Bud Crawford vs Mikkel Kessler @168

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by MarkusFlorez99, Sep 12, 2025.


Who wins ?

This poll will close on Jun 8, 2028 at 11:28 PM.

  1. Mismatch Kessler beats him up

    21 vote(s)
    67.7%

  2. Crawford outboxes him

    10 vote(s)
    32.3%
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  1. elmaldito

    elmaldito Skillz Full Member

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    Jun 11, 2009
    Pure comedy
     
    elmaldito, Sep 25, 2025 at 1:50 AM
    elmaldito, Sep 25, 2025 at 1:50 AM
    #16
  2. Serge

    Serge Ginger Dracula Staff Member

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    Jul 21, 2009
    Crawford beats a badly faded one-dimensional flat-footed Clenelo who was on a four year KO drought against cherrypicks, doesn't move his head much anymore or throw combinations and who couldn't deal with certain styles even in his prime, and people are picking him to beat the likes of B-Hop and Kessler

    Crawford jumped up 2 weight classes to fight Clenelo because he knew he was jumping up to face someone his size or barely any bigger than him with a much shorter reach who was a stylistically favourable match up for him, not jumping up to face someone much bigger than him who held all the physical advantages over him and was a very tough stylistic challenge

    It was a very strategic move on his part and if Benavidez held all the belts instead of Clenelo then Crawford would not have moved up to face him.

    Crawford had seen a 36 y/o Floyd school a way bigger still in his physical prime Clenelo with ease

    Bivol school a still prime Clenelo with ease

    Seen Lara outbox and arguably beat a prime Clenelo

    Khan school a much bigger prime Clenelo for 5 rounds prior to walking into that Clenbuterol bomb

    A well past prime Kovalev outbox a prime Clenelo and cause him fits with his jab prior to Kovalev's vodka tank inevitably emptying and him gassing and getting KO'd.

    Don't forget Clenelo jumped up 2 divisions to face Kovalev too. He didn't hang around to unify against Beterbiev or Bivol both of whom were much better than that version of Kovalev and the only reason he later agreed to fight Bivol is because he saw Craig Richards take him to within a point of a draw even though Bivol should've been a wide winner.

    Crawford saw Scull cause Clenelo fits with his movement FFS

    Great win, great fighter but how's about we see Crawford defend those belts at 168 against different styles, ones which are not very stylistically favourable for him like Clenelo, and against opponents who are still fresh and in their primes and who actually do hold physical advantages over him or god forbid even big ones first

    Kessler isn't going to plod forwards slinging singles over the top which Crawford can easily see coming and evade. He was fast, sharp and powerful, an excellent combination puncher, with an iron chin and it would be first time in Crawford's career he was facing someone, or someone world class if not, who could actually match him for reach. It's not even a knock on Crawford that he wouldn't beat Kessler and I'm very confident he wouldn't

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    Serge, Sep 25, 2025 at 5:54 AM
    Serge, Sep 25, 2025 at 5:54 AM
    #17
  3. JusABoxinFan

    JusABoxinFan Active Member Full Member

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    Apr 20, 2022
    Well, this comment makes no sense. Canelo lost to Crawford last I check.... So, how does him not having a chance automatically mean that the man who beat him doesn't either?
     
    JusABoxinFan, Sep 25, 2025 at 6:09 AM
    JusABoxinFan, Sep 25, 2025 at 6:09 AM
    #18
  4. JusABoxinFan

    JusABoxinFan Active Member Full Member

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    Apr 20, 2022
    How many of these silly threads are we going to have to go through. Crawford came up to the division to fight Canelo..... That's who he trained and prepared for. Not Andre Ward, Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, or any other great from the PAST who once competed at that weight. Crawford is NOT a super middle weight, which is why his accomplishment is that much greater. He went outside of his comfort weight to compete and was successful vs a man that many of the people who are creating excuses for his success claimed he had no chance against.

    We are talking about a man who just 2 years ago, people were saying he was too small AS A WELTERWEIGHT going into a fight vs Errol Spence Jr. He was claimed to be too small vs Kell Brooke, Jeff Horn, Shawn Porter.......he was called "light in the a$$".....Keith Thurman said he wasn't a real welterweight..... all of this nonsense only for Crawford to go out and stop every opponent at the weight that he faced and gathered all the titles dispite the politics that were thrown at him to keep him from getting certain fights. Now he's gone up to again prove that he's worthy of the p4p status that he's had for almost a decade now, in fighting the FACE OF BOXING who was also the UNDISPUTED champion at a division 3 divisions up. Now Crawford is being labeled a weight bully and/or threads create with the sole intention of saying "he has no chance against....." some guy who last fought in the division a year before Crawford even won his first world title as a LIGHTWEIGHT.

    These corny threads make more sense bringing up greats from the divisions Crawford actually campaigned in. 168lbs. We won't see Crawford hit the scale at that weight ever again in his career unless Canelo wants a rematch, which we know is not going to happen.
     
    JusABoxinFan, Sep 25, 2025 at 6:26 AM
    JusABoxinFan, Sep 25, 2025 at 6:26 AM
    #19
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