On April 20, Terence Crawford will defend the WBO title he won against Jose Benavidez Jr. when he takes on Britain’s Amir Khan at Madison Square Garden, New York. Crawford and Khan, on paper at least, looks an intriguing contest.
Crawford, the Omaha, Nebraska-native, is widely believed to be among the absolute elite of boxers on the planet, and is only behind living-legend Vasyl Lomachenko on the majority of pound-for-pound lists.
Khan will certainly be hoping to kickstart his career following an underwhelming few years.
While the Olympic silver medalist enjoyed a run of five consecutive victories following his knockout loss to Danny Garcia in 2012 – beating the likes of Devon Alexander and Chris Algieri – he was brutally KOd by incumbent middleweight king, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in May 2016 and would take a two-year hiatus from boxing following that bout.
Crawford gives Khan the opportunity to fight for another world title following the Brit’s two wins in 2018 (over less than stellar opposition, it must be said).
Crawford, on the other hand, has been heralded as one of the finest boxers of the past few years and currently sits on an impressive 34-0 record featuring 25 knockouts.
The American will certainly be carrying the momentum into this bout, although it is far from a foregone conclusion.
There are certainly some interesting points to look at in Crawford vs. Khan.
With very few giving the Briton much of a chance against Crawford, it might be tempting to simply back the favorite without too much thought.
However, as any smart bettor will be aware, it pays to do your homework. Crawford will have to work to win this fight, that is for sure.
As you can see, bookmakers’ odds indicate that Crawford should have little trouble against Khan.
In fact, Khan is simply a massive outsider, according to these odds, and is not likely to trouble his opponent at all.
For those who fancy the draw, odds of +2500 are tempting, but it seems highly unlikely that either man will register his first professional tie in this particular matchup.
Crawford is one of the most popular fighters in the world, for a reason. The American is such a consummate and well-rounded boxer, with no glaring weaknesses.
His ability to adapt and adjust is phenomenal and punctuates his intelligent approach to boxing. Aside from his excellent ring IQ, Crawford also has serious power.
We have seen the 31-year-old win each of his last 5 fights inside the distance, with four KO/TKO victories and one retirement.
It is easy to see why Khan is far from the favorite heading into this bout. With images of that brutal knockout at the hands of Canelo still fresh in boxing fans’ minds, very few will be backing him to beat a fighter ranked higher on most pound-for-pound lists than the Mexican.
Crawford is simply on another level to most other fighters on the planet, and any boxing fan will find it difficult to provide a genuine argument for how Khan can win this one.
There is no doubt that Khan has skills. While his footwork may not be as good as it once was, he does still have the hand speed to trouble most.
The only problem for Khan when it comes to relying on this is that Crawford has shown, time and time again, that he has an awesome ability to time his opponents’ shots. Additionally, he has some pretty impressive hand speed himself.
Terence Crawford is on top of the world. He is the standout boxer in the U.S. and many observer’s choice as the best fighter on the planet, pound-for-pound.
Crawford is 5-0 in his last 5 bouts and won the WBO welterweight title in his first fight at 147 in June (against Jeff Horn).
Crawford’s first defense of that title came in September, stopping Jose Benavidez Jr. in the 12th round. Crawford cleared out the 140-pound division, establishing himself as one of the best in the world in the process.
His last three fights at 140 resulted in a KO of Julius Indongo in August 2017, a 10th round retirement of Felix Diaz in May 2017, and a TKO of John Molina Jr the previous December.
Crawford has simply looked the part in every single fight he has been in and justifies his tag as favorite heading into this bout.
When you compare both fighters’ records, you can see that Crawford’s form and caliber of opponents make him a serious test for Khan.
The Nebraskan has a comprehensive skill set that is undoubtedly a problem for any fighter in his weight class.
The welterweight division is as stacked as it gets in boxing, with a series of talented fighters all vying for a shot at one of the true standouts in the ring today. Crawford knows this.
This will be the first real big name bout for Crawford at welterweight and he will be keen to send a message out to the rest of the division.
The American is certainly in the stronger position of the two ahead of the Madison Square Garden showdown in April.
While he is widely regarded as the better fighter, he will certainly not be sleeping on Khan as he finalizes his training camp.
Khan is 4-1 in his last 5 fights. His last defeat, as mentioned above, was a brutal sixth round KO to Canelo in 2016.
Despite fighting at light welterweight and welterweight since 2009, Khan moved up to middleweight in that bout and was clearly out of his depth against the Mexican superstar’s formidable power.
That monstrous right hand put Khan to sleep, despite his bravery in stepping up in weight against Canelo.
In April 2018, Khan went head to head with Canadian welterweight, Phil Lo Greco, and made light work of his opponent with a first round KO. While Lo Greco was far from the elite at 147, Khan made back page headlines and piqued the casual fan’s interest back in Britain.
Some believed that “King” was set to retire before this bout, but the Bolton-native announced himself back in contention for another title run.
In September, Khan took on Samuel Vargas in Birmingham, England. The home fighter dropped Vargas in the second round before being put down himself.
While Khan was expected to win – which he did via unanimous decision – the knockdown once again had fans questioning his chin. The hand speed he is known for was certainly still there, but his footwork was far from impressive.
