WBO light welterweight champion Terence Crawford is set to face Viktor Postol of Ukraine Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada in his pay-per-view (PPV) fight debut on HBO.
The fight is particularly significant for Crawford because it is his first fight on PPV and his drawing ability as a budding PPV attraction will be put to test. Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum has been getting out of his way to transform Crawford as the new PPV attraction in his bid to find a replacement for retirement-bound Manny Pacquiao who is set to retire for good in one or two more fights. Pacquiao has been Arum’s top revenue generator for the past decade and no one in his Top Rank stable at this time has the potential to duplicate Pacquiao’s PPV drawing power other than Crawford. It is therefore of paramount importance that Crawford scores a knockout win or a very convincing victory over Postol to impress future PPV viewers to buy his next PPV fight. A loss or a lackluster performance would be catastrophic for Crawford because it would be his first career loss and a failed PPV debut. Crawford, who is working very hard to become a worthy successor to Pacquiao, said he was overwhelmed by the fight venue when he first hogged the limelight at the famous Madison Square Garden in New York when he fought Hunk Lundy to retain his light welterweight title. MGM Grand is another landmark venue for the 28-year-old Omaha native and fighting there in his PPV debut is truly overwhelming. “It is an honor to fight in Las Vegas, especially at the MGM Grand where so many historic fights have taken place and so many great fighters have made their mark. It’s the same way I felt when I headlined my first card at Madison Square Garden earlier this year. Many fighters dream of fighting on such a big stage but it’s something you have to earn,” Crawford said. “I have worked very hard to get to this point in my career — to earn the right to headline my first pay-per-view event. I can’t think of a better place to do it than in the Fight Capital of the World,” he added. Read more: Crawford will have a tough bout with Postol, who like him is unbeaten in 28 pro fights. Aside from the Ukrainian’s advantage in height and reach, he has faced tough challengers in his pro career including the durable Lucas Matthysse who he knocked out in their title fight last October. While Crawford is slightly favored to win over Postol, his trainer needs to outwit Freddie Roach who trained Postol in his fight against Matthysse.
