Terence Crawford knows he needs a big-name victory on his resume, with boxing legend Manny Pacquiao now the primary target.
The talented fighter is on the cusp of securing his career’s most significant fight as reports continue to pit the American against the ‘Pacman.’
June dates for a Middle Eastern battle are in Crawford’s works, as he’s been roundly criticized by those in the know for his previous resume.
Gaining the ESPN Pound for Pound number one spot without any basis, mainly because he fights on the network, Crawford needs a big-name victory to back up his lofty position.
Pacquiao fits the bill. At 42, he could come at the right time for Crawford.
‘Bud’ is crying out for a reason to be ranked so highly, giving the fact that his victories only included two fighters rated in the WBN Top 30 when Crawford beat them.
Even then, Ricky Burns and Yuriorkis Gamboa took place years ago. At a time when the Omaha man was on the way to becoming undisputed at 140.
Since the respected Burns and Gamoba triumphs, Crawford has fought a who’s who of also-rans and former champions past their peak.
It’s a sorry situation for such a talented fighter.
TERENCE CRAWFORD vs. MANNY PACQUIAO
Why ESPN has given him such a spotlight is obviously due to the talent they know he possesses. But it’s tough to back up unless he gets top stars in the ring and beats them.
We know Pacquiao is an eight-weight champion and remains a Pay Per View icon. Therefore, Bob Arum is very wise in pursuing the man he mentored for years.
Arum is aware of Crawford’s predicament. He will aim to give his man a leg up before retirement. Arum is almost 90 years old and has one of the best boxing brains in the business.
A world title fight pitting Crawford and Pacquiao together would bring a mass of attention at a time when the world is getting back to normal.
Venues in the Middle East are gaining favor, although Pacquiao wants the fight to happen in the United States.
A Las Vegas swansong, previously reported by World Boxing News first, is at the top of Pacquiao’s wanted list.
It remains unconfirmed if that can go ahead as only seven weeks remain until the scheduled date.
Phil Jay is the Editor of WBN. An Auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America since 2018. And a member of the Sports Journalists’ Association. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
