LAS VEGAS – July 6, 2023 – As fight week nears for the long-anticipated Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford SHOWTIME PPV clash, former champions and common Spence and Crawford opponents Shawn Porter and Kell Brook, plus top trainers Virgil Hunter and Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, previewed the matchup during a virtual media roundtable before Spence and Crawford meet on Saturday, July 29 in a Premier Boxing Champions event from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Man Down Promotions, TBC Promotions and TGB Promotions, are available through AXS.com.

Porter dropped a 2019 Fight of the Year to Spence, before losing the final fight of his career to Crawford in November 2021. Brook faced Spence in May 2017 as Spence traveled to the U.K. to capture his first career world title, while Brook came stateside to face Crawford in November 2020, losing by fourth-round TKO.

Here is what Porter, Brook, Hunter and Edwards had to say on Thursday:

SHAWN PORTER, Former Two-Time Welterweight Champion

“I’m excited. I was at church last night and they were talking about this fight. This is the biggest fight and I’m excited about it.

“The one narrative is Terence Crawford can do more things in the ring. He has more tools in his toolbox. Errol Spence is the most fundamentally sound boxer in the world. We have never been able to see him pull out everything that he has. Terence has been in the ring with guys who have done different things. From an X’s and O’s standpoint, it’s all a matter of, ‘What are you going to do this round?’ Both fighters have the ability to make adjustments, be aggressive, fight off the back foot, and counterpunch. This is an outstanding fight because they both have an A+ in every box. We are going to see three different strategies from each fighter, maybe even four or five different game plans. Both of these guys have to have both in order to win the fight.

“The calculated pressure from Errol has to be something that he sustains for the entire fight. He needs to continue putting on the pressure and body punching. If you’re Terence Crawford, you have to get to Errol’s body and make him uncomfortable. Errol has a really tight defense and keeps his hands at home. If he’s not punching, his hands are up. With a guy like that, you have to find openings. Those openings are usually there when that punch is being released. Punch when he’s punching. Be accurate and be that sharpshooter. We’re not saying anything that either of these fighters can’t do. That is why this is such a great fight. It’s hard to find the timing, it’s hard to find the distance. It’s hard to be confident and do it. It’s going to be a great fight.

“If Terence is able to be comfortable and manage his energy, we have to start talking about him in the same breath as Manny Pacquiao, Andre Ward, and Floyd Mayweather. With this fight, you can’t measure another fighter’s energy or mentality through the fight. Terence never got uncomfortable in his fight against me. He never showed me that there was anything unsettled within his heart or mind. I pride myself on making fighters uncomfortable. Never once did I see Terence uncomfortable. I didn’t apply the kind of pressure that Errol is going to apply. That may have been the reason why I didn’t see Terence uncomfortable.

“I don’t have a pick. I don’t know who is going to win this fight. This is what boxing truly is. Both guys have basically everything needed to win, from power to speed. I truly don’t think anyone can look at this fight and say, ‘That guy is going to win,’ because there are so many outcomes and possibilities. One thing we know that’s not going to happen is that there won‘t be any foul play, any low blows. There is not going to be any head butts that would end this fight prematurely. The fans win. Boxing purists especially win.”

KELL BROOK, Former Welterweight World Champion

“I’m very excited for this fight and everyone is talking about this fight. It’s a massive fight and for No. 1. I actually put both these guys up as pound-for-pound in all the divisions. and they’re going to go after it.

“Errol Spence is a very big welterweight, a natural southpaw. He’s big and strong and goes to the body good. His IQ is very high in the ring.

“Terence Crawford can box. He’s a sharpshooter with his punches and a very good finisher. He’s going to need every game plan in this fight. This is a real test.

“I put up guys like Errol, Crawford, Shawn Porter and Golovkin who I’ve been in there with who just have that aura around them. They have that X-factor. It’s the small margins that will decide this fight. It will come down to who has prepared the best. This is the real test for No. 1 in the division and we’re going to get some toe-to-toe action.

“I think Errol brings calculated pressure and will go to the body. He will be the bigger guy in the fight. Crawford has to be sharp and use the entire ring and pick his shots at the right time and make Spence work when he doesn’t want to work. He has to be very clever and get the rounds and break him down over the fight.

“I think inactivity can be an issue and it’s mental for Errol, who might question his inactivity. Time will tell.

“I think Terence is a very sharp and snapping puncher and Errol has a more grinding and thumping kind of power. That’s the difference I see in the two. We’re talking about two star fighters and it’s going to come down to a very small margin and they’re going to have to bring every part of their game to get a victory.”

VIRGIL HUNTER, Former Trainer for Andre Ward, Andre Berto, Amir Khan and More

“The fight can’t come soon enough. I’m excited, especially to get both men at their peak. Both men seem hungry and ready to go. I expect an epic night.

“Errol has a grind-it-out, that go-get-you mentality. It doesn’t make sense to go against what works. In this fight, it’s not what I’m going to do to you. The fighter that wins will be the one who’s not going to let the other fighter do what he wants to do.

“I had the fortune to spend one day in the gym with Terence. His physical strength is underrated. The way he is genetically built, the way he has stayed in the gym for his entire career and has never gotten out of condition, brings a snap to his punch. He has a real buggy whip snap to his punches. You can feel a snap. He was a wrestler early on, and I’ve watched him tussle with big guys and get them down to the ground. He is built from the feet up with his physical strength. He can generate a lot of power.

“I like Errol and the way he fights. At some point that grind out style will slow up as you age. You have to grind every single day. Errol has admitted that he has had a lifestyle that wasn’t always good. That does damage to the internal organs that is irreversible. Errol’s determination and drive are A-plus. Who can stop the other guy from doing what he wants to do is going to be a factor in this fight.

“If either fighter is down in the fight, he has the ability to come back, even the fight, and take the lead. The first four rounds are going to determine how the rest of the fight is going to go. Both men understand that they have to get the respect of the other fighter real quick. The key for Terence is to stop Errol from what he wants to do and hurt him. The key for Errol is to keep grinding. He is going to have his momentum accelerated and make it very difficult for Terence.

“If I was able to spend three weeks in Errol’s and Crawford’s camps and watch the training, watch the strategies, and watch what they both do after training, how they recuperate, how they reinvigorate themselves, that would allow me to have a more accurate pick in this fight. I will be more settled on a pick during the week of the fight. I’ll be watching the mentalities and attitudes of the fighters, particularly on their skills. The Las Vegas heat and the rehydration process are going to be factors. I would have to be subjected to each fighter’s mental makeup over a period of time to see the concentration and mental fortitude to be able to make a pick. I’m just going to enjoy the fight. This is a great fight for boxing.”

STEPHEN “BREADMAN” EDWARDS, Trainer for Julian Williams, Caleb Plant and More

“Crawford doesn’t have a lot of holes in his armor. One thing I was able to see in his fight with Shawn and Kell is that, for some reason, Terence is a little bit of a slow starter. They were able to get a lot done in the early rounds. So, I would really be conscious of that. [Terence] is one of the best fighters I’ve ever seen. The one thing about him is if you can get to him early before he adjusts.

“With Errol, he’s a snowball fighter who, once he gets his rhythm, comes forward and can walk you down behind that southpaw jab. One thing I would be worried about in this fight is letting Errol get his rhythm and establish that hard southpaw jab. That’s the first thing I would address if I was in Terence’s corner.

“The other thing would be counter attacking Errol’s body punching. Errol hits you to the body all night long and kind of wears you out. Besides Shawn, I’ve never seen someone go to Errol’s body all night long. I notice the small things and I’ve noticed Terence wears his trunks kind of high. I’ll be curious to see how he can overcome Errol’s grinding body shots.

“Terence is the puncher in this fight. Not that he punches harder than Errol, but he can hit you with shots that Errol doesn’t hit guys with. Errol kind of beats you down with his power, while Terence hits you on the money with shots you don’t even see. I would have Terence punch with him. Terence is really gifted where he can keep his eye on the target, punch with guys, and land clean shots. I don’t think he’s the hardest puncher I’ve ever seen as far as one-punch knockouts, but he has that ability to hit you while you’re punching with shots you don’t see. He doesn’t have to load up on it. It’s like a fast-snapping shot.

