Terence "Bud" Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs) vs Raymundo "Sugar Ray" Beltran (29-6-1, 17 KOs)
Venue: Century Link Center, Omaha Nebraska
Network: HBO (Boxing After Dark)
Start Time: 10pm EST
Terence Crawford is THE RING’s No. 1-rated lightweight as well as the WBO’s titleholder in that division. Ray Beltran is THE RING’s No. 2-rated 135-pounder entering a fight whose winner will be crowned THE RING champion in his weight class.
A rugged 33-year-old, Beltran (29-6-1, 17 knockouts) is 4-0-1 in his past five fights, having declared Saturday’s bout against Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs) to be “my moment.”
In facing Beltran at the CenturyLink Arena in his native Omaha, Neb., Crawford is returning to the site where he scored four knockdowns on the way to June’s come-from-behind ninth-round stoppage victory over former featherweight beltholder Yuriorkis Gamboa, a previously unbeaten fighter.
Crawford defeated Gamboa before 10,943 of the former’s partisan fans following Crawford’s unanimous decision that dethroned Ricky Burns for the WBO belt on Burns’ turf in Glasgow, Scotland, in March.
Prior to facing Crawford, Burns had battled to a controversial draw with Beltran, who floored Burns in the eighth round in Glasgow in September 2013. Burns’ jaw was badly broken against Beltran, requiring the surgical implantation of titanium plates in advance of the loss to Crawford.
After scoring a one-sided unanimous decision over Arash Usmanee in April, Beltran set his sights on Crawford, Nebraska’s first titleholder since Perry “Kid” Graves won the vacant welterweight crown in 1914.
“I actually felt that Beltran won the fight with Burns but I’m not no judge, so my opinion doesn’t really matter. But in my opinion, I felt that he won the fight,” said Crawford, during an interview with RingTV.com.
“But if he thinks that this belt belongs to him - and he might feel that way - then he’s going to have to come and get it and it ain’t gonna be easy because I ain’t gonna give it to him.”
Although Crawford ended Burns’ streak of five consecutive lightweight title defenses, followed by a triumphant effort against Gamboa, Beltran is ready to take what he believes should truly be his.
“Crawford has shown to be a talented fighter and is someone I respect,” said Beltran. “But I see this fight as an opportunity for me to achieve the recognition in the boxing world and the public’s eye. This is my moment.”
Venue: Century Link Center, Omaha Nebraska
Network: HBO (Boxing After Dark)
Start Time: 10pm EST
Terence Crawford is THE RING’s No. 1-rated lightweight as well as the WBO’s titleholder in that division. Ray Beltran is THE RING’s No. 2-rated 135-pounder entering a fight whose winner will be crowned THE RING champion in his weight class.
A rugged 33-year-old, Beltran (29-6-1, 17 knockouts) is 4-0-1 in his past five fights, having declared Saturday’s bout against Crawford (24-0, 17 KOs) to be “my moment.”
In facing Beltran at the CenturyLink Arena in his native Omaha, Neb., Crawford is returning to the site where he scored four knockdowns on the way to June’s come-from-behind ninth-round stoppage victory over former featherweight beltholder Yuriorkis Gamboa, a previously unbeaten fighter.
Crawford defeated Gamboa before 10,943 of the former’s partisan fans following Crawford’s unanimous decision that dethroned Ricky Burns for the WBO belt on Burns’ turf in Glasgow, Scotland, in March.
Prior to facing Crawford, Burns had battled to a controversial draw with Beltran, who floored Burns in the eighth round in Glasgow in September 2013. Burns’ jaw was badly broken against Beltran, requiring the surgical implantation of titanium plates in advance of the loss to Crawford.
After scoring a one-sided unanimous decision over Arash Usmanee in April, Beltran set his sights on Crawford, Nebraska’s first titleholder since Perry “Kid” Graves won the vacant welterweight crown in 1914.
“I actually felt that Beltran won the fight with Burns but I’m not no judge, so my opinion doesn’t really matter. But in my opinion, I felt that he won the fight,” said Crawford, during an interview with RingTV.com.
“But if he thinks that this belt belongs to him - and he might feel that way - then he’s going to have to come and get it and it ain’t gonna be easy because I ain’t gonna give it to him.”
Although Crawford ended Burns’ streak of five consecutive lightweight title defenses, followed by a triumphant effort against Gamboa, Beltran is ready to take what he believes should truly be his.
“Crawford has shown to be a talented fighter and is someone I respect,” said Beltran. “But I see this fight as an opportunity for me to achieve the recognition in the boxing world and the public’s eye. This is my moment.”
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