Terence Crawford has picked Yuriorkis Gamboa as the hardest puncher he's faced in his career. The 37-year-old boxer from Omaha, Nebraska, with over 40 professional fights, shared this insight during an interview on Ring Champs with AK & Barak.
Crawford's boxing journey started in 2008, and he's racked up an impressive list of achievements since then. He's won world titles across four weight divisions and made history as the first fighter to win undisputed world championships in two weight classes - light-welterweight and welterweight. Recently, he added the WBA super-welterweight title to his collection by defeating Israil Madrimov in August.
Now, Crawford's gearing up for what could be a historic fight. He's set to face Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super-middleweight championship in September. If he wins, he'll become the first three-weight undisputed champion of all time. It's worth noting that this will be Crawford's first fight above super-welterweight, adding another layer of challenge to the bout.
During his appearance on Ring Champs with AK & Barak, Crawford revealed his thoughts on the hardest puncher he's faced:
"The hardest puncher that I got hit by? I don't know. [Kavaliauskas] was the strongest, yeah he's definitely the strongest puncher, he can punch. But I'd still have to say [Yuriorkis] Gamboa, he caught me with the hardest punch."
Gamboa, an Olympic Medalist, fought Crawford at 135lbs in the lightweight division. Their clash took place in 2014 at the Century Link Center in Omaha, where Crawford defended his WBO world lightweight title. Despite Gamboa's power, Crawford won the fight via a 9th round stoppage.
Crawford also mentioned other tough opponents he's faced. He named Kavaliauskas as the strongest puncher, while also acknowledging the challenges posed by Errol Spence and Shawn Porter in the 147lbs welterweight division.
As Crawford prepares for his upcoming super-middleweight bout with Canelo, his reflections on past opponents offer an interesting glimpse into his career experiences. The fight against Canelo will test Crawford in new ways, as he moves up in weight and aims to make boxing history once again.
