Terence Crawford says Francis Ngannou has ‘zero’ chance against Tyson Fury (Video)
Three-division and current WBO welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) has the most important fight of his career on the horizon. Next week on July 29, he will face off against Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship.
The welterweight clash follows in the footsteps of some of the biggest in the history of the division. This includes Sugar Ray Leonard’s classic bout against Thomas “Hitman” Hearns in 1981. And, more recently, Floyd Mayweather’s record-breaking match against Manny Pacquiao in 2015.
But Crawford’s bout with Spence isn’t the only mega-bout taking place this year.
Earlier this month, it was announced that WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury will take on former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. The mega-fight between two heavyweight champions in their respective sports is set to take place on October 28 in Saudi Arabia.
The match will be held under boxing rules using the 10-point must system. Fury’s heavyweight titles will not be on the line.
The battle between Fury and Ngannou has the potential to be a financial blockbuster similar to Mayweather’s match with Conor McGregor in August 2017. However, with the fight taking place strictly under the rules of boxing, how much of a chance does Ngannou have? According to Crawford, not much.
“Zero,” Crawford said emphatically when asked during his media workout on Wednesday if Ngannou had any shot at beating Fury.
Terence Crawford will battle Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship on July 29 on Showtime PPV
Although Crawford is likely headed to the boxing Hall-of-Fame when his career is over, he has some background in wrestling. One of his sons also does amateur wrestling. He is regarded as one of the best pure athletes in boxing, with his ability to switch between orthodox and southpaw stances seamlessly.
Despite his athletic prowess, a transition into the world of mixed martial arts is unlikely.
“No not at all,” Crawford responded when asked about making a move to MMA. “Like I said before, I used to wrestle a little bit, but UFC and MMA have never been something that I was planning to do or was training to do.”
While fans of both boxing and MMA may never see Crawford step inside the Octagon, the bout with Spence should satisfy fans of both sports. Anytime a fight of this magnitude takes place from either side, it brings fans from the combat sports world together.
“This is going to put the cherry on top of my career, and I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time now,” said Crawford. “And it’s here now, and I can’t wait until Saturday to get it on.”
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