Terence Crawford reacted to Shakur Stevenson coming to his defense, saying that “every top fighter” rates Bud as #1, but the writers see him as #2 pound-for-pound. Instead of being modest, Crawford said, “They hated all the greats.”
Lack of Elite wins
Crawford is not a great fighter as he hasn't beaten any of the elite at 154, 147, 140 or 135. There are fighters at 154 to 168 that Bud could fight for the #1 spot, but he won't fight them because the end result would be negative.
NOT every top fighter rates Crawford #1 or #2 pound-for-pound because his resume is too thin to be ranked in the top two. To be No. 1 pound-for-pound, Crawford would need a deeper resume of high-level wins than he has.
Way to #1
Bakhram Murtazaliev
Janibek Alimkhanuly
David Benavidez
David Morrell
Osley Iglesias
Diego Pacheco
If Crawford could beat those guys, no one would argue that he doesn't deserve to be #1 pound for pound. But he hasn't fought any of those guys, nor does he intend to. So Crawford shouldn't be anywhere near #1 in the pound-for-pound rankings or #2. Given his weak resume, he should be under 10-15.
They hated all great men. Nothing new under the sun. https://t.co/TUVCpoGaXv
— Terence Crawford (@terencecrawford) December 19, 2024
The only notable win Crawford (41-0, 31 KO) has on his 16-year resume is a washed-out, car-crash, rusted-out Errol Spence ring. Former unified welterweight champion Spence was coming off a 14-month layoff, having lost 50 lbs in training camp and not looking well since a car accident four years ago.
Other than that win against the inactive, impoverished shell of Errol, there's no one there, and he hasn't been the same since he crashed his Ferrari in a high-speed accident on October 10, 2019. Ferrari was a pile of junk from their car to crash
The quality of the opposition
– Errol Spence: After the car accident
– Shawn Porter: End of career
– Israil Madrimov: Razor close
– Kell Brook: Washed up
– Amir Khan: Same as above
– Ricky Burns: Late in his career
– Yuriorkis Gamboa: Two divisions above his weight class
– Jose Benavidez Jr: Gunshot wound