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Terence Crawford says two undefeated fighters shunned him: ‘They dropped out of the rankings’

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Terence Crawford says two undefeated fighters avoided him: “They dropped out the rankings”

Terence Crawford still doesn’t want to return to the sport after his December retirement, but he named two busy and undefeated fan favorites who stopped fighting him when he fought in the welterweight division.

“Bud” won the WBO welterweight world title in 2018 knocked out Australian, Manny Pacquiao’s conqueror, Jeff Horn and defended the belt six times before winning the legendary undisputed title against Errol Spence Jr.

The Omaha operator then moved up to the super welterweight division and on his way to the super welterweight division, he dethroned Israil Madrimov to win the WBA super welterweight crown.

At 168 pounds, Crawford settled on Canelo Alvarez’s history-defining victory, becoming the sixth world champion in boxing’s five divisions, joining Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao in that extremely elite club.

However, in the clip captured by Jai McAllisterCrawford revealed that he was willing to face up-and-coming fighters during his welterweight reign, but Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr. they avoided the chance to fight for his WBO belt.

“I had the opportunity to fight Boots, but Boots decided to drop out of the WBO rankings, him and Vergil [Ortiz Jr.]. That’s why I fought Shawn Porter.”

Ennis is a former unified welterweight world champion and Ortiz is the current WBC interim super welterweight champion. The pair seemed to be on a collision course, but problems between Ortiz and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya thwarted those plans.

Instead, “Boots” will try to become a two-division world champion when he faces WBA and WBO titleholder Xander Zayas on June 27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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Boxing

Shane Mosley names two men he may have avoided in his career: ‘Nobody wanted to face them’

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Shane Mosley names the two men he could’ve avoided in his career: ‘Nobody wanted to face them’

Shane Mosley fought 61 times as a professional, facing some of boxing’s best operators in the lightweight and super welterweight divisions. Although there are two names that come to mind with Mosley as an opponent he could easily beat.

“Sugar” Shane Mosley competed for 23 years as a professional after turning into a prominent amateur. He famously went from reigning supreme at lightweight to dethroning welterweight ruler Oscar De La Hoya, and then repeated the feat at super welterweight, defeating the “Golden Boy” for a second time.

Although over the course of his legendary career, Mosley suffered 10 career and interview losses Fighting the noiseThe Californian admitted that the main reason was his desire to be the best, noting how other players would have beaten Ronald “Winky” Wright.

“[My mentality was]If I’m not the best fighter, find someone to beat me because I don’t want to be world champion if I’m not the best. I don’t want it if I’m not the best, I want to be the best. I didn’t ask for more money, I didn’t care.

“As a child, I wanted to be great, I wanted to be like Sugar Ray Leonard and Muhammad Ali. That was my destiny. My destiny is not about money, contracts or anything else. That’s why at certain moments I fought people who shouldn’t have fought. I didn’t choose my fights.

“It was like ‘Winky.’ [Wright]? Does no one want to fight him? OK, I’ll fight him.’ I wasn’t even a 154-pound fighter, I was a 147-pound fighter. ‘I’ll fight you because no one else wants to fight you.’ Winky then continues to fight [Felix] Trinidad and other people and he will get his chance in the sun.”

In 2004, defensive genius Wright beat Mosley twiceand Mosley also recalled how he could avoid fighting the only man to beat him twice, Vernon Forrest.

“Vernon Forrest, same thing. I didn’t have to fight him. I could have continued, dodged and danced. Then he went on and lost [Ricardo] “Majorga.”

Regardless of these defeats, Mosley was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020 along with fellow champions Bernard Hopkins and Juan Manuel Marquez.

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Brian Norman Sr. rejects Jaron Ennis Terence Crawford comparisons

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Image: The Rehydration Excuse? Ennis Pledges to Silence Critics with 'Strongest Ever' Display Against Stanionis

“I think Boots is a good fighter, but he’s not better than anyone else,” Norman Senior told MillCity Boxing. “I don’t think it’s a special talent.”

Norman Sr. then went further, calling Ennis “a great fighter in the gym” while questioning the stories that have followed him over the years during sparring sessions in Philadelphia.

“For me, he’s a great competitor in the weight room,” Norman Sr. said. “That whole aura when you’re in your hometown. Everyone at the gym stops to watch it like it’s amazing. But guess what? Nobody’s going to get hurt. Nobody’s going to sleep.”

Norman senior argued that Ennis had not faced a level of competition that would justify constant comparisons with Crawford. He pointed out that Crawford took on challenging fights against undefeated opponents early in his career, while also saying that Ennis was given a different path.

“No, because they actually offered him a fight,” Norman Sr. said of a possible Crawford-Ennis fight. “He clearly said that we are faithful to Espinosa. You’re talking about a guy who has never fought anyone like that to this day.”

Norman Senior gave Ennis credit for his dominant victory over Eimantas Stanionis, but even that praise came with criticism.

“Stanionis was his biggest test and he passed it with flying colors,” Norman Sr. said. “But you’re talking about a guy who’s never been tested.”

For Norman Senior, this is a real problem with the Ennis hype. He believes the fans and media crowned him before he faced enough elite opponents to prove he was in the same discussion group as Crawford.

“We didn’t even get to see him perform in front of anyone because he wasn’t in the ring with anyone at his level,” Norman Sr. said.

Youtube video

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Boxing

Oleksandr Usyk ranks one heavyweight above all others as the best of all time

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Oleksandr Usyk ranks one heavyweight above all others as the best ever

Oleksandr Usyk has established himself as the best heavyweight of this generation, but the great Ukrainian believes that there is another man who surpasses all others and is the best of all time.

Usyk has beaten everyone in his illustrious career, first becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion, then moving up to the banner division and becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion twice.

He defeated Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois twice eachand so far, no one has even come close to giving the 39-year-old the first defeat in his career.

Usyk’s achievements mean there is often debate about how he would fare against heavyweights from other eras, and fans regularly discuss his fantastic fights against the likes of Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield.

This is another boxing icon that Usyk would clearly have no chance of defeating later revealed by Mail Sport Boxing exactly what he thinks about Muhammad Ali.

“GOAT.”

Ali is arguably the biggest name in boxing history, transcending the sport in the 1960s and 1970s with his exploits both in and out of the ring.

He was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, winning historic battles such as “Rumble In The Jungle” against George Foreman and “Thrilla In Manila” against Joe Frazier.

Usyk is not the only heavyweight legend who recognized Ali as the best in the history of the division. Mike Tyson also shares the belief that no one can match “The Greatest.”

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