By Chris Williams: Bob Arum says he sees Terence Crawford in the prime of his career at 35 years old and hard to beat for anyone in the 147-lb division.
The Top Rank boss Arum isn’t sure how age and a year+ of inactivity have impacted the Omaha, Nebraska native because he’s getting up there in age.
Moreover, Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) hasn’t fought an elite-level or even a B-level welterweight in the four years since moving up to the 147-lb division in 2018.
Crawford has been shielded from the harsh realities of grueling fights against talents like Errol Spence Jr, Yordenis Ugas, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, Vergil Ortiz Jr, and Eimantas Stanionis.
This Saturday night, Crawford is defending against David Avanesyan (29-3-1, 17 KOs) on BLK Prime pay-per-view at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
While many boxing fans have raked Crawford over the coals for this weak pick, this is a step up in class from the lesser opposition he’s been fighting.
Crawford’s previous opponent, gatekeeper Shawn Porter, was totally shot by the time he fought him. Also, Ugas dominated Porter a year before Crawford got to him.
“David [Avanesyan] fought for us against ‘Mean Machine’ [Egidijus Kavaliauskas], but they say, I was just over in the UK for Tyson Fury’s fight, and David’s promoter said that he was much improved, so maybe he can give Terence a battle. I don’t know. We’ll have to see,” said Top Rank promoter Bob Arum to YSM Sports Media when asked about his thoughts on this Saturday’s fight between WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford and David Avanesyan.
“Terence is a very rare talent. All fighters are different. Some can go longer than others. It depends on how much punishment they’ve taken in their careers,” said Arum when asked if the age of the 35-year-old Crawford is beginning to catch up to him.
“Right now, I think Terence Crawford is at his best, really. As a fighter, it’s hard to see anyone at 147 beating him. But again, as you said, he’s 35, and sometimes they get old in front of you.
“Hey, I got nothing to do with that. I would love to see the fight, but again, you have to ask other people if that fight can happen,” said Arum when asked if he sees the Errol Spence Jr vs. Crawford fight happening in 2023.