By Edward Chaykovsky

WBO lightweight champion Terence Crawford (24-0 17KOs) says tonight's mandatory fight with Raymundo Beltran (29-6-1, 17KOs) will crown the legit champion of the WBO. The HBO televised fight takes place at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Nebraska.

Crawford won the WBO title when he won a twelve round decision over Ricky Burns in March and the retained the belt for the first time in June with a ninth round TKO of Yuriorkis Gamboa.

But Beltran also faced Burns for the title, last September. Beltran dropped Burns and broke his jaw. Almost everyone at ringside, including Burns' promoter and the local press, saw Beltran as the winner, but the fight was scored a twelve round draw.

Some view Beltran as the uncrowned champion.

"Yeah I thought he won [against Burns], hands down. I thought he won the fight, I thought they cheated him and he deserved to be the champion at that particular time. Yeah, some people still look at him as he won the fight, I look at him as he won the fight [with Burns]. I’m the champ now and when we fight on the 29th it’s going to show who the real champion is," Crawford told On The Ropes Boxing Radio.