By: Hans Themistode
The overall skills of Terence Crawford have captivated the boxing public for several years. With the Omaha, Nebraska native winning world titles in multiple weight classes and producing an undefeated record through 38 career fights, he’s wildly viewed as one of the best fighters on the face of the planet.
In addition to fans of the pugilistic sport taking notice of Crawford’s skillset, so has current undisputed 140 pound champion, Josh Taylor. The British product has watched from afar as Crawford continues to dominate the competition. In fact, in Crawford’s most recent ring appearance, Taylor sat up close and personal to witness his abilities in person.
On November 20th, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Crawford picked up the most impressive win of his career, a tenth-round stoppage victory over former two-time welterweight titlist Shawn Porter. Shortly following the win, Taylor expressed a desire to test his own skills against the current WBO 147 pound belt holder.
While Taylor continues to hurl superlative words in the direction of Crawford, the undisputed titlist believes his own boxing abilities isn’t too far off in comparison.
“Terence Crawford is an all-time great,” said Taylor during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “He can do it all. He can fight southpaw, orthodox, front foot, back foot – he can do a lot but like myself, I can do a lot myself.”
Although Taylor has been increasingly inactive over the past few years, he made the most of his 2021 schedule. With both the WBA and IBF 140 pound belts already in his possession, Taylor set his sights on unifying titles against Jose Ramirez. Though their contest was considered 50/50 heading in, Taylor dominated for long stretches, scoring two knockdowns on the night before eking out a close unanimous decision.
At the moment, Taylor is just a few weeks away from attempting to defend his undisputed throne against mandatory contender Jack Catterall. If everything goes the way he expects, Taylor is hoping to face Crawford sooner rather than later.
Should Taylor find himself standing across the ring from Crawford, he’s fully aware that he will be considered an underdog. However, while many would be shocked to see him pull off the victory, in the end, Taylor believes no one should be.
“That’s a great fight, a terrific fight. I think that fights very interesting and it’s one that I’m capable of winning as well. I don’t think it would be a massive upset if I won that fight. Obviously, it would be a little bit of an upset in terms of the public but in my eyes, I don’t think it would be.”
