Terence Crawford vs Gennady Golovkin prime for prime

Not when he's doing his Loma impersonation but GGG is his favourite fighter, he's frequently compared to him, and even his own trainer says he's like a combination of GGG's power and pressure and Loma's footwork and angles.

GGG would be coming in behind an elite jab, constant pressure, was expert at cutting off the ring, and threw unpredictable combos not easy to read singles like that version of Clenelo, and two-fisted power unlike anything Crawford has ever felt in his life and given how few legit punchers he's fought, one of whom dropped him, one of the others hadn't stopped anyone in four years even though they were feasting off cherrypicks all throughout it sans Bivol, he'd be in big trouble

Again, Crawford has 2 wins above 154, one of which vs an 11 fight pro novice he arguably lost and very likely would of had Madrimov had just a bit more pro experience even if you did have Crawford edging it, the other vs washed Clenelo who hadn't stopped anyone in four years and who always struggled vs movement even in his prime and who was not the combination puncher he used to be relying more on singles which Crawford could see coming easily.

Crawford getting a ton of mileage from beating that version of Clenelo. He hasn't proven himself vs anyone else or any other style above 154 or fought anyone in their prime or a prime KO artist above 154

Squint your eyes just a tad and you could easily mistake him for Madrimov

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Partly but his power and pressure also played a big part too

Brook got his face caved in and took a pounding after being competitive early, just as Crawford would. GGG fought a way better vs of Clenelo not a washed version who was on a four year KO drought vs cherrypicks and who relies on telegraphing easy to read and see coming single shots these days. Hence why Crawford was able to see them coming so easily and evade or block them

Like I said, the amount of mileage Crawford is getting from 1 win above 154 and 2 above 147 one of which he arguably lost despite his opponent being an 11 fight pro novice and making a huge leap up from fringe world level to P4P elite level and the other against a washed version of Clenelo who was on said four KO drought vs cherrypicks most of whom were subsequently KTFO by C and D levels at best is ridiculous. He hasn't proven himself against anyone of GGG's level at any weight and the closest would be Clenelo who was well past his best and despite being the younger man had way more miles on his clock, fought way better competition, way more punchers, way more fighters bigger or much bigger than him and had taken way more damage.

Legit punchers Crawford has fought his size

Mean Machine who dropped him (who in his own words hit him harder than Clenelo) who didn't have a problem landing either

Madrimov who again was able to catch him with plenty of right hands

Clenelo who was washed, hasn't stopped anyone in four years despite cherrypicking like crazy, and whose shots were slow and easy to see coming by that stage of Clenelo's career and he barely landed any clean shots at all

None of them are near the punchers GGG was or the calibre of a prime GGG

Crawford is a great fighter and it would be competitive but GGG would catch him and knock his ass out at some point of the fight

 

Pity Pat Porter's pressure caused Crawford plenty of problems. Crawford wasn't some defensive whizz like Floyd or Loma he got hit a lot and he's never fought a prime fighter above 154 and whilst Madrimov was in his physical prime he lacked the experience at the world level at the time and won the fight in many people's eyes or arguably won. Even Crawford admitted experience is what won him the fight.

I've never picked Crawford to lose and the opponent, despite their lack of experience and fighting on a deck stacked against them, I gave the best chance of beating him was Madrimov because he's a legit banger who was Crawford's size and not washed like Clenelo.

Crawford has generally struggled against the Soviet school

Madrimov arguably beat him
Mean Machine dropped him
He stunk the joint out vs Postol even though he won widely
Even Avanesyan buzzed him a little with a right hand and one of his tactics to deal with his pressure was to do a lot of stiff-arming

We are talking about a career 160 pounder who was in their PRIME and in addition to their titanium chin, elite skills, elite jab, elite ability to cut off the ring, their experience, a prime career 160 pounder whose hands were freakishly heavy for their size who was knocking out fighters in the gym and amateurs who would KO Crawford and is one of the hardest punchers ever

And anyone who is familiar with my thoughts on GGG knows I actually prefer the pre-Sanchez trained version who I consider the best version

Crawford would have to prove himself at 160 and 168 vs prime fighters and a variety of different styles and legit punchers and KO artists at those weights who were not on four year KO droughts like that washed Clenelo, his only win above 154, for me to pick him to beat the likes of GGG whose power, let alone power + all his other elite attributes and intangibles, alone is on a whole other level to what Crawford who, as said, was not defensive whizz, to anything Crawford has ever felt. A win over a very favourable stylistic matchup who was washed and on a four year KO drought is not near enough evidence for me

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