Terence Crawford (24-0, 17 KO) and 15,000 of his closest friends will be going against Raymundo Beltran (29-6-1, 17 KO) Saturday night in Omaha, Nebraska.
WBO lightweight champion Crawford is a Nebraska native and should have plenty of fan support on his side with his title on the line. Here is a look at the essential information for Saturday’s bout.
Preview and Prediction
Crawford’s athleticism can overwhelm opponents at times, and he mixes in impressive punching power to go along with his quickness and effective footwork. One thing boxing fans are assured of with Crawford is plenty of action because he is always looking to attack his opponent with signature jab combinations.
Crawford also boasts a formidable reach at 70 inches (per Boxrec) that helps him keep his distance from the opponent and counter or block any offenses.
Crawford earned his title with a win over Ricky Burns in a match that was never really in doubt, and this bout with Beltran could very well be his final one at 135 pounds. As his undefeated record will attest, there is little left for Crawford to prove at this level, and he has made mincemeat of the majority of his opponents.
Ironically, Crawford’s matchup with Burns only happened because Beltran was robbed of a victory against Burns himself.
Beltran dominated much of the proceedings after breaking Burns’ jaw and even knocked Burns down in the eighth round. However, Burns benefited from some hometown cooking from the judges in Scotland and walked away with a controversial draw to keep his belt.
That is, until Crawford forcibly took it away from him.
Even Crawford knew that Beltran probably should have won that fight against Burns.
"Beltran feels I have something—a world title belt—which belongs to him. He thought he beat Ricky Burns and I thought Beltran won too. But he didn't and I did."
The question now is how effectively Beltran can turn that slight into motivation for his fight with Crawford.
Beltran is known for a strong left hook and can absorb plenty of punches to set up his own attacks. However, he is plenty mobile and won’t just stand in place waiting for the right moment to unleash the powerful hook.
Despite the crossroads that Beltran finds himself at, the combination of Crawford’s speed, athleticism and powerful jabs will prove too much for Beltran. This is a step up in terms of competition for Beltran, and he isn’t ready to compete with the likes of Crawford just yet.
Beltran is something of a slow starter as well, so look for Crawford to set the tone early and dominate from there. Beltran can certainly absorb a punch or two, but Crawford will overwhelm him throughout the competition.
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