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Terence Crawford, Viktor Postol meet at presser for July 23 showdown

Fighters Network
10
May
Photo by Lina Baker (instantboxing.com)

Photo by Lina Baker (instantboxing.com)

BEVERLY HILLS – “Unification” is the official title for the July 23 HBO Pay-Per-View junior welterweight showdown between WBO titleholder Terence Crawford and WBC beltholder Viktor Postol.

On Tuesday, Top Rank Promotions held a press conference at the Beverly Hilton to announce the fight, which will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. After all parties involved had their time at the podium, they spoke to RingTV.com.

“They need to solidify who’s the best in the division,” Crawford said about the importance of fighters unifying their titles within their weight classes. The Omaha, Nebraska native continued, “That’s what it’s all about. I feel if there is only one title, that’s what we all would shoot for, but being that there’s more than one sanctioning body in each weight division, everybody tends to shoot for a certain belt and that’s that.”

Postol, a native of Ukraine who trains at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, is just happy to finally be in a high-profile fight.



“It’s a big honor to fight in fights like this,” said Postol. “I think the more often these kind of fights, the better. It opens new doors, and exposes me more to the American people.”

The unification bout comes at a peculiar time in the junior welterweight division, and the winner between Crawford-Postol will likely be crowned as “the real” champion of the weight class.

“Yeah, sure,” said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum about the idea. “The other champion is a Russian guy that never fought here (in America).”

That “other guy” is the IBF titleholder, Eduard Troyanovsky, and with the WBA title being vacant after Adrien Broner lost it on the scale in April, recognition as the best fighter at 140 pounds is up for the taking.

“There isn’t enough,” Arum continued on Crawford-Postol being a unification bout. “The best should fight the best, and this clearly is the two best in the 140-pound division.”

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Postol (28-0, 13 knockouts) is coming off a shocking 10th-round knockout win over Lucas Matthysse last October. That victory got him the “green belt” he holds today after being eluded as it’s mandatory challenger since 2014. The 32 year old elected to take on the toughest fight possible rather than an initial, and typical, voluntary defense. A duty he may feel responsible after explaining his first visit back home with the WBC title around his waist.

“People were very warm, very excited,” Postol said. “They were so happy. I have a lot of fans, and they think I’m a hero back there.”

Come fight night, Postol will be looking at layoff of nine months. “It’s how it is. I’m not really disappointed, but finally I’m happy that the fight is coming,” he answered about the lapse of time in-between fights.

Postol says Crawford will be the best he’s faced to date.

“He’s number one in BoxRec right now,” he said of Crawford. “I’m the second place. He’s a great fighter and it’s a very exciting fight.”

Looking at the two side by side, Postol has distinct size advantage over Crawford, and quite frankly it’s a wonder how his 5-foot-11 frame can make 140 pounds.

“Honestly, I feel great in this weight. I have a nutritionist who helps me, and I can even eat some food before the weigh-in, so I have enough room,” said Postol, who later admitted he walks around comfortably at 154 pounds when not in camp.

Crawford (28-0, 20 KOs) quickly disregarded Postol’s size advantage, and made it clear that it won’t be an issue.

“My approach is always the same – try to get better each and every day in camp,” opined Crawford when asked how he’ll prepare for Postol. He continued, “I don’t train for the other fighter, I train for myself. As long as I’m in the best shape and the best of my abilities, I feel nobody can beat me.”

As for the tendency Postol has to sometimes maul his opponent, and force a frustrating fight upon them, Crawford calmly responded, “Just be relaxed. Let him do the holding. I’ll punch while he’s holding.”

After a year-long title reign in the lightweight division in 2014, Crawford has mowed through the 140-pound class. All of his bouts at junior welterweight have resulted in knockout wins, with the most

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

recent one coming against fringe contender, Hank Lundy, this past February. Lundy also happens to be the common opponent between him and Postol – who outpointed Hank unanimously in 2013. Many had hoped Manny Pacquiao would’ve fought Crawford this past April, but Terence maintained that the situation was out of his control, and wasn’t too disappointed about not getting that chance to fight him stating he never got his hopes up.

Crawford will make his return to “Sin City” for the first time since making his HBO debut three years ago, and considering this will be his first HBO PPV headliner, a lot has changed for the 28-year old since, but Terence never forgets how far he’s come.

“I always reflect back on me fighting when I was coming up as a prospect, and as a contender, and I always look back at how I’ve grown, and how I am today is much different than I was back then.” As for what changed, Crawford replied, “I changed all around. Back then I didn’t like to talk to the media, still don’t too much. Back then I was just a fighter with talent, but now I’m a fighter with talent and smarts. I’m just overall a better fighter.”

It’s safe to say that the match-up of Crawford-Postol has the stamp of approval from everyone, but if you ask Crawford’s co-trainer and co-manager, Brian McIntyre, about any other kind of stamps, he will have a bone to pick with you.

After everyone’s turn at the microphone, Postol was presented with an official Ukrainian postage stamp with “The Iceman’s” portrait.

“This will be my stamp in the history of boxing after this fight,” said Postol with a smile.

Photo by Lina Baker (instantboxing.com)

Photo by Lina Baker (instantboxing.com)

Meanwhile, McIntyre could be seen behind him, defacing the enlarged stamp by drawing a mustache above Viktor’s lip, and seemingly putting his face in the middle of cross hairs.

“He’s a little bit too confident,” said McIntyre on what inspired him to do that. He continued, “Coming in the country and say what you’re gonna do to Terence. No you ain’t, you ain’t gonna do s__t.”

McIntyre admitted that he caught wind of the presentation, and brought a marker just in case the opportunity presented itself. He also made it clear that it was a ploy to get in Postol’s head a little bit by saying:

“Yeah, just cut him down right away,” he said. “He comes in here and says what’s gonna happen afterwards, no you ain’t gonna do a f__king thing. You’re gonna sit your ass down and assume the position, what’s your position? To come in here and get your ass whooped.”

McIntyre then conceded to the notion that no one can get into Crawford’s head, and when asked what it takes to block out something he just did, Brian responded, “It takes a strong individual. You got to be a strong individual to be able to don’t worry about what they’re doing or saying.”

“It doesn’t insult me at all,” said Postol about the incident. “It’s only motivation for me. If people don’t believe in me, then I go to the ring and prove that I’m the best.”

Also made official at the press conference was the co-feature of the HBO PPV event: Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez (34-0, 24 KOs) will make the first defense of his WBO super middleweight title against German fringe contender, Dominik Britsch (32-2-1, 11 KOs). The 24-year old decisioned Arthur Abraham this past April to become the first Mexican ever to hold a world title in the 168-pound class.

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