tapales, a move to featherweight felt inevitable for the Japanese monster, but Inoue seems to be in no rush to make that jump, much to the disappointment of Carrington, who shares a promoter with Inoue and was hoping to stand across the ring from him. "I don't think he wants to [move up to featherweight]," Carrington said of Inoue, Uncrowned's No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer. "[I've been banging the drum to fight Inoue] since like 2023 at this point. Back when he wasn't getting knocked down, when no one was calling him out, I was there calling him out. I don't think he wants to fight at 126 right now, especially after his last fight. I was there at his last fight [against Ramon Cardenas]. He got dropped obviously. "[I wasn't surprised Inoue was dropped because] it's boxing. Anybody can get caught, anybody can get clipped. Especially with his style, sometimes he gets overexcited, and he just runs into shots. That's what happened with Luis Nery as well. He got clipped against Nonito Donaire. He didn't get dropped, but he still got clipped. I think he's hitting a ceiling, or we're starting to see chinks in the armor when it comes to Inoue." Inoue was in attendance for Carrington's eighth-round TKO over Brayan De Gracia in June 2024. The undisputed champion left the arena after Shu Shu fought, choosing not to stay for the main event, fueling speculation he was at the ESPN-televised New York event for only one purpose — to scout Carrington. Inoue has made four defenses of his undisputed crown in the past 18 months since unifying the titles and is already planning three more defenses. A move to featherweight seems at least a year away, which is enough for Carrington to believe Inoue isn't really interested in jumping up another division, especially after tasting the canvas twice in 12 months. With Inoue out of the picture for now, Carrington is instead focused on becoming world champion and facing the best fighters featherweight has to offer — but that is proving to be just as challenging. Carrington says his promoter, Top Rank, made Nick Ball a significant financial offer to defend his WBA title against him, but Ball's team isn't interested in the fight. Ball will instead defend his featherweight crown against super bantamweight contender Sam Goodman next month in Riyadh. "My team reached out to his team," Carrington said of negotiations for a Ball fight. "At first, they were like, they would need a number like $2 million to even look our way. We didn't have it on the table at the moment, so we put it to rest for some months. We come back later and we're like, 'All right, we have that number that you want.' And then his team just makes another excuse. [I understand Ball's team wanting to be paid fairly for the fight]. [But] now we have that [money], and you're making another excuse? Something not right, bro. [Somebody's] not confident, or you don't believe in yourself, or [your team] doesn't believe in [their] fighter. I don't know what that's about. That lets me know it's more than just the money." With WBC featherweight champion Stephen Fulton expected to step up to 130 pounds for his next fight and challenge WBC title holder O'Shaquie Foster, Carrington is biding his time. "At this point right now, I'm at a certain level where I don't want to fight certain people anymore," Carrington explained. "I want to fight champions now. I'm very hungry. I'm very ambitious about it. I see myself being the first undisputed featherweight world champion in the four-belt era." If Fulton doesn't return to featherweight, Carrington is expecting to fight the winner of the Rey Vargas-Carlos Castro bout for the full WBC featherweight crown. But for now, Carrington is forced to play a waiting game — until the big fights finally align for the rising Brooklyn star.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Terence Crawford shrugs off underdog tag ahead of high-stakes clash with Canelo Álvarez
Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford. Image via: Netflix For the first time in over a decade, Terence 'Bud' Crawford enters the ring as an underdog. But the undefeated American isn't losing sleep over it. With a blockbuster showdown against Mexico's boxing icon Canelo Álvarez set for September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Crawford's intention is evidently clear. He believes that odds don't fight, boxers do. Terence Crawford unfazed by odds, focused on legacy Terence Crawford, who holds a perfect 41-0 record with 31 knockouts, hasn't been considered the lesser favorite since 2013. That streak ends here. Yet when asked about it, the 37-year-old responded with signature calm and confidence. 'It definitely don't matter,' Crawford told TMZ Sports. 'The odds can't fight for him. It is what it is.' — dantheboxingman (@dantheboxingman) Canelo Álvarez, who holds all four major belts at 168 pounds, comes into the ring with more size and power. Crawford knows that. But he also knows what he brings to the table. Despite jumping two weight divisions for the biggest test of his career, the Omaha native isn't backing down. 'He's the bigger man,' Crawford admitted. 'I expect him to box a little bit, but I also expect him to try to walk me down and be the bigger man.' Crawford has never been one to rely on hype or trash talk. He lets his skills speak. And in a fight billed as one of the biggest in modern boxing, he's embracing the moment for what it is. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo 'Both of us got a lot to lose, but a lot to gain,' he said. 'It's gonna be a hell of a fight.' Canelo Alvarez (c) vs. Terence Crawford for Undisputed super middleweight title is highly anticipated This fight isn't just another main event. It's history in motion. The World Boxing Organization recently confirmed Crawford vacated his interim junior middleweight title, officially naming him the No. 1 contender at super middleweight. That means this bout carries world title implications for both men. Date Location Event Title Broadcast Sept. 13 Las Vegas Canelo Alvarez (c) vs. Terence Crawford Undisputed super middleweight title Netflix And while the stakes are massive, there's mutual respect between the two champions. Canelo, with 62 wins and 39 knockouts, praised Crawford as one of the best fighters of the last decade. 'He has it all: experience, power, technique,' the Guadalajara-born legend told Ring Magazine. Crawford, on the other hand, sees this as a legacy-defining opportunity. 'My perfect record speaks for itself,' he stated. 'No matter the opponent or weight class, I have always come out on top.' Also Read: Former UFC fighter Ben Askren shares emotional ride-home message after surviving complex lung surgery Come fight night, the world will watch as two pound-for-pound kings put it all on the line. One walks out with history. The other walks out with a lesson. FAQs on Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight When is the Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight? The fight is set for September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Is the Canelo vs. Crawford fight available on Netflix? Yes, Netflix will stream the fight live at no extra cost for subscribers. What title is Terence Crawford fighting for? Crawford is challenging for Canelo's undisputed super middleweight crown at 168 pounds. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Terence Crawford on Moving Up in Weight Class to Fight Canelo Alvarez
Undefeated (41-0) WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Terence 'Bud' Crawford and Rich Eisen Show guest host WWE Superstar Seth Rollins discuss his upcoming fight against Canelo Alvarez.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Terence Crawford on Moving Up in Weight Class to Fight Canelo Alvarez
Undefeated (41-0) WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Terence 'Bud' Crawford and Rich Eisen Show guest host WWE Superstar Seth Rollins discuss his upcoming fight against Canelo Alvarez.
