Terence Crawford vs Viktor Postol Looking Ahead

Terence Crawford vs Viktor Postol Looking Ahead- Terence Crawford (28-0) was training at altitude in Colorado Springs this past week, and word is that the atmosphere was all business. Crawford worked with his team and exited the gym with nothing to say to the small gathering of fans. He was not rude, just focused on the task at hand. Viktor Postol, training out in Los Angeles, let out a tirade on  a media call where he trash-talked Crawford, calling him inferior to Lucas Matthysse, among other things. Both men are expressing their confidence in different ways, and all is well with the fight less than ten days away.

The Terence Crawford vs Viktor Postol fight takes place Saturday, July 23rd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the main event of the HBO pay-per-view offering, the first time either man has been featured as a main PPV attraction. Promoter Bob Arum and Top Rank are hoping Crawford develops as the next big attraction, and should he get by this bout with Postol, Crawford will be on Arum’s short for a lucrative match-up with Manny Pacquiao. Crawford is a strong favorite heading into the fight.

Super Lightweight 12 rounds –
Viktor Postol +500
Terence Crawford -700

Terence Crawford vs Viktor Postol Looking Ahead

Postol is the #1 ranked 140 lb fighter in the world according to the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and Crawford sits at #2. Crawford brings the WBO world title and Postol has the WBC belt in tow, so the match is a “unification” of two of the major world title belts at 140 lbs. Crawford is making the third defense of his WBO belt, while Postol is making the first defense of his WBC title. Postol is ranked ahead of Crawford right now largely on the strength  of his upset win over Lucas Matthysse last October.

Postol, as good and gritty as he looked against Matthysse, is still a bit of an unknown. He fought a lot of his early fights in the Ukraine, and though he has a good amateur background, he doesn’t have a big-time international or Olympic pedigree. One thing is certain, Postol, at 5’11” inches tall is going to have height and reach advantages. With that frame, Postol has to think he can be a factor at 147 pounds in the lucrative welterweight division. With his length and the fact that we may not have seen all he has to give yet at this level, Postol being a 5 to 1 underdog will be enticing to some.

Crawford enters this match with a good bit of pressure. At 28-0 and with a mid-western fan base, Crawford has been in the hunt for a big fight. His name was bandied about as a potential Pacquaio opponent before the Filipino sensation settled on fighting Timothy Bradley a third time.

For this fight, Crawford is moving up to the pay-per-view ranks and he is being offered as the “main” attraction. With Pacquiao, Pac-man takes care of being the “A” guy and his opponent gets a larger than usual haul just because of it. This fight has the potential to be one of the best fights of the year, but yet the over/under on pay-per-view sales is around 250,000. Crawford’s last outing against Henry Lundy did come before the bright lights of New York City, but at the Madison Square Garden Theater, not the big room.

Crawford and Postol are likely not making what is typically considered “A” type money for this fight, and that fact in and of itself makes this a must-win fight for both men. Taking the measure of both fighters, this fight is likely a lot closer than the oddsmakers have it. With a big win, Crawford is hoping to take the next big step from mid-west attraction to national and then international star. For Crawford, a loss would be a huge setback.

Terence Crawford vs Viktor Postol Looking Ahead / Crawford Photo credit: Will Hart