What you could argue is that Khan’s ring rust may have contributed to his performance against Vargas. Against Crawford, there will be no room for anything remotely similar, making it imperative that the Brit is prepared and is at 100% fitness.
However, having suffered such a brutal KO against Canelo in 2016, you have to wonder if Khan has been permanently affected by the Mexican’s power.
First things first, both men will receive a decent payday off the back of this fight. While Crawford is a big name in boxing, he is not a big name when it comes to pay-per-view buys.
An excellent fighter does not always translate into attention from those who have the choice whether or not to buy fights.
For proof of this, take a look at Gennady Golovkin’s record in selling PPV’s prior to the Canelo bouts.
That being said, a win over Khan will raise his profile among the casual fans who are not as accustomed to his class and skill as boxing aficionados are.
This is certainly something that Crawford’s wily and legendary promoter, Bob Arum, will be hoping to achieve. He will certainly be on the radar of more British fans who will be keen to see how Khan does in a do-or-die fight.
With fighters like Errol Spence Jr., Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, and Manny Pacquiao all potential fights down the line, Crawford can gain a lot from a win in this bout.
You can be certain that almost all of those fights will provide considerable tests for “Bud,” with a bout against Filipino legend Pacquiao a certain money maker, too. However, with “Pac Man” having left Top Rank in 2018, this might be difficult to achieve.
Boxing politics aside, Crawford will certainly benefit from a victory over Khan. In addition to opening the door for further bouts, Crawford can also establish himself as a bigger name among pay-per-view buyers.
As a prizefighter, this has to be one of the WBO welterweight champion’s driving forces this year. A win over Khan will certainly help him make more progress in this regard.
Things are certainly a little different for Khan. He hasn’t been a “real” world champion since 2012 and was criticized heavily in his last bout.
There are a number of key figures in the boxing community – including his former promoter, Frank Warren – who believe that Khan should just hang up his gloves.
An underwhelming loss against Crawford would almost certainly amplify those calls.
This bout not only provides Khan with the chance to win a world title again, but is essentially his final shot at establishing himself in the sport.
While his career has not exactly gone according to plan – and was shaky from the moment he was knocked out by Breidis Prescott in 2008 – Khan has often displayed some excellent skills inside the ropes.
Some believe that his speed was part of Floyd Mayweather’s decision to choose Marcos Maidana over the Brit for a bout in 2014.
For Khan, this bout is probably the last he will get at elite level. A win over Crawford would be a shock, given the absolute dominance that Crawford has demonstrated in pretty much every bout he has ever been involved in.
As unthinkable as a Khan victory may be, the Bolton-native has to grasp the opportunity with both hands and do everything within his powers to push Crawford as far as he has ever been pushed.
Amir Khan has little to lose but everything to gain in this bout. As it stands, he is not considered among the best in the sport, never mind the best in the welterweight division. Crawford is.
Khan is not unbeaten. Crawford is. Khan is not a world champion. Crawford is. If he can pull off the highly unlikely, and upset the American, Khan’s career will be well and truly resurrected.
Terence Crawford is slick. Boxing fans are only well aware of the talent the Omaha-native has in his incredible arsenal of boxing weaponry.
Despite being as well-rounded as they come, “Bud” will more than likely be focused less on exhibition and more on dismantling Khan in the most logical and efficient way possible.
Crawford will have his mind on doing this as quickly as he can.
Amir Khan is regarded, perhaps somewhat unfairly by some, as having one of the weakest chins at the highest level of boxing.
His knockout against Canelo – as brutal as it was – is a little unfair on Khan, as that shot would have put many fighters heavier and with “better chins” to sleep.
He has been knocked out by Danny Garcia and Breidis Prescott in his career and has been dropped multiple times in his professional run.
Rather than Khan having a genuinely poor chin, I believe that it is defense and positioning that make him vulnerable.
He stood up to Maidana in 2010 and even beat the Argentine, and has been in the ring with many hard hitters. Khan has heart, too, it must be pointed out.
However, this is no substitute for a good defense, as anyone involved in the boxing game will tell you. Crawford is smart and understands this. While Khan’s speed can cause anyone trouble, the American’s timing is the perfect way to negate it.
I can see the Brit enjoying early success before Crawford does what Crawford does best, and figures him out.
As such, I expect a stoppage at some point just after the midway section of the fight, around the 7th or 8th round.
Expect early success for Khan while Crawford works him out. Given that Khan has issues with his defense, especially when leaving himself vulnerable after throwing combinations, you can bet that Crawford is relishing this fight.
There is so much at stake for both men, but I believe Crawford is on another level right now and will be keen to bump his own stock up even higher.
The 31-year-old WBO welterweight champion is riding a massive wave of confidence right now and has been consistently dominant over the past few years. Khan is coming off a scratchy performance against a fighter he was expected to finish, by some.
There is a reason why Crawford is such a convincing bookmaker’s favorite: he is arguably the best boxer on the planet right now.
Prediction: Terence Crawford to Win: -1000 (Odds via Betway.com) Method of Victory: KO/TKO Round of Victory: Between the 6th to 8th round
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