“Errol boxes going forward. When a guy boxes going forward he doesn’t get the same accolades as the guy who’s throwing a lot of smooth moves like a Pernell Whitaker or Floyd Mayweather, or even Shakur Stevenson. I think people use the word basic as an insult, but it’s not an insult, it’s a compliment. [Errol] is not fancy. He doesn’t show a lot of fancy moves and he doesn’t do a lot to avoid punches. But that doesn’t mean he’s not boxing. He keeps it simple.

“I think it’s a 50-50 fight. Errol does things in a subtle way. Against Mikey Garcia he fought a conservative fight and literally won every round. He got criticism for it because he didn’t knock the smaller man out. But he totally undressed him and outboxed him, so he does have that in his game and it could show up that night of the fight. Sometimes those guys need that special opponent in front of them to bring out what they really are because they don’t really show all of their stuff against the lesser guys.

“Those bright lights can do something to you, but both guys have composed, mature selves in the ring. I don’t see either guy choking up under the bright lights. Both guys seem to have that clutch gene. I don’t think that’s going to be a factor. Every time I’ve seen one of these guys’ backs against the wall, they up the ante and raise the stakes.

“Once these guys start clicking you’re going to see something special. I think the casual fan might say, ‘There’s not enough action.’ But for the purist, you’ll see some great, great stuff. It will become a classic. I think this is one fight I wish was 15 rounds because I think both guys are 15-round fighters and would have flourished in a 15-round era.

“I don’t have a pick right now. That’s the honest truth. I think we’re going to have the Fight of the Century. I wouldn’t be surprised if both guys hit the canvas. It’s so close and so many little things in the gym matter. I’m objective and have relationships with both teams. I really don’t have a pick right now. I just think it’s going to be a great fight.”

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ABOUT SPENCE VS. CRAWFORD

Spence vs. Crawford will see unified WBC, WBA and IBF Welterweight World Champion Errol “The Truth’’ Spence Jr. take on WBO 147-pound world champion Terence “Bud’’ Crawford for the Undisputed Welterweight World Championship on Saturday, July 29 in a highly anticipated SHOWTIME PPV clash from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas headlining a Premier Boxing Champions event.

The pay-per-view begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features hard-hitting contender Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz facing unbeaten Giovanni Cabrera in a 12-round WBC and WBA Lightweight Title Eliminator in the co-main event, plus rising star Jesus “Mono” Ramos takes on Spanish contender Sergio Garcia in a 12-round WBC Super Welterweight Title eliminator. Kicking off the pay-per-view, unbeaten rising heavyweight Gurgen Hovhannisyan will duel the power-punching Viktor Faust in a 10-round matchup.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/sports and www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #SpenceCrawford, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ShowtimeBoxing and www.Facebook.com/premierboxingchampions/.

In a much awaited grudge match, former world champion Kell Brook stopped Amir Khan in round six of their 12-round bout at the AO Arena in Manchester, England.

In round one, Brook wobbled Khan on two occasions. The first was from a hard jab. The second was from a hard right hand. In round six, Brook hurt Khan again with a jab. Brook began to pour on the offense until the fight was stopped at 51 seconds.

Brook, 148.3 lbs of Sheffield, ENG is 40-3 with 28 knockouts. Khan, 147.3 lbs of Bolton, ENG is 34-6.

Natasha Jonas won the vacant WBO Super Welterweight title with a 2nd round stoppage of Chris Namus.

In round one, Jonas dropped Namus with a right hook. In round two, it was a straight left off of a furious exchange that sent Namus down again. Namus got to her feet, but the fight was waved off at 28 seconds.

Jonas, 149.3 lbs is 11-2-1 with eight knockouts. Namus, 147.3 lbs of Uraguay is 25-7-1.

2021 Olympic Bronze Medal winner Frazer Clarke made a successful pro debut with a 1st round stoppage over Jake Darnell in a heavyweight fight.

In round one, Darnell began bleeding from his nose. Shortly after, Clarke landed a big combination that was set off by a body shot that was followed by several head shots that forced the corner of Darnell to throw in the towel at 2:06.

Clarke, 256 lbs is 1-0 with one knockout. Darnell, 248.3 lbs of Blackpool, ENG is 0-1.

Hasan Azim won a four-round decision over MJ Hall in a welterweight bout.

Azim, 148 lbs won by a 40-36 score and is 2-0. Hall is now 2-74-2.

Adam Azim stopped Jordan Ellison in round three of their six-round junior welterweight bout.

In round one, Azim dropped Ellison with a right to the body. In round three, Azim landed a hard left hook to the head that dropped Ellison down and out at 2:09.

Azim, 138.4 lbs is 3-0 with two knockouts. Ellison, 138.4 lbs is 13-36-2.

Brad Rea scored a vicious opening round stoppage over Craig McCarthy in a middleweight fight.

Rea landed a ripping undercard that sent McCarthy down on his back, and the fight was stopped before the 10-count could be completed at 1:53.

Rea, 160.3 lbs of Sweatburg, ENG is 12-0 with five knockouts. McCarthy, 161.3 lbs of Waterford, IRE is 8-1-1.

Viddal Riley won a six-round decision over Will Shihepo in a cruiserweight bout.

In round one, Riley dropped Shihepo with a right uppercut.

Riley, 197 lbs of London, ENG won by a 60-53 score and is now 5-0. Shihepo, 196.3 lbs of Namibia is 25-14.

Germaine Brown won a 10-round unanimous decision over Charlie Schofield in a super middleweight fight.

Brown, 168 lbs of London, UK won by scores of 99-92 and 98-92 twice and is now 12-0. Schofield, 168 lbs of Manchester, UK is 17-2.

    •  Amir Khan 147.3 vs. Kell Brook 148.3
(Junior Middleweight— 12 Rounds)

•     Natasha Jonas 149.5 lbs vs. Chris Namus 147.5 lbs 
(Vacant WBO Female Junior Middleweight World Title — 10 Rounds)

   •    Frazer Clarke 256 lbs vs. Jake Darnell 248.5 lbs
 (Heavyweight — 6 Rounds)

   •    Adam Azim 138.4 lbs vs. Jordan Ellison 138.5 lbs
 (Junior Welterweight — 6 Rounds)

   •    Brad Rea 160.5 lbs vs. Craig McCarthy 161.5 lbs
 (Middleweight — 8 Rounds)

•    Viddal Riley 199 lbs vs. Willbeforce Shihepo 198.5 lbs
 (Cruiserweight— 6 Rounds)
  •    Charlie Schofield 168 lbs vs. Germaine Brown 168 lbs
 (Schofield’s English Super Middleweight Title — 10 Rounds)

###

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(Feb. 15, 2022) — Three former world champions highlight an international fight marathon this Saturday, Feb. 19, live and exclusively on ESPN+. It begins with Breakfast and Boxing from RCC Boxing Academy in Yekaterinburg, Russia, as Zaur Abdullaev defends his WBC Silver lightweight belt in a 12-rounder against three-weight world champion Jorge Linares.

Linares-Abdullaev fight action begins at 9:30 a.m. ET/6:30 a.m. PT, which precedes the highly anticipated grudge match between former world champions Amir Khan and Kell Brook. Coverage of Khan-Brook from AO Arena in Manchester, England, starts at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT and includes the vacant WBO female junior middleweight world title bout between Natasha Jonas (10-2-1, 7 KOs) and Chris Namus (25-6, 8 KOs), English super middleweight champion Charlie Schofield (17-1, 1 KO) defending his belt in 10-rounder versus Germaine Brown (11-0, 3 KOs), and the heavyweight professional debut of British Olympic bronze medalist Frazer Clarke.

Linares (47-6, 29 KOs) has been a professional for nearly 20 years, winning world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight. During his lightweight run, he’s defeated the likes of Anthony Crolla and Kevin Mitchell while giving pound-for-pound great Vasiliy Lomachenko a stern test before being knocked out in the 10^th round of their May 2018 matchup. Linares is coming off last May’s competitive decision defeat to rising star Devin Haney. Abdullaev (14-1, 8 KOs), who has won three fights since a TKO loss to Haney, earned the WBC Silver title last September with a unanimous decision over former world champion Dejan Zlaticanin.

