Boxing Superstar Terence Crawford Ready For Spotlight Ahead Of Felix Diaz Fight

For those who aren't familiar with Terence "Bud" Crawford (30-0, 21 KOs), now might be a pretty good time to get acquainted with among the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. After easing past some solid opponents, Crawford faces one of the toughest tests of his career when he takes on Felix Diaz (19-1, 9 KOs) on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden and should Crawford provide another typical dominant performance a big payday may loom later in the year.

This is Crawford's first fight of 2017 after three fights in 2016 that all resulted in relatively straightforward victories, with a TKO over John Molina Jr., a unanimous decision over Viktor Postal and a TKO against Hank Lundy. Saturday's defense of his WBC, WBO, The Ring and the lineal light welterweight titles may not veer too far from previous outcomes, with Crawford a 25-1 favorite.

Diaz, who proved his worth in October 2015 with an impressive performance against Lamont Peterson, no doubt is aware of what to expect from the ambidextrous Crawford. Since debuting in 2008, Crawford has firmly established a reputation for being aggressive and tactical at the same time. He effortlessly switches from orthodox to southpaw and is masterful at using his jab to at times act as a power punch. Diaz, an active and hard puncher, will need to throw Crawford off of his rhythm by making him chase while also neutralizing his jab. That won't be easy against a boxer as crafty and fast as Crawford.

When Crawford faced Postol, arguably his most accomplished opponent, in July 2016, he often seemed to toy with the Ukrainian, even sticking his tongue out as he cruised to a unanimous decision. After the fight, Postol admitted that Crawford was faster than him. According to CompuBox, Crawford used that speed to dominate Postal in power punches, 141-83.

While Crawford shouldn't overlook Diaz, it's understandable for his camp to consider possible big-name opponents in the second half of 2017. Against Postol, Crawford received $1.3 million. In comparison, Andre Berto, who doesn't crack any best pound-for-pound lists, earned a career-high $4 million in his loss to Floyd Mayweather in September 2015.

One of the reasons for Crawford's limited visibility is that he has competed in mostly subpar divisions. The former lightweight is still fighting below 147 pounds—Crawford and Diaz will fight at 140 pounds—and has therefore missed out on facing prominent active boxers like Manny Pacquiao, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Kell Brook, Shawn Porter and Errol Spence.

Crawford, who was honored by ESPN as the 2014 fighter of the year, is signed to Top Rank, a promotions company with several notable welterweights. Pacquiao is one of them.

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum stated in January that the Filipino icon would not fight Crawford in the first half of 2017. “Only if the fight will be in the United States but we’re not planning the next fight in the United States so we’re also not planning on Crawford now,” Arum said.

Pacquiao would instead sign on to fight little-known Jeff Horn of Australia in Brisbane on July 2. The decision left Crawford still waiting for a marquee fight, but the wait may not last long if Pacquiao has interest in stepping into the ring with his most skilled opponent since Mayweather.

Whether it's against Pacquiao or another welterweight, once Crawford finally makes the move to 147 pounds, he will no doubt be among the hottest boxers on the scene. The division is still the deepest in boxing and one notable fighter seems certain to step up to the challenge and fight Crawford.

But how interested is Crawford in fighting at 147 pounds and when will he move up? After defeating Postol, Crawford said he wanted to fight Pacquiao at 140 pounds, which seemed a bit far-fetched. In the post-fight interview, he said would take a vacation and then claimed, "We're not worried about Manny Pacquiao right now."

Crawford has been fighting at 140 pounds since 2015 and has talked about unifying the junior welterweight belts, with Julius Indongo currently the WBA and IBF champion. Though a bout with Indongo would raise eyebrows, his camp seems to know a lucrative payday seems confined to a welterweight or at a catchweight.

Read: Crawford Tops Boxing Rankings

“We keep hearing about a future fight with Manny Pacquiao, but there doesn’t seem to be much interest from his team, especially since [Pacquiao trainer] Freddie Roach got a good look at Terence from Postal’s corner,” Crawford's trainer Brian McIntyre told the Los Angeles Times in December.

McIntyre suggested that Premier Boxing Champions' Al Haymon has a collection of welterweights like Thurman and Garcia that could be suitable opponents for Crawford.

"All those [PBC welterweights] are damn good, but we haven’t seen the best of Terence Crawford yet. At 147, you’ll see it. Once the competition elevates, he elevates over the top of that."

Arum pointed out that a date with Pacquiao isn't out of the question for Crawford.

“If he gets through this fight well, Terence (would) get back in the ring again in the summer and then we will look to the fall,” Arum told USA Today.

At age 29 is time perhaps running out on Crawford? It's hard to envision him fading, even if he somehow suffers a loss. Crawford hasn't been taxed over his career and the tools are there for him to remain an elite boxer for several years, especially considering Mayweather and Pacquiao still flourished in their late 30s.

McIntyre added that if Arum and Haymon remain on good terms that the Crawford camp "should be all right."

Crawford's exceptional performances are not lost on ardent boxing observers. Of the nine experts polled by ESPN, eight had Crawford in the top 10 pound-for-pound rankings, the same number as well-known sluggers Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez. International Business Times ranks Crawford as the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer.

For all his technical skills, Crawford's resiliency might be his valued weapon. Boxing had always come naturally for Crawford, with his mother, Debra, offering a $5 reward, or rather a $5 challenge, to any neighborhood kid who can win a fight with her young son. Many tried, all of them failed, according to Debra.

Crawford began his boxing career at 7 years old. With the help of Carl Washington, founder of C.W. Boxing Club, Crawford would make a name for himself on the tough streets of North Omaha, Nebraska. Washington spotted Crawford's heart for fighting and amateur trainer Midge Minor would mentor the youngster, showing him boxing videos and helping him avoid trouble.

Crawford would go on to win the 2006 National PAL Championship, Blue & Gold National Championship and 2007 U.S. Pan American Games Box-Offs. He recalled hearing Omaha crowds chanting his name and his aunt yelling, "send him home, Bud."

For now, he needs to make sure he sends Diaz home, whether convincingly or not. The soft-spoken Crawford said the plan is always to "win in a tremendous fashion and look good doing it," but that's not the only goal.

"At the same time, a win is a win," Crawford said. "That's all I'm looking for Saturday."