When
welterweight champion Timothy Bradley says something, we know by now to pay
attention. When he sparred with rising lightweight Terence Crawford, he was
instantly impressed. He rang his manager, Cameron Dunkin, with a glowing
report, which Dunkin recounts, chuckling, “Yeah, Tim called raving about
Terence saying, ‘Who is this guy? Where have you been hiding him, too?’” The
secret is close to being out on the 25-year-old from Omaha, Nebraska, who moved
to a spotless 18-0 (14) with a fourth round stoppage over Hardy Paredes that
followed a stunning demolition of
once-touted former Manny Pacquiao sparring partner David Rodela. At this
juncture of his career, the quiet but likable Crawford is crossing over from
prospect to contender with the plan to rise through the rankings and zero in on
a title opportunity next year. Dunkin continues, “I saw [Crawford] at the
Olympic trials in 2004 and I loved him. After I signed him, we’ve been
patiently bringing him along, letting him mature. It's not an exact science. He
signed with Top Rank last year and he's had three fights with them and we're
all happy with his development. I think next year could be his year.”
Anson Wainwright - In your most recent fight, you won in
the season finale of “Friday Night Fights.” Could you tell us about the fight?
Terence Crawford – I felt real
good; I felt I did OK. I wouldn't say great because I got caught
with a couple of things I shouldn't have got caught with. I should have
finished him a lot earlier than I did when I hurt him in the first round. Other
than that, I think there's more things to work on.
AW - You previously impressively stopped
David Rodela in two rounds over the summer. How happy you were with your
performance?
TC – I’m OK with it; I’m not satisfied ‘cause
I’ve seen the amount of mistakes I made. I got room for a lot of improvement.
AW - When are you
looking at fighting next?
TC – I leave it to my handlers. As far
as I’m concerned I’m ready for whatever.
AW - You've been
a pro since 2008. How do you think you've developed? What have you improved?
TC – I got stronger; I got smarter
mentally and physically. I know the game more than just coming out of the
amateurs, just throw punches and not have a meaning for them.
AW - Who are the
key members of your team? Also where do you regularly train?
TC – My trainers are Saul Diaz and Brian
McIntyre. My managers are Cameron Dunkin and Brian McIntyre. My promoter is Top
Rank. I train at the Viking Shed in Omaha.
AW - Can you tell
us about your amateur career, what titles you won and your final record?
TC – I won the PAL, the Blue and Gold,
third and fourth at the USAs. I made it to the quarterfinals in the [Olympic]
trials. I won Ringside, which is an invitational you don’t have to fight in the
regionals to qualify [for]. You just sign up and go but it’s one of the hardest
tournaments out there. I won that twice; I was runner-up once.
AW – What current pros have you fought?
TC – I fought Danny Garcia twice, Diego
Magdaleno three times. I fought Sadam Ali, Jerry Belmontes. I fought Mason
Menard; I fought Miguel Gonzalez, Michael Dallas, Javier Garcia, Mikey Garcia,
Ray Robinson, Luis Ramos. I fought pretty much all the prospects out there. I
don’t know [what my record was]. I think I lost 11 or 12; I think I had 70
fights.
AW – You mention those lightweight
prospects. Where do you feel you think you fit in?
TC – I’m there; sometimes I feel I don’t
get the recognition I deserve but I feel I’m right there.
AW - You're from
Omaha, Nebraska, which isn't known for boxing. Can you tell us how you first
became interested in the sport?
TC – I used to fight a lot on the
streets and my mom, my dad, everybody was into boxing. My dad was a boxer, my
grandpa, my uncles, my cousins. That’s pretty much how I became a boxer. The
guy at the gym asked me if I wanted to box and I didn’t know nothing about it.
So I’m like, yeah, ‘cause I know I like to fight. So I asked my mom; she said
yeah and I’ve been boxing ever since.
AW - For his last
two fights, you've been Timothy Bradley's main sparring partner. Can you tell
us a little about that and how you've found sparring and training with him?
TC – It didn’t affect me at all; it
showed me where I am and where I want to be. I’m in there sparring with a
world-class fighter, a champion, a true champion and I did good. I know if I
can do good with him, then the fighters I’m going to be in with aren’t going to
be nothing like him. I feel good about the situation. He’s a good guy; he let
me know a lot of things that I probably didn’t know about in and out of the
ring. So it was a good experience both times.
AW - Can you tell
us a little about your life away from boxing? What are your interests?
TC – Well, currently, I just like to
train, take care of my family and do what I got to do to be the best I can be.
I play basketball, video games, go outside do things, I got to be active, do
some kind of sport. I got a son I take care of. Me and his mom live together
but otherwise everything else is boxing with me.
AW - What goals
do you have in boxing?
TC – To be the best I can be, be in the
Hall of Fame. Pound-for-pound is my ultimate goal but my first goal - one at a
time - win this championship at 135 and show I’m the best at 135, then move up.
AW - What fighters did you enjoy watching when you were younger and
who do you like to watch today?
TC – I watch a lot of Floyd Mayweather
Jnr., Pernell Whitaker, Shane [Mosley] at 135. I watch a lot of boxers; I like
boxers who show the art and skills like [Marco Antonio] Barrera. I just like
boxers.
AW - As
you say, you’re not one of the most known guys but you're making your way
through. Do you have a message for the
lightweight division?
TC – They know I’m coming. I might not
be as known but they know about me. They see it.