ESPN+-streamed undercard action from Russia includes a 12-round WBA 130-pound title eliminator between Mark Uranov (20-2-1, 10 KOs) and Angel Rodriguez (19-1, 10 KOs), and Russian junior welterweight standout Ivan Kozlovsky (4-0, 2 KOs) in a 10-round test against Zoravor Petrosian (12-1, 5 KOs).

About ESPN+? 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 21.3?million subscribers. 

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at?ESPN.com,?ESPNplus.com?or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

(Jan. 25, 2022) — The long-simmering rivalry between British superstars Amir Khan and Kell Brook will finally come to a head in a 149-pound catchweight battle Saturday, Feb. 19, at AO Arena in Manchester, England. Roughly 20,000 fans will be in attendance for this British super fight for the ages, which sold out in 10 minutes when tickets went on sale in December.

Promoted by BOXXER, Khan vs. Brook and select undercard fights will stream live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+.

“Kell Brook versus Amir Khan is a fight that has sparked international interest,” said BOXXER CEO Ben Shalom. “This legacy-defining fight between the UK superstars, who have been world champions on American soil, now meet in a final showdown at AO Arena in one of the most eagerly anticipated fights in UK history.”

“I think Kell Brook is very bitter, and this is a good time for me to put the issue straight between us because he has always thought he is the better fighter than me,” Khan told Sky Sports. “He’s always said he should have had the recognition that I had and believes that should have been him. But at the end of the day, my skills made me the name I am today.”

In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Brook said: “This is a real grudge match, there’s no love lost in this fight and we both don’t like each other. The fans and the pundits can’t split us, and that shows how even this fight is going to be.”

The 35-year-old Khan (34-5, 21 KOs), from Bolton, England, has been in the spotlight since the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, when he took home a silver medal as a 17-year-old prodigy. As a pro, Khan unified world titles at junior welterweight and fought myriad top names, including Marco Antonio Barrera, Danny Garcia, Marcos Maidana, Paulie Malignaggi, Canelo Alvarez, and Zab Judah. He last fought in July 2019, knocking out former featherweight world champion Billy Dib in four rounds.

Brook (39-3, 27 KOs), a former British champion from Sheffield, England, made three successful defenses of the IBF welterweight world title he won from Shawn Porter in August 2014. His bold 2016 challenge of middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin ended in a fifth-round knockout defeat. He then lost his welterweight title to Errol Spence Jr. via 11th-round knockout the following May. Brook won three consecutive fights before challenging WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford in November 2020. Brook led on two scorecards before being knocked out in the fourth round.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 17.1 million subscribers.

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year)
at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads).

Conor Benn is eyeing a huge domestic clash with Amir Khan or Kell Brook should he get past Samuel Vargas on Saturday April 10, but ‘The Destroyer’ insists there is no chance of him overlooking the Canadian-Colombian warrior as he puts his WBA Continental Title on the line once more, live on Sky Sports in the UK and on DAZN in the U.S. and more than 200 countries and territories.

Rising Welterweight star Benn (17-0, 11 KOs) turned in a career-best performance last time out in November as he dominated Germany’s Sebastian Formella over ten impressive rounds, outfighting and outboxing the former IBO World Champion at the top of the bill at The SSE Arena, Wembley.

The Essex native, 24, has come on leaps and bounds since making his professional debut at The O2 in London back in April 2016, and is arguably one of Britain’s most improved fighters in recent years. A win over Vargas next weekend would further enhance his reputation as one of the hottest properties in the 147lbs division. 

“He’s an experienced fighter,” said Benn. “He’s got tonnes of heart. He’s got tonnes of grit and sheer determination that so many fighters lack. He brings the heat! This ain’t going to be a one-two lights out. It isn’t going to be one of them. This is going to be a hard fight. This is going to be me getting stuck straight in and us two going at it in there. It’s going to be one hell of a fight and that’s what I’m preparing for.

“He gave Amir Khan hell. Amir Khan got saved by the bell and by the grace of God three or four times in that fight. He had him on the deck. I know Khan’s chin isn’t that credible but he’s a well-respected fighter. He’s achieved everything that I want to achieve in the sport. This is going to be a harder fight than people think in my opinion. 

“I made the mistake once of overlooking an opponent and I hit the deck twice. I can go back to that fight because it was a career-defining moment for me. I had to ask myself how badly I wanted it. It taught me to never overlook an opponent. I thought, ‘what’s he going to do to me?’. Boom, straight one-two. That was a massive reality check for me. Since then I don’t overlook opponents.

“I’m not overlooking Vargas, but what doors open after him? I want a big domestic fight still. Someone that I can take that experience off. The Amir Khans, the Kell Brooks. The Josh Kelly fight is still there if he’s still fighting. The Amir Khan fight would be one hell of a fight. That would be a great British clash. Amir Khan was a fighter I looked up to and so was Kell Brook. Why not put me in with one of them after Vargas? 

“This is definitely going to be an entertaining fight for the public. This is going to be one that you don’t want to miss. This is going to be a steppingstone in my career. It’s going to be a massive fight. It’s going to be a great fight. It’s going to be a hard fight. I’m going to have to show grit, determination, hunger, skill and power – the full shebang!”

Benn vs. Vargas tops a big night of action April 10, Watford’s Shannon Courtenay (6-1, 3 KOs) faces Australia’s Ebanie Bridges  (5-0, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title, Hartlepool’s Savannah Marshall (9-0, 7 KOs) makes the first defence of her WBO Middleweight World Title against European Champion Femke Hermans (11-3, 4 KOs), Glasgow Bantamweight Kash Farooq (14-1, 6 KOs) returns after his masterclass win over Angel Aviles and Takeley Super-Middleweight John ‘The Gentleman’ Hedges (1-0) looks to build on his pro debut win last October.

Saturday’s Top Rank on ESPN saw pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) retain his WBO welterweight world title with a fourth-round TKO over former welterweight world champion Kell Brook, in a main event from the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.  The fight delivered big on viewership, ranking as the top boxing telecast across all TV networks since January 2019. 

Top Things to Know

• Crawford vs Brook averaged 1,758,000 viewers, making it the most viewed boxing telecast across on all TV networks since January 2019
• The main event was also the most viewed boxing telecast on cable since December 2018 (Lomachenko vs. Pedraza on ESPN: 1,889,000)
• The fight rating peaked during the 11:45 p.m.-12:00 a.m. ET quarter hour with 2.1 million viewers
• Through seven Saturday night telecasts on ESPN so far this year, Top Rank on ESPN has averaged 1,033,000 viewers, up 44% from 11 Saturday night telecasts in 2019
• Adults 18-49 are up 54% year-over-year
• Crawford vs. Brook ranked No. 1 as the most socially engaged boxing telecast across TV over the last two years, with over 306,000 total social interactions across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
• Crawford vs. Brook had a strong performance on social media, becoming the most socially engaged telecast across TV over the last two years, with over 306,000 social interactions across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
• Lomachenko vs. Lopez and Crawford vs. Brook have been the most socially engaged boxing telecasts across TV in consecutive months over the last two years.

Top Rank on ESPN has featured an action-packed fall schedule highlighted by some of the leaders of boxing’s electric youth movement, including stunning performances by the new undisputed lightweight king Teofimo Lopez, WBO female junior lightweight world champion Mikaela Mayer and WBA/IBF unified bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue. Rising star Shakur Stevenson, the undefeated former featherweight world champion from Newark, N.J., is set to close out the year in a 10-round junior lightweight main event against Toka Kahn Clary, Saturday, Dec. 12, from MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

By Bart Barry –

Saturday in the Bubble at MGM Grand in the mainevent of a dreadful ESPN card Nebraskan Terence “Bud” Crawford needed about 3 1/2 rounds and punches to stop overmatched Brit Kell “Special K” Brook.  Referee Tony Weeks, generally the perfect man for any Crawford fight, lost interest in watching Brook get brutalized a bit quicker than expected, though no one complained.  Bud got his victory, Brook got his paycheck, aficionados got to sleep early.

