Crawford sizes up Brook for a shot at more boxing glory

FILE — In this handout image provided by Top Rank, Terence Crawford uses his phone during a Jr. Lightweight WBO World Title bout between Jamel Herring and Jonathan Oquendo at MGM Grand Conference Center Grand Ballroom on September 05, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images/AFP

Undefeated Terence Crawford has never let his size stand in the way of reaching his boxing goals and he’s not about to start now as he puts his WBO title on the line Saturday against Kell Brook.

Crawford will be relying on his speed and skill when he battles the bigger Brook, of England, in a 12-round welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino.

“I’m always perceived as the smaller guy. That’s nothing new. it’s just a matter of skill, will and determination,” Crawford said. “If he’s banking on me being scared of him, he’s in for a rude awakening. I got power, too.”

Organizers have decided to allow 100 spectators into the casino venue to watch the fight in the midst of the global pandemic which has killed 244,000 Americans.

The 33-year-old Crawford will be looking to improve his 36-0, with 27 KOs record, while Brook is trying to better his 39-2, 27 KO record.

Both fighters will have to shake off some ring rust because of a lack of activity due to the coronavirus disruption. Crawford weighed in at 146 pounds on Friday while Brook, who has fought as high as a middleweight, tipped the scales at 147.

Crawford is making his first ring appearance of 2020 as his last fight was a TKO of Lithuania’s Egidijus Kavaliauskas in December.

Power puncher Brook has had a shorter layoff with his last bout being in February when he scored a seventh-round TKO of Mark DeLuca. It was his third straight win after suffering back-to-back losses in an eight month span to Errol Spence and Gennady Golovkin.

“This is the fight of my life,” said Brook who is eager to repair his image after the losses to Spence and Golovkin when he quit on the stool.

“The pressure is on him, but I’m putting pressure on myself for this fight because I want this so bad. I wanna show the world that me at 100 percent is a complete different guy of what you’ve seen before of myself.”

Crawford is one of just seven boxers to win titles at lightweight, junior welterweight and welterweight. The other six are Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, Oscar De La Hoya, Adrian Broner, Pernell Whitaker and Barney Ross.

He is hoping an impressive showing against Kell can land him a marquee matchup against either Pacquiao or Spence.