Tough fight

Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford is declared winner over John Molina Jr. after a WBO junior welterweight boxing bout at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. Crawford won by TKO in the eighth round. AP

When Manny Pacquiao fought against Jessie Vargas last November, Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach felt certain of a dominant victory. He was right.

Now that Terence Crawford looms as a prime candidate to tangle with Pacquiao this year, Roach has some reservations.

The seven-time trainer of the year feels Pacquiao, the eight-division world champion and current World Boxing Organization welterweight titlist, will be thoroughly tested by the unbeaten Crawford (30-0 with 21 knockouts), the unified light welterweight king.

“It’s a tough fight, yes,” Roach told badlefthook.com. “But it’s one that we have to say yes to… because we don’t wanna just be fighting nobodies. We still want to be the best.”

Crawford, nine years younger than Pacquiao at 29, is certainly one of the best.  He is favored to be named 2016 Fighter of the Year after defending his 140-pound crown thrice this year, the last via an eight-round stoppage of the overweight John Molina Jr. in April.

Roach even likened Crawford to a “young Mayweather but he probably has a better punch than Mayweather.”