Bud did what had to be done to defend his fringe welterweight title and top spot in a hypothetical ranking that only matters so much when no one fights one another.

The title pound-for-pound was invented for Sugar Ray Robinson, if historians can be believed, to clarify how much better Robinson was than everyone else, especially what heavyweights dominated American sport.  It was nobody’s obsession in the 1980s when the best welterweights and middleweights fought one another.  It grew mighty longer legs during the Mayweather era when not-fighting was very much en vogue.  It’s why it’s important right now for Bud – because he’s not-fighting anyone any aficionado wants to see him fight.

It’s a promoters-n-eggheads obsession these days, as a generation of kids raised on destination fights comes of age and isn’t quite sure what to do with someone like Teofimo Lopez who moved himself prematurely and succeeded.  See, what Teofimo should’ve done is let his fight with Lomachenko marinate another few years – what we now call “waiting till there can be fans at the fights again” – and threatened his peers on Twitter and harangued his promoter for more money and given prickly interviews to various apps about what he couldn’t wait to do someday.  Instead Teofimo stamped paid on Lomachenko’s overwrought pound-for-pound bill and sent him out the Bubble.

There was Bud, though, well ensconced in the Bubble on Saturday, making a demand of his promoter not for the one fight everyone wants to see with his peer Errol Spence, no, but instead with Manny Pacquiao, a 41-year-old Senator inactive for 17 months and semiretired from boxing.  Bob Arum’s response was pitchperfect: After rambling about some Middle Eastern venue and ministers of health and such, he reassured Bud talks were ready to restart for a fight scheduled to happen either “before Ramadan or after”.  Bud didn’t press his soon-to-be-89-year-old promoter either because his Midwestern sensibilities wouldn’t allow curtness with an elder or because Bud doesn’t really want Spence anymore.

That sentence was unwritable three years ago when Crawford first moved from junior welterweight.  Back then Bud was everything we wanted in a fighter; he rose on merit, not hype, he cleaned-out a division before scaling higher, and he was a bit of a psychopath when any bell rang.  He’s fatted now.  Too much British cooking, lard, flour and boiling.  No one thought so at the time, but Bud’s second fight as a welterweight, a 12-round bloodletting with Jose Benavidez, a one-legged former prodigy from Phoenix, was the most impressive thing Crawford has done since unifying titles at 140 pounds, maybe the most impressive thing he’s done since stopping an undefeated Yuriorkis Gamboa in 2014.

Now then, much of the grief we give Bud is grief intended for Arum, for the aspiring nonagenarian’s refusal to compromise with Al Haymon, whose PBC manages every welterweight worth Bud’s fighting.  Arum knows this and can’t be bothered to do a thing about it.  He wore gymnasium-casual to Bud’s postfight interview Saturday, talked trash about Spence’s upcoming opponent, Danny Garcia – ranked a halfdozen or more spots above Kell Brook – and enjoyed Bud’s giving him an out with the Pacquiao plea, a demand from Bud for money, not greatness.

Spence is not blameless in all this, but if he beats Garcia and Thurman and Pacquiao and moves to 154, is anyone not affiliated with Top Rank going to accuse him of ducking Bud?

Bud has real hate in his heart and alleviates some of the evil by semiannual sadism sessions with what luckless men Arum finds for him, men like Jeff Horn, Amir Khan and Egidijus Kavaliauskas.  Saturday it was softened Kell Brook’s turn, and the best that can be said for Brook is that he acquitted himself well for a quarter fight then got out the ring without suffering much.

So strapping and muscular that Special K!  Muscles and fists haven’t been Brook’s undoing as a professional, though – his face has.  The first time Crawford put proper leather on Brook’s surgically repaired face Brook flew backwards as if detonated.  From a jab.  Some hours and words shall be lost by others to explaining the extraordinary leverage and concusiveness of Bud Crawford, when the truth of what happened is simpler.  Brook is not that good, and Crawford is.  When an aged b-level guy runs himself into the onrushing fist of a prime a-level guy what happened Saturday is what happens.  Too much lifting was done for Top Rank’s choice of opponent last week for folks to let the simple explanation stand.  After all, Brook was just a dozen GGG punches and another dozen Truth punches from being undefeated when Bud torqued him with that southpaw jab of his.

Brook took his loss gracefully, like a proper b-sider should, while hemming a bit when asked to fulfill his contractually obligated comparison of Crawford to Spence.  He was there, after all, not to pique interest in a Crawford-Spence superfight his promoter can’t deliver but to make a soundbite ESPN can play before each of Crawford’s next couple, or halfdozen, nonevent title defenses, something such as “Spence wears you down like a kid, but Crawford hits like a man!”  Brook wasn’t the perfect b-side, then, but he was a fine one, and really, who are we kidding?  

Nobody was awake when Brook got interviewed.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Follow all the action as Terence Crawford defends the WBO Welterweight title against former champion Kell Brook.  The action begins at 10 PM ET / 9 PM CT / 3 AM Sunday in England with a rematch for the WBA Super Flyweight title as Joshua Franco defends the title against Andrew Moloney

NO BROWSER REFRESH NEEDED; THE PAGE WILL UPDATE AUTOMATICALLY

Round 1: Jab from Brook..Jab-Right hand..Right to head..Left from Jab..

Round 2 Jab from Brook..Right uppercut..  Brook outlanding Crawford 20-13

Round 3 Crawford jabbing from southpaw stance..Brook lands a right..Right lead..Left from Crawford..Right from Brook..Right from Crawford..Swelling around the right eye of Crawford

Round 4 RIGHT HOOK AND BROOK STAGGERS INTO THE ROPES FOR A KNOCKDOWN..HUGE LEFT AND RIGHT…BROOK HURT,,,FIGHT OVER

Round 1 Moloney jabbing..2 rights to the body..Franco swelling over right eye from accidental headbutt…Moloney outlands Franco 25-11

Round 2 Referee Calls in Doctor to look at Franco’s eye which is swelling badly..Good combination from Moloney

Round 3 Doctor looking at eye ….FIGHT STOPPED…FIGHT RULED NO DECISION…Commission now looking at replays as it appears there was no headclash in round 1….RULED NO-CONTEST

Terence Crawford may have solidified himself as the best fighter in the world as he stopped Kell Brook in round four to retain his WBO Welterweight title at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas.

Brook started off very well as he was very adept with his jab and started landing solid rights. Brook at the very least took two if not all three of the opening rounds.

That was short lived, as in round four, Crawford hurt Brook badly with a short right hook that staggered him to the ropes that was ruled a knockdown by referee Tony Weeks. Crawford, who may be the best finisher in the sport, saw blood and pounced on Brook and landed a vicious combination that forced the stoppage at 1:14.

Crawford, 146.4 lbs of Omaha, Nebraska, is 37-0 with 28 knockouts. Brook, 147 lbs of Sheffield, England is 39-3.

“I already said who I want {next}. I want Pacquiao. I want to revisit that fight,” Crawford said. “That was a fight that should’ve happened right now. But being that the pandemic happened, and they weren’t going to allow fans in the Middle East, they had to put a hold to that. Everything was 95 percent done. We had the venue. The money was almost there. It wasn’t quite there. That was the only thing we were waiting on.

“Kell is a tremendous talent. He came and he tried to take my title. He was in shape. He made the weight. There were no excuses to be put on the table. He came off of three wins.”

Added Brook, “Never in my career, nobody has ever done that to me in sparring or anything.

“It was one of them… I got caught with a shot I didn’t see. I’m gutted because nobody could’ve gotten me in better condition. I was bang on the limit. Maybe I could’ve been a bit more relaxed and loose and let the shots go.”

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said, “Terence Crawford showed, once again, why he is the best welterweight in the world. It was a dominating performance over a very good fighter in Kell Brook. Terence ranks up there with all the great welterweights I’ve promoted.”

Moloney and Franco Fight to No-Decision after Franco injures eye

In a rematch for the WBA Super Flyweight title, Andrew Moloney and reigning champion battled to a no-contest as an injury to the eye of Franco forced the fight to be stopped before the 3rd round.

