Terence Crawford-Ray Beltran: Pre-Fight Report Card

by Cliff Rold

Omaha needs a winner.

They haven’t had one, at least not what they’re used to, on the gridiron in too long.  Lightweight Terrence Crawford give Cornhusker nation something new to look forward too.  He is the pro game in one of the best of college towns.

Across the ring, he’ll find a hard luck veteran who has found his stride. Glen Johnson and Orlando Salido could be role models for Beltran.  He’s lost some tough calls.  He’s been the victim of some outright bad judging (see: Ricky Burns, D12, September 2013). 

Now, he’s here.  Winning four of his last five, starting with an upset of Hank Lundy and including the Burns draw, opportunity has arrived. 

Can he go Melvin Gordon on Crawford in Omaha?

It’s the two top-rated Lightweights in the world.  Who can’t get excited about that?       

Let’s go the report card.

The Ledgers

Terrence Crawford 


Age: 27

Current Titles: WBO Lightweight (2014-Present, 1 Defense)


Previous Titles: None


 Height: 5’8

Weight: 135 lbs.

Hails from: Omaha, Nebraska

Record: 24-0, 17 KO

Rankings: #1 (BoxingScene, TBRB, ESPN, Ring, BoxRec)

Record in Major Title Fights: 2-0, 1 KO

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 2 (Ricky Burns UD12; Yuriorkis Gamboa TKO9)



Vs.

Raymundo Beltran

Age: 33

Current/Previous Titles: None

Height: 5’8

Weight: 134.8 lbs.

Hails From: Phoenix, Arizona (Originally from Mexico)

Record: 29-6-1, 17 KO, 2 KOBY

Rankings: #2 (BoxingScene, TBRB, ESPN, Ring, BoxRec)

Record in Major Title Fights: 0-0-1

Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced: 1 (Ricky Burns D12)

Grades

Pre-Fight: Speed – Crawford A-; Beltran B+

Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Crawford A; Beltran B+

One attribute Beltran has that may surprise Crawford early is his hand speed.  He’s quick of hand and foot, if not quite as fast as Crawford.  He won’t have the sort of eye-popping speed Gamboa threatened Crawford with.  Crawford warms to his task though and that could mean early success for Beltran as he presses and looks for chopping rights and left hooks.

Beltran can sometimes swing wide and as Crawford gets comfortable, his jab will be the key to timing Beltran.  Both men are willing to go to the body.  Crawford doesn’t stay in the trenches unnecessarily.  He slides, counters, and pops out left leads to freeze opponents as they pursue.

If Beltran can’t slow him down, Crawford stands a good chance of turning him in circles all night.  Beltran will be looking for big shots, get caught, and find nothing in front of him.  He has to force his way in close.  He can’t beat Crawford if he stays at the end of the jab.

Neither man is a monster puncher so this is likely to go rounds.  Of the two, Beltran is the only one who has been stopped.  It’s been a long time.  2008 to be exact.  Beltran’s other stoppage loss came in 2001.  That’s far enough away to be almost a career ago. 

Beltran turned a corner.  He won’t be an easy man to put away Saturday.  Defensively, Crawford is the more fluid but Beltran slips shots better than he looks.  Crawford is going to have to work to catch him.  Then he’s going to have to catch him again.  That makes for good theatre.   

The Pick

Crawford has the hot hand coming in. Beltran has the biggest chance of his career.  An HBO main event after years of bad luck should mean a fight with no regrets.  Knowing he’s struggled on the scorecards in the past should also eat at him in Crawford’s backyard.  It’s going to make for some drama.  It’s not going to be enough to overcome Crawford.  Crawford’s reach edge, and boxing ability, will be enough to secure the victory and complete his evolution.  Terrence Crawford started the year as a new contender at Lightweight.  He’ll finish as its clear leader. 

Report Card Picks 2014: 55-23

Cliff’s Notes…

A couple extra picks for an interesting weekend…On the undercard of Crawford-Beltran, there is promising Featherweight action.  That is no surprise.  Featherweight is suddenly red hot.  Jayson Velez (22-0, 16 KO) has a big chance to be a part of that. Velez is ready for his arrival. IBF titlist Evgeny Gradovich (19-0, 9 KO) is tough but limited and Velez should take advantage of that.  A decision or gradual build to a stoppage for Velez is the nod here…Earlier in the day we have a possible corker at Heavyweight.  Tyson Fury (22-0, 16 KO) and Dereck Chisora (20-4, 13 KO) had a good scrap the first time.  This time, Chisora is in shape.  He’s twenty pounds lighter.  Fury, who has been largely inactive for most of the last year and a half, is almost ten pounds heavier.  Will it matter?  It might make a more competitive fight but the volume of Fury and the eight-inch height advantage are still there.  He won almost every round the first time.  In the sequel, Fury wins enough to line up a possible crack at Wladimir Klitschko next year.

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel, the Yahoo Pound for Pound voting panel, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com