Terence Crawford’s next opponent?
WBO Welterweight Champion Terence Crawford will not have to wait much longer to find out who his next opponent will be. The undefeated brawler has yet to fight in 2020, but it is being reported that he will face former IBF Welterweight Champion Kell Brook on November 14, 2020.
Photo: Omaha.com
The matchup is certainly an intriguing one, as both the men are two of the top fighters in the boxing industry. Crawford currently owns a pristine record of 36-0 while Kell sports a highly impressive record of 39-2.
The fact that the men have different stances makes their matchup even more interesting. Crawford practices the Southpaw stance while Brook has an Orthodox stance. This should allow the fighters to trade blows with each other while still keeping the element of surprise behind their shots.
Both men are veterans in the industry, as Crawford is 32 and Brook is 34. Experience will play a key role for both men as they have faced competitors of equal skill countless times in the past. Furthermore, both men have tasted greatness in the past, so they know what it takes to come out victorious in as big of a spot as this one.
The two boxers have eerily similar knockout statistics, as both men have knocked their opponents out 27 times in their career. Brook has done so in 41 bouts while Crawford achieved the impressive number of KOs in only 36.
While both boxers are nearly even in just about every aspect of their game, there is one factor that looks like it could be in Crawford’s favor in the upcoming bout. His pterodactyl size wingspan of 74 inches makes him a nightmare for his competitors. On the other hand, Brook’s wingspan is only 69 inches.
Brook looked dominant in his return to the ring in February after over a year away, knocking out American fighter Mark DeLuca in the process. The victory further removed him from his two bad performances in a row against Gennady Golovkin and Errol Spence Jr. Brook was 36-0, which is coincidentally Crawford’s records heading into their fight, before losing to the two men in 2016 and 2017.
Photo: Thetimes.co.uk, Badlefthook.com
While Brook may be the next in line to take his shot at beating Crawford, it is clear that there is a line forming behind him. There have long been rumors of a potential super fight between Crawford and the legendary Manny Pacquiao, and Crawford still has hope for that clash in the future. Likewise, WBC Featherweight Champion Gary Russell Jr. has also gone on record to say that he wants a shot at breaking Crawford’s impressive streak.
“Real champs fight real champs,” Russell Jr. said. “A real champ will fight anybody. I’m a real champ. Remember that.”
Crawford confessed that he does not know whom he will face next. “I really don’t know how the situation will play out for a fight against any top welterweight in the division. When you look at the landscape, the whole thing is gonna come down to money, and if you can’t provide the proper money for each fighter, how can you make a fight happen?”