In round one, Franco had swelling over his right eye from an accidental headbutt. The doctor looked at the rapidly swelling eye before round’s two and three, and Franco was deemed unfit to continue. Replays showed that the swelling was caused by a jab in the 1st round by Moloney..

The commission looked at the replay for over 25 minutes and settled on a no-contest.

Moloney said, “They took this away from me. The injury was caused by a punch. I can’t believe this.
 
“I was in control of the fight and on my way to a clear victory. I deserved this win. I landed 50 punches on that eye. It was not even close.”
 
Added Arum, “This is an absolute disgrace. There was no headbutt.  Andrew Moloney should be the new champion.”

Joshua Greer Jr. and Edwin Rodriguez battled to a majority draw in a eight-round bantamweight fight.

In round two, Greer began to bleed from his nose.

Rodriguez took a card 77-75 and two cards read even at 76-76.

Rodriguez landed 124 of 470 punches; Greer was 131 of 526.

Greer, 118.9 lbs of Chicago, IL is 22-2-2. Rodriguez, 118.9 lbs of Ponce, PR is 11-5-2.

Tyler Howard remained undefeated by winning an eight-round unanimous decision over KeAndrae Leatherwood.

In round two, Howard was cut over the left eye.

In round six, Leatherwood was deducted a point for holding. In round eight, Howard dropped Leatherwood with a body shot.

Howard landed 81 of 329 punches; Leatherwood was 74 of 244.

Howard, 161.2 lbs of Crossville, TN won by scores of 77-74, 76-74 and 77-73 and is now 19-0. Leatherwood, 161.9 lbs of Tuscaloosa, AL is 22-8-1.

Duke Ragan stayed undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Sebastian Gutierrez in a featherweight fight.

In round two, Ragan sent Gutierrez to the canvas with a nicely-timed right hand.

Ragan, 126 lbs of Cincinnati, OH won by scores of 40-35 on all cards and is now 3-0. Gutierrez, 126.3 lbs of Oxnard, CA is 1-1.

Vegas Larfield stopped Jose Alberto Flores in a scheduled four round bantamweight bout featuring undefeated fighters.

It was a back and forth brawl for the opening two rounds. In round three, Larfield dropped Flores with a hard left hook. It was another right that sent Flores down for a 2nd time. Larfield finished off Flores with a big eight-punch combination and the fight was stopped at 1:07.

Larfield, 119 lbs of Brisbane, AUS is now 2-0 with two knockouts. Flores, 117.3 lbs of Monterrey, MEX is 2-1-1.

Raymond Muratalla stopped Luis Porozo in round three of their scheduled six-round lightweight bout.

In round three, Muratalla sent Porozo down from a body shot. Muratalla ended it moments later when he landed a crushing right that sent Porozo down in the corner and he fight was stopped at 2:40.

Muratalla, 137.3 lbs of Fontana, CA is 11-0 with nine knockouts. Porozo, 135.2 lbs of Santo Domingo, ECU is 15-5.

(ESPN & ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT)

    •     Terence Crawford 146.4 lbs vs. Kell Brook 147 lbs 
(Crawford’s WBO Welterweight World Title — 12 Rounds)
 Judges/Referee: Patricia Morse Jarman, Dave Moretti and Benoit Roussel / Tony Weeks

•   Joshua Franco 114.5 lbs vs. Andrew Moloney 114.7 lbs 
(Franco’s WBA Super Flyweight World Title — 12 Rounds)
Judges/Referee: Steve Weisfeld, Tim Cheatham and Lisa Giampa / Russell Mora

(ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT)

•   Joshua Greer Jr. 118.9 lbs vs. Edwin Rodriguez 118.9 lbs 
(Bantamweight— 8 Rounds)

•   Tyler Howard 161.2 lbs vs. KeAndrae Leatherwood 161.9 lbs 
(Middleweight  — 8 Rounds)

•    Duke Ragan 126 lbs vs.  Sebastian Gutierrez 126.3 lbs 
(Featherweight — 4 Rounds)

•        Vegas Larfield 119 lbs vs.  Juan Alberto Flores 117.3 lbs 
(Bantamweight — 4 Rounds)

•            Raymond Muratalla 137.3 lbs vs.  Luis Porozo 135.2 lbs 
(Lightweight — 6 Rounds)

By Norm Frauenheim-

Terence Crawford, not known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, wore it on his face instead. There it was on a mask that could have been a billboard.

P4P, pound-for-pound, repeated and emphasized in black across white cloth. It was bold messaging impossible to mistake, especially for Kell Brook or anybody else tempted to interpret the body language in boxing’s faceoff ritual.

Crawford plans to state his case.

Or, at least, restate it Saturday in his first appearance during a Pandemic that has shuffled and re-shuffled the pound-for-pound debate.

It changes by the week.

Vasiliy Lomachenko gets knocked off in a loss to Teofimo Lopez. Naoya Inoue wins easily, knocking out an overmatched Jason Moloney. Gervonta Davis makes a bid for consideration with a stoppage of accomplished Leo Santa Cruz. Devin Haney puts himself in the conversation with a thorough decision over faded Yuriorkis 

Gamboa. Canelo Alvarez puts himself back on the board, formally splitting with promoter Oscar De La Hoya amid plans to fight somebody, reportedly Callum Smith, in mid-December.

It’s intriguing. Contentious, too.

At the top of the pound-for-pound scale, there are three – Crawford, Canelo and Inoue. There’s a good argument for any of the three, reasonable enough to argue that the top spot should be vacant until somebody delvers a convincing performance.

Enter Crawford, who takes his turn at the bully pulpit against Brook on ESPN in the Bubble at the MGM Grand’s Conference Center in Las Vegas.

“I’ve always felt that I’m Number One, pound-for-pound, in the world,” Crawford said, mask and message still in place, during a news conference Wednesday. “This is what I do.”

Crawford, a leading pound-for-pound contender for the last couple of years, has been criticized for the quality – specifically the lack of it – in his opposition since the former lightweight champion jumped from junior-welterweight to welter in June 2018 against Jeff Horn.

It’s the kind of criticism often attached to any claim on the pound-for-pound’s top spot. That’s why it’s called a debate. Roy Jones Jr. was dogged by the criticism throughout much of his brilliant career, which once included a 2002 hip-hop lyric and career slogan: Ya’all Must’ve Forgot. Viewed through history’s unerring vision, it’s unforgettably clear today. Jones dominated, especially in 1994 when he scored a dazzling decision over dangerous James Toney in a super-middleweight bout. There was simply nobody better.

It’s hard to know whether Crawford will be seen the same way one day. Boxing’s balkanized rivalries might mean the Top Rank-promoted Crawford will never face anybody on PBC’s (Premier Boxing Champions) deep welterweight roster – Errol Spence Jr., Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter.

Before Spence’s scary car crash in October 2019, there was talk – urgent talk – about Spence-Crawford. It had to happen. Now? Who knows? In another bout with potential pound-for-pound significance, Spence returns for the first time since the crash on Dec. 5 against Garcia. It’s no tune-up. Spence calls himself The Truth. We’ll get the truth, post-accident, in about three weeks.

Crawford had an interesting comment during a Zoom session about Spence and whether his career hinges on a showdown with the Dallas welterweight. Crawford wasn’t sure. He was asked: If there’s no fight with Spence in 2021, is there a chance it’ll never happen?

“Yeah, it might,” Crawford said. “It might. You know, but like I said, I never really felt like I really needed Errol Spence for my legacy or my career. You know, I’ve accomplished so much in the sport of boxing that, you know, I really didn’t need him.

“You know, yes, I needed him for my legacy at the welterweight division and becoming a two-time, undisputed champion at two different weight classes. But if that fight don’t happen, I don’t feel like, you know, it’ll hurt my legacy. It just hurts the legacy of (me in) the welterweight division.”

Like the rest of boxing, it sounds as if he’ll wait and see how Spence looks against Garcia. There’s nothing else Crawford can do, especially against Brook, a sudden star when he upset Porter more than six years ago.

Since then, he lost to Gennadiy Golovkin in a jump to middleweight and then to Spence in a move back to welter. He suffered a fractured eye socket in each. Brook, who has also fought at junior-middleweight, is bigger than Crawford. The power in his right hand is dangerous.

