"Terence is a very, very special fighter. Probably pound for pound one or two on everybody's list"
Thursday 14 May 2020 08:16, UK
Terence Crawford warned 'I'll take care of him' when Kell Brook was discussed as an opponent and talks were set to start in March, says Top Rank president Todd DuBoef.
The American pound-for-pound star is interested in battling Brook, the former IBF welterweight champion, who ended a 14-month absence from the ring with a stoppage win over Mark DeLuca in February.
Discussions about the Brook fight have been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Crawford's promotional team, Top Rank, revealed how he declared his willingness to fight the Sheffield man.
I'll take care of him. I want to fight him.
DuBoef told Sky Sports: "A couple of months ago, in February, there was a lot of chatter about Kell Brook, and Crawford says 'I'll go up in weight, he can come down, I don't care. I'll take care of him. I want to fight him.'
"Kell and his team have reached out to us, and I think we were going to - representatives of Top Rank were going to be meeting with him in New York for those March events."
Brook has previously told Sky Sports that 'everybody is on the same page' to agree the fight after he met Top Rank CEO Bob Arum and WBO welterweight champion Crawford on a trip to Las Vegas.
"I saw Terence Crawford, he said he was ready for it, so everybody is on the same page," said Brook.
"Everyone wants to make the fight. We just need to make the numbers count for me, for it to make business sense, and then we can get training and get ready for the fight."
Fellow American Errol Spence Jr is another potential foe for Crawford, although a unification clash has been delayed while the WBC and WBA title holder recovered from injuries sustained in a car crash.
Manny Pacquiao, who is the current WBA title holder, could also be an option as Crawford seeks to cement his status as one of the sport's elite performers.
"We're in a pause right now. Terence is a very, very special fighter," said DuBoef. "Probably pound-for-pound one or two on everybody's list, in a great division.
"People have talked about him and Errol Spence, people have talked about him and Pacquiao, so he has lots of matches to be made.
"He's just a special fighter with great boxing ability, power, and he's come up the ranks by that door opening, and he took that opportunity against (Yuriorkis) Gamboa and really made a name for himself.
"He's doing terrific and we look forward to getting him back in the ring as soon as possible."
