Not many people gave Dierry Jean much of a chance to beat rising star Terence Crawford in front of Crawford's hometown crowd in Omaha, Nebraska on Saturday. Come to find out those people were right not to give the man much of a shot. For Crawford railroaded over the overwhelmed Jean for nine plus rounds on Saturday, stopping his man in the tenth.
Now word is out that Crawford should face Manny Pacquiao in the coming year. Since it's HBO talking up the fight, these words should be taken seriously. Frankly, I'm not too excited to see that one. I'd personally rather see Manny fight Amir Khan.
Be that as it may, Crawford-Pacquiao may be on its way. How it will do on Pay Per View is anyone's guess - though my guess would be not well. That's not to take anything away from Crawford, of course. The guy's the real thing - a true talent. Still, he hasn't shown himself to be worthy of a fifty-plus buck fee to watch fight. He's a lot of fun when the competition is right, but he's not a guy anyone's been holding their breath to see fight Pacquiao.
With all that in mind, Crawford's performance this weekend was notable for its violent efficiency if for nothing else. Bud Crawford is a stylist who can hit hard enough to lay out his foes. Make no mistake about it. Perhaps he's being pushed too far too fast, but he's a man well worth watching nonetheless.