“He’s never faced a fighter like me,’’ said Brook, who said he has always been prepared for Crawford’s quicksilver way of switching from orthodox to southpaw and back.

For Crawford, the task is to prove there is simply no fighter like him at any weight. His mask says he will.

LAS VEGAS (November 11, 2020) —The pound-for-pound king, WBO welterweight world champion Terence Crawford, renewed acquaintances with Kell Brook Wednesday afternoon, nearly nine months after they had a brief conversation at the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury 2 weigh-in inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena. This time, they sat six feet apart on a socially distanced press conference dais three days before their championship showdown, which will air LIVE on ESPN and Deportes (10 p.m. ET), and exclusively on Premier Sports in the UK. When it came time to face off, they edged closer, neither man willing to give an inch.

In the co-feature — a rematch of one of the most memorable Bubble bouts — WBA super flyweight world champion Joshua “El Profesor” Franco will attempt to repeat the deed against Andrew “The Monster” Moloney. Franco upset Moloney via unanimous decision on June 23, as Moloney faded in the later rounds after suffering a pair of perforated eardrums.

At the press conference, this is what they had to say.

Terence Crawford

“I’ve always felt that I’m number one pound-for-pound in the world. This is what I do.”

“I’m not the one to quit on a fight, but I can’t say the same about him. I wish him the best.”

“At the end of the day, this is nothing new to me. I have fought in an arena where there are 50 people. I’ll go in there and get the job done as I always do.”

Kell Brook

“I’ve been after this fight for a long time. I’m more than ready! I’m in the best condition of my life, and I’m ready to become a two-time world champion. I’m like fine wine. I’m getting better as I get older. I’m ready.”

”I think Terence knows I’m not an easy fight. I want him to bring the best out of me. I’m pushing myself to perform the best I can. I pulled myself away from my family and from all the distractions. I’m making the sacrifice of being away from my family because I want to be great.”

“It will be great for the UK for me to come through and become world champ against the number one fighter in the world. I know who Terence is, and that’s why I have prepared the way I have. I’m a big welterweight, and I can punch with both hands. This is what I do. The talking is done. All the work has been done. It’s time to perform.”

Joshua Franco

“It’s great to be back in The Bubble, and now that I have the title, it is even better. I have more confidence and I’m getting better. I have the confidence of having Robert (Garcia) in my corner. That is great. He has great experience. We are looking for better opportunities after Saturday.”

Andrew Moloney

“I’ve never been so determined to do something in my life. I’m thankful for the opportunity to redeem myself. For the past five months, I have prepared myself to leave with that belt around my waist. That belt means everything to me. It’s my son’s future. I’m not leaving without it.”

“It wasn’t my best night, but you are going to see a much better fighter this time around. He is going to think he is in the ring with a different fighter.” SATURDAY’S CARD

ESPN & ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT

Terence Crawford vs. Kell Brook, 12 rounds, Crawford’s WBO welterweight world title

Joshua Franco vs. Andrew Moloney 2, 12 rounds, Franco’s WBA super flyweight world title

ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT

Joshua Greer Jr. vs. Edwin Rodriguez , 8 rounds, bantamweight

Tyler Howard vs. KeAndrae Leatherwood, 8 rounds, middleweight

Duke Ragan vs. Sebastian Gutierrez, 4 rounds, featherweight

Raymond Muratalla vs. Luis Porozo, 6 rounds, lightweight

Livecoverage of Top Rank on ESPN continues this Saturday, Nov 14, when WBO welterweight champion and pound-for-pound king Terence “Bud” Crawford returns in an action packed main event against former welterweight world champion Kell Brook, live from the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Live coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET with undercard action on ESPN+ in English and Spanish. The Crawford-Brook main event card airs on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET.

Crawford-Brook will feature a WBA super flyweight world title rematch between champion Joshua Franco and the man he defeated to win the title, Andrew Moloney. 

Calling the action for ESPN from site will be Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), former #1 pound-for-pound two-division world titleholder and 2004 Olympic gold medalist Andre Ward (analyst), and former two-division world titleholder Tim Bradley (analyst). The on-location desk team will feature analysis from Bernardo Osuna and Mark Kriegel.

Fight week coverage includes:

• SportsCenter segments: segments for ESPN’s flagship news and information program from Las Vegas
• Crawford vs. Brook Final Press Conference (Wed at 3:10 p.m. ET, live ESPN’s YouTube Channel))
• Crawford vs. Brook Official Weigh-In: (Fri at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2): Joe Tessitore, Andre Ward, Tim Bradley, Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna reporting live from site
• Max on Boxing Weigh in Special (Fri, Nov 13 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2): ESPN’s boxing series hosted by Max Kellerman airing live following the weigh-in, which will include 1-1 interviews with Crawford and Brook

ESPN.com

• Brook confident of Crawford upset by using size, experience to his advantage
• Real or not: Can Terence Crawford get a unification fight? Where does Devin Haney stand at 135?
• Scouting report from Timothy Bradley on both fighters
• Friday: Expert Picks (streaming on ESPN+)
• Terence Crawford is the pound-for-pound boxing king of the world, but he has one soft spot – dogs (Thursday)
• Expert picks for Crawford-Brook (E+) (Friday)
• Ringside seat (Friday)

Social:@ESPNRingside Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Schedule of Live Crawford vs. Brook Content on ESPN Platforms (All Times ET)

LAS VEGAS (November 10, 2020) —The pound-for-pound king, Terence “Bud” Crawford, is set to return to his throne. Crawford will defend his WBO welterweight world title against former welterweight world champion Kell Brook on Saturday evening from the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble. In the co-feature, Joshua “El Profesor” Franco will defend his WBA super flyweight world title against the man he dethroned in the Bubble back in June, Andrew “The Monster” Moloney.

Crawford-Brook and Franco-Moloney 2 will air LIVE on ESPN & ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET, with undercard action to stream live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET. UK fans can watch all the action on Premier Sports 1 starting at 12 a.m. Sunday morning.

This is what Crawford, Brook, Franco and Moloney had to say during Monday’s Zoom press conference.

Terence Crawford

“He’s not the only opponent that went into the fight thinking they were going to stop me or knock me out, so that’s nothing new for me. He’s just going to have to live up to his words.”

“I actually can’t rate him because I’ve never been in the ring with him. Actually, he was never on my radar from the jump. This was a fight that he wanted, that he kept calling for. Once the Pacquiao fight fell through, he was the next option given the circumstances of COVID and whatnot. I must’ve been on his radar. He was never on my radar. He’s on my radar now, and we’re fighting this weekend. That’s what it is.”

“Me, I go about fights to get the win, no matter how they come. I’m not going out there to try and outdo previous performances or any other fighter. My thing is to go out there and make sure I get the win and secure that first and everything else can come second. If the knockout is there, of course I’m going to go out there and take it. But if it’s not, then like I said before, we’re prepared for 12 rounds.”

“Well, he’s never faced nobody like me. He can say I never faced nobody like him, and I can say he’s never faced nobody like me. I don’t know what he brings to the table because I haven’t been there. I haven’t been in the ring with him, so we shall see come this week.”

Kell Brook

“I stop him, or he quits on the stool. I’m fully focused. I’ve never been ready for a fight like this before. Looking forward to whatever Terence brings because I can match him. I’m ready for a war.”

“I’ve been here before. I’ve been on this stage. I’ve been in there with pound-for-pound top fighters like Golovkin and Errol Spence. I took the title away from Shawn Porter in America. I know what it takes to be champion.”

“He’s going to have a rude awakening, I’ll tell you that. He’s going to have a rude awakening Saturday night when he gets in there.”

“I hope he’s {overlooking me}. I hope he is because I’m coming with force. Trust me.”

“I’m in a great, great place in my mind, and my weight is fantastic for this fight. Forget the weight. The weight’s made.”

“I think {winning this fight} would rank above Shawn Porter given everything I’ve been through, everyone writing me off. I think you gotta put it up there because this is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. You’ve gotta put him as number one. Nobody has done that in history from Britain, and I’m glad that all the fans will be able to see it on Premier Sports. They’re going to stay up and enjoy me become two-time world champion.”

