Three-weight world ruler and current WBO welterweight champion and pound-for-pound entrant Terence Crawford was asked, by Top Rank on the ‘Quick Hits’ series, to list his personal picks for the five greatest-ever boxers. The unbeaten star is of course aiming to become one of the best ever himself and he looks at those that came before him for inspiration.
Crawford’s top-five might surprise quite a few fans, however. Here are Crawford’s picks:
Muhammad Ali
Floyd Mayweather Junior
Roy Jones Junior
Pernell Whitaker
Mike Tyson
Of course, as with anyone who compiles such a list, it comes down to personal favourites as much as anything. That said, it’s a real head-scratcher how Crawford has failed to include Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran from his list. It’s tough just picking five fighters, so many true and special greats have there been over the years, but ask almost anyone to do so and Ray Robinson’s name is there.
Maybe Crawford is not too much a fan of the old timers, the oldest fighter on his list being Ali. There is no doubting the greatness of Ali, of Mayweather, of Jones, of “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, but is Tyson deserving of being ranked amongst the five finest in history? In the opinion of Crawford he is, and that’s that.
As to how he himself can make it as a great, Crawford needs that career-defining win all the legends have; and maybe this will come in a fight with fellow pound-for-pounder Errol Spence. Crawford spoke briefly on the subject of a unification showdown with Spence.
“Of course it is marketable. I believe it would be the biggest fight in the welterweight division,” Crawford said of a super-fight between himself and the current IBF welterweight champ. “But I have this fight against Amir Khan. After that, we can talk about Errol Spence and Al Haymon and Top Rank doing business together. But right now, I’m not even thinking or worried about Errol Spence.”
As long as this fight does happen, ideally this year, fans will be happy. And maybe the winner will go on to achieve true greatness, perhaps even enough to one day be ranked amongst some of the superb fighters on Crawford’s list.