“My body clock has adjusted to the Vegas time now, so everything is on point. The sleeping, my body clock is there. Everything’s there that’s needed to win this fight.”

Joshua Franco

“I could slow down my work rate or I could pick it up whenever I want. I just feel like that’s going to be an advantage, for sure.”

“I feel confident because I’ve been in the ring with Andrew Moloney before. I know what he has. I’m always confident, of course. My training went well. I had a tough training camp, and that also brings my confidence up. I’m just ready for whatever.”

“Very tough preparation in the gym. Eight hard weeks of training. I’m more than ready.”

Andrew Moloney

“It’s not so much weaknesses in Franco’s game, I just believe all around I’m a better boxer than he is. And I know that I didn’t show that in the first fight. But I believe I will show that this Saturday night. Tune in because you are going to see a much better performance from me this time around.”

“It’s been public knowledge that both of my eardrums were perforated in that first fight. Look, I don’t want to make excuses, but it did affect my performance. My balance was affected quite a lot. it affected me from fighting at my best. But, look, he won the fight. There’s no excuses. I want to go into this fight and show that I’m much better than I was this first time around and win this rematch and put that behind me.”

“You’re going to see a much different performance from myself, a different game plan this time around, and I believe a much more dominant performance. I can’t give too much away, obviously, in terms of the tactics, but it will be a different fight this time around, and I believe a much more dominant performance from myself.”

Use the hashtags #CrawfordBrook and #FrancoMoloney2 to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing; twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

(November 6, 2020) — In anticipation of the Nov. 14 showdown between WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford and former welterweight world champion Kell Brook, ESPN will debut Relentless: Terence Crawford, an in-depth interview with Crawford leading up to his return to the ring. Conducted by Andre Ward, ESPN boxing analyst, former two-division world champion and 2004 U.S. Olympic gold medalist, the special airs Sunday, Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

During the interview, Crawford discusses his desire to fight the other welterweight world champions, his win-at-all-costs mentality, and his legacy as a three-weight world champion and the fighter many experts regard as the pound-for-pound king.

Crawford said, “I always ask people, ‘What’s your why? Why do you do the things you do?’ Because I know mine. I’ve gotta feed my family. You’re not gonna take food off my family’s table. That’s my why. It’s my family. 

“There’s nothing in this world that I can do or participate in that I don’t want to win in. If I’m gonna do it, I want to do it to win. People doubting you, everybody looking at you like you’re gonna be another nothing, so it just made me hungry.”

Relentless: Terence Crawford will be preceded by ESPN, Updating the Welterweight Division, an in-depth look at one of boxing’s most talent-rich divisions, airing at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Crawford-Brook headlines a packed card that will feature the WBA super flyweight world title rematch between champion Joshua Franco and the man he defeated to win the title, Andrew Moloney. Crawford-Brook and Franco-Moloney 2 and the return of junior welterweight knockout sensation Elvis Rodriguez will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. ET, with undercard action to stream live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

Use the hashtags #CrawfordBrook and #FrancoMoloney2 to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing;twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

LAS VEGAS (November 5, 2020) — The knockout king of the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, junior welterweight southpaw Elvis “The Dominican Kid” Rodriguez, hopes to put an exclamation point on his 2020 Prospect of the Year campaign.

Rodriguez will fight an opponent to be named in an eight-rounder Saturday, Nov. 14 on the world title doubleheader undercard featuring WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford against former welterweight world champion Kell Brook. The co-main event will showcase the WBA super flyweight world title rematch between champion Joshua “El Profesor” Franco and the man he defeated to win the title, Andrew “The Monster” Moloney.

Crawford-Brook, Franco-Moloney 2 and the return of Rodriguez will be broadcast live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. ET, with undercard action to stream live on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

“No prospect in boxing has shown more this year than Elvis Rodriguez, who keeps knocking out opponents in devastating fashion. It’s getting harder and harder to find people who will fight this kid,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “With two world title fights, plus a bunch of our top young fighters in action, Nov. 14 is a stacked card from top to bottom.”

Rodriguez (10-0-1, 10 KOs) has won all five of his 2020 bouts by stoppage, including four knockouts in three rounds or less inside the MGM Grand Bubble since July 2. He last fought Oct. 9 and knocked out veteran Cameron Krael in three rounds, only the second time Krael had been knocked out in 37 pro bouts. The Freddie Roach-trained Rodriguez has won eight in a row since an accidental headbutt-induced technical draw in his third pro bout.

“This is going to be my fifth fight in ‘The Bubble’ and my sixth of the year. I feel grateful for the opportunities Top Rank has given me and the great effort of my team to keep me fit and ready,” Rodriguez said. “I would like to be recognized as Prospect of the Year. It would be a great recognition of my talent, effort, sacrifice, and discipline that I have dedicated to this sport for the last 12 years of my life. It would be a great recognition for my team and my country because I believe that I would be the first Dominican boxer named Prospect of the Year. Representing the Dominican flag is a source of pride for me. I am committed to bringing a world title to my country.”

In undercard action on ESPN+:

Joshua Greer Jr. (22-2-1, 12 KOs) vs. Edwin Rodriguez (11-5-1, 5 KOs) 
8 Rounds, Bantamweight

Greer saw his 19-bout winning streak come to end on June 16, when he was knocked down twice en route to a 10-round majority decision defeat to “Magic” Mike Plania. The Chicago native, who is still ranked in the top 10 by two of the major sanctioning organizations, hopes to return to form in his second Bubble appearance. Rodriguez’s record belies his talent, as he is 3-1-1 in his last five bouts, all against previously undefeated foes. He last fought in August 2019, upsetting the then-unbeaten Saul Sanchez via 10-round split decision.

Tyler Howard (18-0, 11 KOs) vs. KeAndrae Leatherwood (22-7-1, 13 KOs)
8 Rounds, Middleweight

“Hercules” Howard, from Crossville, Tenn., returns after more than a year away from the ring. He is 4-0 with two knockouts since inking a promotional deal with Top Rank and is seeking his first stoppage since a one-round demolition of Isiah Seldon in November 2018. Leatherwood is a 12-year pro who has fought the likes of former world champions Andy Lee and Caleb Truax. He last boxed in December 2019 and was stopped by top prospect Christian Mbilli in eight rounds.

Raymond Muratalla (10-0, 8 KOs) vs. TBA
8/6 Rounds, Lightweight

Muratalla, from Fontana, Calif., aims for his sixth consecutive knockout win and second inside The Bubble. The younger brother of unbeaten bantamweight prospect Gabriel Muratalla, he last fought Aug. 29 and knocked out Cesar Valenzuela in the seventh round.

Duke Ragan (2-0, 1 KO) vs. TBA
4 Rounds, Featherweight

Ragan, a former U.S. amateur star from Cincinnati, Ohio, made his professional debut Aug. 22 with a first-round knockout and followed that up with a decision victory over former UFC title challenger John Moraga on Oct. 3. 

Vegas Larfield (1-0, 1 KO) vs. Juan Alberto Flores (2-0-1)
4 Rounds, Bantamweight

Larfield, from Brisbane, Australia, trained with Andrew and Jason Moloney for this bout and is coming off a first-round stoppage Aug. 26 in his professional debut. Flores has won two consecutive bouts since a four-round draw in his professional debut.

Use the hashtags #CrawfordBrook and #FrancoMoloney2 to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing;twitter.com/ESPNRingside.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to 8.5 million subscribers, offering fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. 

Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com,ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month. 

(October 26, 2020) — November’s most anticipated fight now has an exclusive UK broadcast home.
 
Premier Sports and Top Rank have announced that pound-for-pound king Terence “Bud” Crawford’s WBO welterweight world title defense against Sheffield’s Kell Brook — Saturday, November 14 in the United States — will air live on Premier Sports 1, with coverage starting at 12.30 a.m. Sunday morning.
 
The Crawford-Brook telecast will also include the highly anticipated rematch between WBA super flyweight world champion Joshua Franco and former world champion Andrew Moloney. Franco upset Moloney via unanimous decision June 23 to capture the world title.
 
Premier Sports 1 is available in HD via Sky (412 & 429), Virgin TV (551 & 552) and online via the Premier Player available on app and desktop. New subscribers to Premier Sports can easily sign up via the website – www.premiersports.com.
 
Richard Sweeney, CEO of Premier Sports said, “We are delighted to partner with Top Rank and broadcast this massively anticipated fight next month. There is huge interest in this event from fans in the UK, and we’re pleased to make it live and exclusive to Premier Sports customers.”
 
Brook said,“I am delighted to announce that my fans across the UK will be able to watch me fight Terence Crawford for the welterweight world title LIVE on Premier Sports.
 
“It’s bonfire season, and I’m going to be bringing the fireworks, so make sure you subscribe and tune in to watch me become two-time world champion, baby!”
 
Added Bob Arum, Top Rank Chairman, “I commend Premier Sports for stepping up to broadcast Crawford-Brook. Terence is a generational talent, and I strongly believe Kell has the skills to give him a tremendous challenge. The UK boxing fans deserved an outlet to watch this fight, and thanks to Premier Sports, they will have an opportunity to do so.”
 
About Premier Sports
Formed in 2009, Premier Sports is currently broadcasting in the UK and Republic of Ireland with live and exclusive rights to the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Guinness PRO14, Scottish Cup and Betfred Cup, GAA, NHL, NASCAR and also operate BoxNation, a dedicated boxing channel. Many of these rights are available in both territories with some exclusive to each region.

(October 17, 2020) — The pound-for-pound king is set to reclaim his throne. WBO welterweight world champion Terence “Bud” Crawford will defend his title against former welterweight world champion Kell Brook in a special edition of Top Rank on ESPN Saturday, Nov. 14.
 
In the world championship co-feature, Joshua “El Profesor” Franco will defend his WBA super flyweight title against former world champion Andrew “The Monster” Moloney in a rematch of their June bout, won by Franco via decision.
 
Promoted by Top Rank and sponsored by GEICO, ESPN and ESPN Deportes will televise Crawford-Brook and Franco-Moloney 2 beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while a full slate of undercard bouts will stream live on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

Venue information for Crawford-Brook will be announced soon.
 
“Kell Brook is one of the elite fighters in the world. He has faced so many of the top boxers,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He is a real test for pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford. This is another premium fight that will be available to boxing fans for no extra charge live on ESPN.”
 
Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs), the pride of Omaha, Neb., has reigned as WBO welterweight world champion since June 9, 2018, when he stopped Jeff “The Hornet” Horn in nine one-sided rounds. He has since defended that world title three times, including a sixth-round demolition over former unified junior welterweight champion Amir “King” Khan in April 2019. Crawford has not fought since last December’s ninth-round TKO over Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas and will enter the ring against Brook coming off a career-long 11-month layoff. He has won seven straight bouts by knockout since a one-sided decision over Viktor Postol in a July 2016 junior welterweight unification bout. Prior to his welterweight world title campaign, Crawford was the lineal lightweight and undisputed junior welterweight world champion.
 
Brook (39-2, 27 KOs), from Sheffield, England, is a former welterweight world champion who made three successful defenses of the IBF title he won from Shawn Porter in 2014. His only defeat at welterweight came to Errol Spence Jr. in May 2017, a competitive fight that ended in the 11^th round after he suffered a broken orbital bone. Since the Spence defeat, “The Special One” has won three bouts at junior middleweight, including February’s seventh-round stoppage over Mark DeLuca. Brook has long campaigned for the Crawford bout, and earlier this year, he ran into Crawford at the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury II weigh-in.
 
“You gonna make weight?” Crawford asked Brook.
“You’re running out of opponents,” Brook responded. “I’m here.”
 
Brook said, “I would just like to say a big thank you to Bob Arum and his team at Top Rank and to Baz Kandiara and my management team for getting the ?ght made. Thank you also to Terence Crawford and his team. It’s a fantastic ?ght, a proper ?ght for the fans to get excited about. I’m sure it’s one that will have viewers on the edge of their seats, whichever side of the pond they’re from.
 
“I’ve been told there are people writing off my chances, questioning my age, and my ability to make the weight. Well, let them talk. Some people focus on reading headlines, I focus on making headlines. Those people writing me off as a big underdog? No problem. I guess this big dog will be making a few people richer during a difficult time.
 
“Terence isn’t too much younger than me. They know that I’ve never ducked a challenge, and they should know that I’ve never failed to make 147 on the scales. With age comes experience. My knowledge and experience make me a di?erent ?ghter, a more mature ?ghter. Couple that with a happy fighter, and you’ve got yourself a dangerous fighter.”
 
Moloney (21-1, 14 KOs), from Melbourne, Australia, won the interim world title with a knockout over Elton Dharry last November and was subsequently elevated to world champion. In his first world title defense, June 23 from the MGM Grand Las Vegas Bubble, he was upset via unanimous decision at the hands of Franco (17-1-2, 8 KOs), a native of San Antonio, Texas, who was previously best known for his action-packed trilogy with Oscar Negrete.

Said Moloney, “I am extremely excited and motivated for my rematch with Franco. I’m very grateful that Top Rank has given me the opportunity to get my revenge and reclaim my world title. I have been working extremely hard every day to make sure that world title is strapped back around my waist on Nov. 14.”
 
Use the hashtags #CrawfordBrook and #FrancoMoloney2 to join the conversation on social media. For more information, visit www.toprank.com, www.espn.com/boxing; Facebook: facebook.com/trboxing; Twitter: twitter.com/trboxing;twitter.com/ESPNRingside.
 

Liam Smith says he would love to fight Kell Brook, but warned that he won’t chase the Sheffield star as he is the latest guest on Matchroom Boxing’s podcast ‘The Lockdown Tapes’.

THE LOCKDOWN TAPES WITH LIAM SMITH IS ALSO ON MATCHROOM BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW!

Former WBO World Super-Welterweight king Smith (29-2-1 16 KOs) is plotting his route to becoming a two-time World champion, and the 31 year old wants that route to include a huge all-British fight with Brook, the former IBF Welterweight ruler.

Brook surrendered that crown in May 2017 against Errol Spence Jr, and then ‘The Special One’ moved up to 154lbs, settling in with wins over Sergey Rabchenko, Michael Zerafa and Mark DeLuca. Brook has been heavily linked with a return to Welterweight to meet WBO champion Terence Crawford, while the rivalry with Amir Khan is still in the picture, but Smith hopes that the fight with him and Brook can be made, but is also open to a battle with former two-weight champion Jessie Vargas.

“The Brook fight is a fight I want but I am not going to chase him,” said Smith. “He’s not that good and he hasn’t got a World Title, I want to fight him because he’s a decent name and I think it’s a very good fight for the British fans.

“The Jessie Vargas fight is the more likely fight for me. Brook seems to be playing no part but I think Eddie Hearn should force Brook’s hand if he wants to see the fight. I don’t blame Brook, if he gets the Crawford fight then good luck for him but I think a fight with me will be much more competitive.

“I want to be in a fight that people will be glued to, find entertaining and want to watch. We know Vargas can fight, he’s a two weight World Champion and it was almost done before Eddie signed Mikey Garcia which then became the obvious fight to make.

“Amir Khan isn’t scared of Brook, he has fought everyone. His resume is unbelievable, but I think he is scared of losing to Brook. I think it’s similar with Kell that he is scared of losing to me. Too higher risk for a smaller reward for him but I do think there is good money there in that fight. If it isn’t Crawford it should be me and Brook.”

As well as speaking about Brook and Vargas, Smith talks about his boxing brothers, fighting Canelo Alvarez, Liverpool FC’s title hopes and much more in the latest episode of ‘The Lockdown Tapes’.

Fans can find Smith’s episode plus previous episodes with, Joshua Buatsi, Devin Haney, Joseph Parker, Josh Warrington and Liam Smith here:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-matchroom-boxing-podcast/id1506174562

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5YRAWQS5JXB0OvM8vCqZxq

Matchroom Website: https://www.matchroomboxing.com/lockdown-tapes-podcast/